Irish Breakfast

Breakfast teas traditionally blend assam from India with the milder Ceylon from Sri Lanka. The Irish Breakfast has a stronger taste than English Breakfast due to the blend containing higher levels of Assam tea giving you a rich, malty tasting brew that is strong enough to give you a real cup of tea even with milk added. This is a large leaf tea strong enough to wake you up in the morning

Upon running a taste test on 5 different breakfast blends, the Irish was by far the winner for me – must be my very distant Irish roots coming through!

Origin and History

Breakfast teas are a blend of black teas made popular by Queen Anne and Queen Victoria in the mid 18th to early 19th century. Prior to this the breakfast beverage was actually ale! The switch to tea was popular due to the stimulating caffeine content getting people moving in a morning.

It started out in Scotland in 1843 when tea master Robert Drysdale made “Scotch Tea Mixture” to make the tea more appealing to a wider market he renamed it “English Breakfast” and gifted some to Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle who then brought it back to London

The Irish had a taste for stronger more full bodied brews in most beverages and so the lean towards more Assam than Ceylon in the blend was popular in Ireland

Health Benefits

Ceylon and Assam teas are both antioxidant powerhouses full of polyphenols that can help ward off diseases. The caffeine and amino acid L-Theanine content in teas give a balanced boost without the jitters and also give an increased alertness and focus.

The antioxidants like theaflavins and thearubigins boost the immune system, improve heart health and contribute to overall wellbeing

Polyphenol compounds in tea can act as prebiotics, promoting growth of healthy gut bacteria

How to prepare

100 degree fresh boiled water, 1 teaspoon per cup in a strainer, brew for 3-5 minutes. Usually served with milk