di It's time for tea!
If you think of tea, maybe England comes to your mind immediately. After all, Britain has a long tea tradition and many tourists who go there have a cup of tea, weak or strong.
Even though it's good at any time of day, most British people have a tea break in the afternoon. They like their tea strong and dark, but with a lot of milk. Small cakes, biscuits and scones are generally served with the tea.
Tea is an Asian export which arrived in England in the 17th century. It became a pleasant pastime among the upper classes during the Victorian period in the 19th century in order to enjoy conversation. In fact afternoon tea was a way of socializing and soon became so popular that the custom spread throughout the country and became an essential part of Victorian culture.
Nowadays traditional English teas are rather old-fashioned but they're still a part of British culture.
By the way if you want to make a typical English cup of tea, let the water boil in a kettle and put the tea in a teapot. When the water boils, pour it into the pot and let the tea brew for about three minutes. Then take a teacup and pour in the brewed tea. Add milk (or lemon) and sugar cubes. Tea is typically served in very fine china.
