I'm a U.S. native who drinks mostly coffee. I like tea and drink it occasionally as a change, but not as a way of getting my customary "lift."
Now, when I read or listen to people from the UK or elsewhere where tea is the customary beverage, the language they use suggests it has a powerful, stimulating, satisfying "Ahhhhhh...." effect. William Cowper called it "The cup that cheers but does not inebriate." People are "dying for a nice cup of tea," need their tea, etc.
George Orwell wrote that a "nice up of tea" must be "Indian or Ceylonese tea. China tea has virtues which are not to be despised nowadays — it is economical, and one can drink it without milk — but there is not much stimulation in it. One does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it." I infer that Indian tea made to his taste <em>did</em> make Orwell "feel wiser, braver, or more optimistic."
Of course the amount of caffeine in "a cup" of anything varies a lot depending on how it is made and how big the cup is.
I believe that English tea brewed quite strong, so strong that many people add milk to get something not quite coffee-colored--and that the custom is to brew it strong and allow people who want it weaker to add hot water. Orwell says six "heaped" teaspoons of tea for a quart pot. Oddly he does not say how long to let it steep, so I assume the answer is "indefinitely"--the tea is fully extracted.
The caffeine content of an 8-ounce cup of coffee is often stated to be 100-200 mg; of "brewed black tea," 14-70 mg, e.g. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372
At Starbucks, a U.S. mass market "specialty" coffee chain, 8 ounces of coffee contain 180 mg of coffee, 8 ounces of "Tazo Awake Brewed Tea" 70 mg. Dunkin' Donuts, which tends to make coffee similar to the way <em>casual</em> coffee drinkers like to make coffee at home, is said by various sources to have about 100 mg for 8 ounces.
The very strongest tea seems to have about 2/3 the caffeine of "ordinary" coffee, and about 1/3 the caffeine of "specialty" coffee.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. coffee is commonly drunk in cups that contain 8 fluid ounces, and often in mugs containing almost double that. China teacups seem to hold much less, 5-6 fluid ounces.
I suddenly realized that the mystery would be resolved if typical tea drinkers drink more ounces of their beverage at a sitting than coffee drinkers do.
A typical U.S. pattern would be either "a mug" (or big cardboard cup) of 14 ounces of coffee, and that's all; OR "a cup" (8 ounces, not 5 or 6), followed by optional "I think I'll have a second cup."
So, I was wondering... tea drinkers, when you drink tea, how big is the cup and about how many cups do you drink at one sitting?
One cup (8 ounces) of green tea at one sitting, I'm not sure if green tea counts:) Tea in general never gave me that satisfying (ahhhhh) effect;) I always had this wish to ask people from UK how they feel about their tea time, because they don't seem to live thier daily routine without tea. Nothing wakes me up like coffee with cream;) and I wish one day to feel the same about tea, because I think it's healthier and of course it doesn't cause the bad breath ;D
I like tea, and I only drink a standard china mug at one time, if at work I can drink 5 or 6 in a day but at home I drink maybe 2-4. I now drink it black and weak, I used to take some milk in it and it was still not strong. Most people I know do not like strong tea, it may have been the case in the past when they kept a kettle of tea on the stove and it was strong so they needed to add lots of milk and sugar. Nowadays I think there are just as many people who like coffee as like tea. My manager uses a huge cup that is like a soup bowl and can happily drink several in the day of tea or coffee, I do not know how she manages, if you know what I mean!:)
I sometimes drink herbal tea such as chamomile, rosehip or lemon and ginger. I do not take sugar in tea, only in coffee.
When in South Africa, people took a half a mug of tea topped up with milk to the top and a lot of sugar. I know someone who took about 4-5 teaspoons of sugar in it!
In the Ukraine they had hot black sweet tea, also with a lot of sugar in the pot and not put in the cup itself:)
I drink tea a lot! (I know it's not a healthy habit :S)
When I wake up: tea
When I'm studying: tea
When I feel sad: tea
When I feel happy: tea
When I chat with my parents: tea
When I have guest: tea
I use a big mug! And mostly I drink Indian black tea.
Well, Dan, our question has just prompted me to leave my desk and go into the kitchen to measure the capacity of my drinking vessels! I'm back now, and can reliably inform you that the mugs we drink tea out of are between 7 and 9 fluid ounces (approx 200 ml). That's enough liquid for one sitting. At home I would have one of those at breakfast time and again in the afternoon, and possibly also in the evening. Or, indeed, at any other time that anyone offered to make me one.
The traditional china teacups with the narrow bases hold much less, of course. You could empty one of those in a few gulps. If you order tea in a traditional British tea shop (ie not Starbucks or any of their imitators!) you'd be served tea in tea pot. Once the tea is brewed (at least 3 minutes...), you'd pour it from the pot into your dainty little cup, but you would expect to be able to fill it at least twice. As the remaining tea in the teapot got stronger, you'd be able to top up it from a pot of water - also supplied - which might get you a third cup. Add milk to taste. All this means that if one person orders tea in a traditional British or Irish establishment this involves a cup, a saucer, a teapot (and lid) , a pot of water (and lid) , a milk jug, a sugar bowl, and two teaspoons (one -dry - in the sugar bowl, and one - for stirring - on your saucer) - 10 items in total.
Funny and enjoyable discussion esp. because you're a coffee fan :) but since I am a tea lover, I'll join in.
I drink tea, mostly black tea, in all kinds of varietes, (Like Picard, Earl Greay is my favorite) all day through. So will always have a cup ready when I teach. I taught E.S.L in Thailand and there I had my Ice tea's, which I also took every week to to one of my students.
I'm back in The Netherlands now so hot tea wins it over ice tea, due to the climate here.
I'm new on Italki and am busy to learn the ins and outs, this forum is a nice way!
