No English Breakfast tea in Germany! Brexit?

We are on our way to Switzerland today, and then to Italy, and I hope things improve. . . .

Probably not, the likelihood is Lipton will be the dominant 'tea' of choice. Stock up on the Earl Grey whilst you can.

Actually it is Earl Gray I do not want. I meant to say that at the outset. I much prefer regular English Breakfast tea, especially the Yorkshire type. The bergamot in Earl Grey obscures the real flavor of the tea.

To add insult to injury, the shampoo and conditioner in the shower at the hotel were scented with bergamot.

I always bring along my own tea. Usually Twinings for travel because each bag is individually wrapped.

Outrageous! Isn't Earl Gray English? I mean, the name implies he was a bit of a dandy, but the tea is fine.

Yes, ma'am, bring your own teabags in the future just to be fully prepared!

Yes, I'm worked up!

Look for Irish Breakfast tea instead?

Marco, no second-rate teas, sir.

I must admit, that like Frank, I bring my own tea as well. Mostly precisely to avoid being stuck with Earl Grey!!

My sympathies, Lola.

Marco, no second-rate teas, sir.

Apparently, Big Mike, you've never had Irish Breakfast Tea. It's more full flavored than most English Breakfast teas.

and a most excellent brew

Gosh, am I the Earl’s only friend?

I loves me some Earl Grey, the greyer the better, but, generally, tea? Eh. Not knowing what to expect in Scotland, I brought along several packets of (really good/expensive) instant coffees. Turned out didn't need them much; the tea service in every RS hotel room was fabulous.

Gosh, am I the Earl’s only friend?

Hahahaha I love this post, Denny !!

P.s. Lola, if you have an aversion to bergamot, steer clear of Sicily (and Calabria )!

Curiouser and curiouser. Now we are in Luzern, at the Ameron Hotel Flora (your recommendation, Frank II, and we do like it, especially the location). The room has a Lavazza machine that uses pods ( like a Nespresso). The only tea pod they provide is lemon-scented. OK, at least it is not Begamot.

Now that I think of it, I had an Earl Grey problem when we were in Japan in 2019. I would ask for “English tea” with breakfast, and sometimes it was Earl Grey. I wonder if hotels and restaurants in different countries feel it is nicer, or higher class, or something, and that accounts for the popularity.

I’ve had an aversion to it ever since a morning-sickness incident over 40 years ago, and I am not about to change. Fortunately I did find two English breakfast teabags in my backpack today, left from a previous trip “just in case.” That is enough to get me through tomorrow morning and onto the train, and I can shop for more when we arrive in Milan.

I have an English friend who travels with her own stash of English Breakfast teabags. It doesn't take a lot of room. Maybe next time?

I could not find any English Breakfast in the Andalusian area of Spain last March-April. We did a day trip to Gibraltar and I found it there. Last time I was in Germany, I picked it up at an Aldi. I'm returning in September and I am now concerned I won't be able to get it. Did you try looking in stores?

then again, there's Lady Grey, of which my wife has a large stash

Red bush, not really a tea at all, is popular with my friends

Connie, I did not have time to visit a grocery store in Germany, but I assume thy would at least have Lipton Yellow Label, or other common brand of black tea without the bergamot. I am thinking the offering of Earl Grey at restaurants and items is more of a status thing than lack of availability of English Breakfast.

I’ve enjoyed this thread. I had always assumed bergamot flavoring was derived from the eponymous perennial flower Wild Bergamot, AKA Monarda, Bee Balm or even Oswego Tea. I watched our neighbor’s flower bed be overtaken after a few years. Turns out it is an orange. And not a very orange one at that. Lola, I hope you find your cuppa. Safe travels

I am not so quick to think it is a status thing -- it might be evidence of Big Tea bullying the supply chain, no?

Things are looking up in Italy. We are in Milan at the über-chic Design Hotel Straf, just steps from the Duomo ( courtesy of a Marriott free night). The tea service in the room has no coffee ( in-room coffee is so low-class) but the teas on offer include both Earl Grey and English Breakfast. Plus mint and lemon verbena herb tea. My husband stepped out to a little neighborhood bar for his morning cappuccino, and is very happy.

That is a little encouraging. I was beginning to think there really was something to your Brexit joke. Everywhere I went in Spain, they had Green and herbal teas, no black tea. Since tea is my drink of choice, I am thinking about packing it from home. (I actually prefer Irish breakfast over English breakfast, but I can never find it in Europe.) It was so inexpensive at the Aldi. (As you know, we have yet to get the Aldi in this part of the country)

I doubt you will find yellow Lipton tea in any German grocery store, but you will find black tea. Called Schwarze Tee. Lipton is only available in Asian or Indian stores.
Another non-drinker of Earl Grey and I tend to ask at the cafe to be sure that is not what I am getting as that bergamot is just horrible tasting and smelling. Ick.!

Update: Just returned from 4 weeks in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Northern Italy. We were in the Alps areas of these country. I was glad I took some Irish Breakfast tea. (I drink it or English Breakfast every day). I did find it in a few grocery stores. It was never offered at anyplace that had tea (B&B's, huts, etc) . I did not find it in any Aldi I visited. (Last trip that is where I bought 60 English Breakfast tea bags for a ridiculous low price). I did find Rooibos tea which I also like.

Hi Lola -

I too have an aversion to Earl Grey tea. No reason other than I hate the taste. I quite like the Earl Grey Monument in Newcastle though. How about jasmine tea? In a massive contradiction, I quite enjoy that (in moderation).

Keep your eyes peeled - Yorkshire Tea turns up in the most unlikely places. For instance I once bought a small box of Yorkshire teabags in Valdez, Alaska. Didn’t really need it, but in the circumstances it would have been rude not to!

Ian

Thanks, Ian and Julie—-I too have been able to buy Yorkshire tea in unlikely places, although I cannot recall specifics at the moment.

Update on our trip, now that we are back home: our penultimate three Italian hotels of the trip were in the Dolomites (in Val Gardena, Dobbiaco, and Alta Badia). At each of those, English Breakfast tea was on offer at the breakfast buffet. Then we stayed 5nights in an apartment in Bologna, and I was able to buy English Breakfast tea at the local grocery (although I cannot recall the brand). Fortunately I had extra teabags, as the hotel in Venice, our last stop before flying to London, offered only Earl Grey in the room tea service.

After a short week at home, we flew to California to visit our kids and grandchildren. In San Francisco, our room had a tea kettle but no way to make coffee, so we walked up the street to a nearby local coffee café we knew, to get my husband his morning cappuccino. I decided to be sociable and order my beverage as well, made the mistake of ordering “black tea” (as I was running low on teabags at this point) and did not discover until we returned to our room and I removed the lid that it was—-guess what—-Early Grey.

So it is happening here in the US too.

Now I am starting to plan a trip to Japan, for a year from now, and I will be sure to put my own tea on the packing list!

I like tea, but am no expert (American). Just what makes "breakfast tea" different from other varieties? Stronger, weaker? I can tell Earl Grey (and also dont prefer it). I have Yorkshire tea and PG Tips here at home, but can't tell any difference from "breakfast tea".

Hi Stan -

I think there’s an awful lot of snobbery attached to tea (some of which I’m guilty of myself) but in general, you’re right, there isn’t a vast difference between brands and generic breakfast tea as, in the main, they are all black tea. Let’s face it - as I understand it, Yorkshire Tea originates in that far flung south east corner of the county otherwise known as Kenya, as do many other black teas.

It occurs to me that I mostly drink coffee when out of the U.K. That’s to do with lack of kettles, differences in the water and a few other self imposed, largely nonsensical rules! I would, at one time have argued that a bad cup of coffee is better than a bad cup of tea, but having being exposed to some truly awful coffees on my travels I now realise this is tosh of the highest order. The good stuff is the good stuff whether it be tea or coffee and a bad cup of either is just another reason to widen the search.

Ian

I've found most countries just have Lipton tea on hand. Especially places like Spain/Italy where coffee is king. When I drank tea, I always took bags with me when traveling.

I like tea, but am no expert (American). Just what makes "breakfast
tea" different from other varieties?

English breakfast is a blend of different black teas, probably one of the most sold tea blends in the western world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_breakfast_tea

I'm not much into tea but when I'm buying tea in Munich "Tea House" at Sendlinger Straße (downtown near Sendlinger Tor Platz) is the best choice. The owner is crazy about it and I'm pretty sure no blood in his veins but tea.
He is selling 2 versions of English Breakfast Tea which I adore. And I'm also crazy about his Ladys Tea which is sort of a light version of Earl Grey.
So next time when you are in Munich is worth to check it out :-)

Thanks Mignon. That is a great recommendation. I love bringing home tea from a trip and will check it out next time I am in Munich.

Update from the ground in Germany: no shortage of English breakfast tea (or similar versions such as Ostfriesentee) at stores this week. Spotted in Lidl and Combi stores in Niedersachsen earlier this week, and a Netto store outside Rostock earlier today.

And I agree with many earlier posters, Earl Grey is an acquired taste. Not mine!

Wot?

No Lapsang Souchong or Russian Caravan Fans.

Regards Ron

Those smoky teas are definitely an acquired taste! I have seen a recipe for barbeque sauce that used concentrated lapsing souchong tea to add smoke flavor.

I am enjoying the continued vitality of this thread. . .

And I'm also crazy about his Ladys Tea which is sort of a light version of Earl Grey.

That will be Twining's Lady Grey. A version of Earl Grey that was created for those who found the taste of Earl Grey to be too strong, it also has the addition of lemon and orange peel.

"I am enjoying the continued vitality of this thread."

Years ago, My husband and I took an introduction to Italian at the RS Travel Center. Everyone was polite but not asking questions until she got to "how to order beverages". Hands shot up as participants asked question after question about how to order coffee in Italy. (They were very concerned they would mess it up and not get what they wanted.) I don't drink coffee, and I found it hilarious how anxious everyone was about it. I guess we tea drinkers can be just as obsessed.

I don’t mind Earl Grey, but I always carry Irish Breakfast tea bags when I travel, even in the US, because I often find only green or herbal teas in the rooms. Not a good way to start the day.

The ultimate insult! I went to donate blood on Friday, and afterwards, when I went to the “canteen” where one is supposed to sit for 15 minutes and re-hydrate (so you don’t faint), all they had on offer for tea was—-you guessed it —- Earl Grey.

My husband and I are regular donors at this location (I have my 5-gallon pin), and usually they have at least 4-5 kinds of tea, including English Breakfast, green tea, and mint. But this time, nada. So I sipped some water while my husband scarfed down 2 small bags of potato chips, and we went home where I could make myself a nice big pot of my favorite.

I've never noticed a domination by Earl Grey in the offerings of teas in our travels. Have always been able to get a plain old black tea just for the asking. If it's a widespread problem, just blame Captain Picard. Seems a more likely suspect than some phantom big business cabal as was suggested by somrpeone else.

I enjoy Earl Grey occasionally- DH really likes it. But a regular black tea like English Breakfast is our standard fare when travelling. Our usual, at home, tea is Red Rose (a Canadian brand).

CJean, who is (or was) Captain Picard, if I may ask?

Red Rose was my standard brand of tea when I lived in Alaska. I never knew what do do with those little ceramic dogs that came in the box. Do they still have those?

My best-ever tea experience was at a tea shop in Vancouver BC. It was their house tea, an Orange Pekoe, and it was so good. I wish I could remember the name of the tea so I could could buy more.

I keep both Red Rose and an Orange Pekoe store brand tea around but I'm sure to hide them from view if I have company, because both would be seen as unforgivably gauche -- it would be like owning an American-made car or speaking with a Southern accent.

/s

Tea is disappearing from the two supermarkets I checked here in the south. Neither my large Monoprix nor a giant Casino had anything more than a couple of varieties. Shelves were full of herbals for digestion, calm, energy, happiness, winning the lottery.... I was looking for the green tin of Irish Breakfast tea but found only a blue tin of Twinnings Breakfast tea. Brexit?? Duty would increase the price substantially.

@ Bets

Uhhhh I will go for the winning the lottery :-)