Revealed: The science behind Ireland's love of tea

Why do Irish people love tea so much? The answer is not only related to science, but also to history.

According to TUS Home Economist, Agnes Bouchier Hayes, Irish people were in fact “late to the game”, compared to other European countries when it came to tea drinking.

Speaking to Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio One this Wednesday, Ms Hayes said that it wasn’t until the 1800’s that Irish people developed a “grá” for black tea. 

“We drink a lot of tea in Ireland. We were a little bit late to the game compared to other countries, about 400 years ago when tea came to Europe,” Ms Hayes said.

“In about the 1800’s, the Irish really took to drinking tea. In the 1700’s the tax changed, so that meant that tea wasn’t [exclusively] for the nobles, but that ordinary people could drink it.”

In terms of science and why Irish people like to drink their tea with milk and sugar, Ms Hayes says the bitterness of tea has a lot to do with the blending and fermentation of it. 

“There is a pile of science behind it - the oxidation process of the tea plant has a lot to do with its bitterness. 

“Irish breakfast tea has more tannin and caffeine content, so we generally dilute it by adding one third of milk and some sugar. Globally, most others don’t add either milk or sugar.”

Tea is 98% water so depending on the type of water, whether it is hard water or soft and how many times it has been boiled, affects the taste.

“You’re supposed to boil the water once to keep the oxygen in. Science actually says the tea will taste nicer if you pour the milk first, as it keeps the proteins in. A black tea bag is supposed to be brewed for three to five minutes, at 95 degrees,” Ms Hayes concluded.