Why is Google marking tea in Britain?

Exactly 358 years ago, the first advert for tea in England appeared in a publication describing it simply as a “China Drink.”

A couple of years later, the diarist Samuel Pepys wrote about drinking tea in his diary entry from September 1660. "I did send for a cup of tee, (a China drink) of which I had never had drunk before".

Europeans were reportedly drinking Chinese tea as early as the 16th Century thanks to the maritime exploits of led by Dutch and Portuguese traders.

Google's tea Doodle credit: Google

It was being sold in British coffee shops in the 17th Century but it was mainly the wealthy who enjoyed a nice cuppa as it was still considered expensive.

By the mid 18th century, however, tea became Britain's most popular beverage, replacing ale and gin as the drink of the masses.

Before long, the East India Company was using fast ships called tea clippers to bring back leaves from India and China. One such ship was the Cutty Sark, which is the only surviving clipper of its kind and can still be visited in Greenwich after being damaged by a fire in 2007.

Since then, some popular teas are barely recognisable from the leaves that first landed in the UK. From a maple bacon pancake brew to kombucha, a fermented, slightly effervescent black or green tea drink, Britain is experiencing new love affair with tea.

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How (tea) times have changed

As tea became more readily available, dedicated tea shops began popping up throughout Britain, becoming favourite spots for daytime socialising. While this remains the case, what is actually being consumed is changing all the time.

Builders' tea is losing popularity to trendy green, herbal and fruit flavoured varieties. Of course, you can still get a traditional milk and two sugars in the local greasy spoon, but a new breed of café owners have cropped up, selling fine single estate loose-leaf teas served in authentic teaware, carefully paired with dumplings, open sandwiches and cakes, according to their flavour profile.

Cold-brew tea is also becoming more fashionable. Tea aficionados believe that by adding tea leaves to cold water and refrigerating it, usually overnight, the delicate flavours of tea can be savoured more effectively than by simply adding hot water from the kettle.

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Choosing the right tea for a certain occasion can also be important. Aung San Suu Kyi stirred controversy in June when she was criticised by the grandson of former dictator General Ne Win over her choice of tea at a state banquet. Aye Ne Win said serving Lipton tea at the state dinner was a “disgrace”.

How to drink tea

It is a debate that has ranged since the leaves first landed in Britain - how to best drink a cuppa. It is estimated that 98% of people take their tea with milk, but only 30 per cent take sugar in tea.

In 2003, scientists said they had found the secret to the perfect brew - put the milk in first. The reason is that when milk is exposed to high temperatures, such as being poured into a cup of piping hot tea, its proteins tend to degrade, or "denature", producing a slightly stale taste.

Far from settling the discussion, however, it merely provoked a storm in a teacup. Dr Julia King, head of the Institute of Physics, said the secret was to keep the water temperature at 98ºC. Putting the milk in first was a cultural quirk that "has nothing to do with taste", she said.

And there's the chinaware. As Friday's Doodle illustrates, tea cups come in all shapes, colours, and sizes, while some are very particular about the tea pot.

One such expert is architect Philip Miller, who accumulated 2,000 porcelain pots - despite never actually drinking tea himself. The collection, which is the largest from a single owner to ever be sold at auction, is expected to fetch up to £40,000 when it goes under the hammer this month.

Is drinking tea good for you?

It is also claimed that tea has several health benefits. Researchers have found that moderate consumption of tea can reduce your chance of death from a heart attack by at least a fifth. Tea is also a natural source of fluoride that can help protect against tooth decay and gum disease.

In the Netherlands - where school children as young as four are already served tea as a lunch time drink - official health guidelines were released last year encouraging adults to consume regular cups of tea.

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The Health Council of the Netherlands, an independent scientific body that advises parliament, noted that three to five cups a day reduce blood pressure, diabetes and stroke risks.

On the flipside, there are some negative aspects. For example, people should wait a few minutes to allow the drink to cool as a study in 2009 found very hot tea was linked with an eightfold increased risk of cancer of the oesophagus.

Meanwhile, men who drink seven cups of tea are 50 per cent more likely to develop prostate cancer, according to a controversial 2012 study that contradicted previous research about Britain’s national drink.

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And finally...some afternoon tea recipes

Below, our favourite food writers share their recipes for sweet and savoury treats, from Mary Berry's unbeatable Victoria sponge to Diana Henry's experiment to find the ultimate scone creation.

Sweet

Mary Berry's classic scones

Load up these scones with jam and cream

Diana Henry's hazelnut scones

Roughly chopped, lightly toasted hazelnuts are a great addition to sweet scones credit: Haarala Hamilton

Rose Prince's Baking Club: Chelsea buns ​

On a roll: the perfect bun doesn't have to be made in Chelsea

Coffee éclairs

Pillowy, classic choux pastry filled with sweet cream and topped with coffee icing

​Diana Henry's pistachio and sour cherry Florentines

These indulgent Florentine biscuits with almonds, pistachios and chewy sour cherries are dipped in dark chocolate and are perfect served with coffee

Classic macarons

These gorgeous macaroons are the perfect gift for a loved one or little treat for yourself

Mary Berry's Victoria sponge cake ​

The Queen of baking, Mary Berry, shares her classic recipe for Victoria sponge sandwich cake filled with jam

Mary Berry’s cappuccino coffee cake

The taste of luxury: Mary Berry's coffee cake

Apricot and coconut loaf cake

A soft, fluffy coconut cake laced with apricot jam from the award-winning food blog Poires au Chocolat

Easy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Jane Hornby shares a foolproof recipe for classic carrot cake with raisins, pecans and cream cheese icing

Classic lemon drizzle cake

Sweet yet zingy, satisfying yet light, lemon drizzle can lay claim to being one of the greatest cakes.

Mary Berry's ginger and treacle spiced traybake

This is a favourite recipe for afternoon tea: soft spiced sponge cake with stem ginger and sweet syrup

Chocolate tray bake with salted-caramel ganache ​

A deliciously rich chocolate cake coated with a thick layer of salted-caramel chocolate ganache.

Perfect madeleines

Madeleines make a perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea

The WI's ultimate shortbread

The ladies of the Women's Institute pride themselves on their shortbread. Here is a classic and easy recipe to make at home

Rose Prince's fundraiser-friendly butterfly cakes ​

No flies on us: this is easy to do so can make for a lovely baking project with the kids

Salted-caramel millionaire's shortbread

A delicious recipe for crisp shortbread topped with salty caramel and dark chocolate credit: © Nathan King / Alamy

Bath buns ​

Bath buns: a favourite treat in Jane Austen's time

Pippa Middleton's Morello cherry Bakewell tart

This easy Bakewell tart recipe is with Morello cherry jam and almonds is the perfect tea time treat

Savoury

Savoury cheddar and ale scones

Ale and hearty: use a good cheese, one that melts just right, and the scones will be baked to perfection

Secret-sandwich loaf

A large loaf with hidden sandwiches hidden inside is bound to delight your guests at a picnic or afternoon tea

Classic bagel

Rose Prince shares her fail-safe recipe for making bagels at home. Top with cream cheese and smoked salmon

How to make sausage rolls

Celebrate the picnic season by making home-made sausage rolls - a simple classic that will impress your friends

Stephen Harris' cricket tea recipes