Tea is not very popular here in Spain. There's a couple of reasons for that. One is that the coffee in even the grottiest cafeteria is fabulous. It's always made from freshly-ground beans, and it puts Starbucks to shame. The other reason is that the Spanish are as lousy at making tea as they are brilliant at making coffee. I never have tea when I'm out, but I do like a mug or two of the stuff at home in the morning.
Making tea at home is where we encounter the third problem. The dominant brand of tea in Madrid is Horniman's, and I'm sorry, Mr Horniman and company, I just do not like the taste of your tea. It doesn't even taste like tea. We tried Horniman's when we first arrived last summer, and gave it a unanimous thumbs-down. Fortunately, you can buy Lipton's at Corte Ingles. Another testament to the unpopularity of tea in Spain is that you can only buy small boxes - 24 tea bags is the only size they stock.
Anyway, I did a little shopping yesterday, but I could not be bothered to go to Corte Ingles for Lipton's, so I bought Horniman's instead. And guess what!
It still tastes horrible.
I Can't Complain. Not Really
4 days ago
6 comments:
If you have access to an Alcampo they do a really good English Breakfast Tea (yes, totally English product name for a product sold by a French owned company, in Spain ...) They do the usual pathetic 25 bag sized pack, but they did do big boxes of 100 or so too. (I haven't seen one of those for a while, but that may just be a local thing, or that I go on the wrong day.) The biggest surprise is it tastes so good that my mother (80+ died in the wool "teapot") was threatening to take it back to the UK with her.
Hey Pamela - like your blog -it's now on my list. And thanks for the links. Shame about the tea though, never seen an AlCampo store.
Right, well that is the Chistmas presents sorted out then!
Dubaibilly - did I ever mention you can't get Abbot Ale in Madrid? (Hint, hint)
There are some specialist shops selling different teas, I know of one in the Calle del Pez (just off San Bernardo) although I can't remember what it's called.
On my salary you can't get Abbots Ale in Dubai either! It is now 240 dirhams for 12 bottles at the hole in the wall! I'm sorry mate - it's tea for you!
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