Fancy A Cuppa?

Dear Diary,

I just came through the door at my friend’s house. A warm hug, a quick “how are you?”. 

Followed by: “I’ll put the kettle on”, and she’s already halfway to the kitchen. 

It’s not even a question of whether you want tea. It’s a given. Of course you do. 

The cuppa is as British as it can get. And an essential part when you’re visiting a friend.

You can even see it in British TV series. There’s almost always a cuppa involved. 

Usually, when we talk about the cuppa, we mean black tea. With milk. 

Here’s where it gets tricky for me. 

We’re not talking about a splash of milk, no, it’s a generous pour, turning your tea into a pale beige colour. 

The thing is, I have mine black… 

I like the tangy, slightly bitter taste. This preference usually gets me a weird look. As if I’m offending my host or worse, the British tea culture. Luckily, most of my friends have got used to it by now. 

And dare you ask for coffee. It has to be tea. If you’re lucky, you get to choose, and there might be some herbal or fruit tea. 

Jokes aside, it’s not as rigid as I’m painting the picture here. But it’s getting close. It’s a serious business. 

It took me a while to get used to that ritual.

When you came to my house, you were lucky when I remembered to offer you some water. The cuppa is not in my DNA. We don’t do that in Germany.

However, after spending more than 9 years in the UK now, I have to admit that this small gesture warms my heart. It makes me smile.

I totally get it. It instantly makes you feel welcomed and at home. 

Sometimes, you even get offered a biscuit alongside to dip it into your tea. Another very British thing. And another story regarding the question, which biscuit has the best dunking qualities. Believe me, it parts the nation. I quite like a Digestive with dark chocolate. 

Some might even go fancy here and turn it into a proper afternoon tea party. With sweet and savoury treats and, of course, scones. 

So, next time you get a visitor, you know what to do. Kettle to the ready.