Which teas take milk, and which are better without
Milk in tea is not a rule, it is a match. Milk softens tannin, which is why it suits a strong black tea and does nothing for a delicate green one except hide it. Here is how each of our teas gets on with a splash, and a couple that will surprise you.
Teas made for milk
Scottish Breakfast is blended for it. Assam, Kenyan and Ceylon give the strength to carry milk and still taste of tea. Assam 2nd Flush CTC on its own is the same, bold and malty, and it is what goes into most British breakfast blends for exactly that reason.
Earl Grey divides people. Traditionally it is drunk black or with lemon, but plenty of people take milk in it and a London Fog, which is Earl Grey with steamed milk and a little vanilla, is a proper drink. I am in the milk camp on this one.
Caramel and Chocolate Mint are dessert teas and milk makes them. Chocolate Mint on the stove with milk and a spoon of honey is a pudding in a mug.
Teas that are better without
Darjeeling is light and floral and milk flattens it completely. Drink it on its own, maybe with a slice of lemon. Lapsang Souchong is the same, the smoke is the point and milk muffles it, though some people do like it that way.
Green teas, Sencha, Jasmine, Gunpowder, Genmaicha and Chai Nana, do not want milk. They are not strong enough to carry it and the flavour disappears. Same for Pai Mu Tan and the oolongs. Milk Oolong has no milk in it and does not want any either, the creaminess is in the leaf.
Pu-erh is drunk black everywhere it comes from. It is smooth enough not to need softening.
Herbals and fruit teas
Rooibos and honeybush are the exception among the herbals. Both take milk surprisingly well and a rooibos latte is a real thing. Rooibos is the base of my caffeine free chai for that reason.
Peppermint, chamomile, lavender and nettle are drunk without. Crimson Berry is acidic enough that milk will curdle in it, so do not.
Milk first or tea first
In a mug with the tea brewed in it, tea first, because you need to see the colour to judge the strength. Milk first was about protecting fine china from boiling water, which is not a worry with a mug. Pour the milk in after the leaf is out, so it does not slow the brewing.
Oat, soy and other milks
Oat milk is the best match for tea among the alternatives, creamy without a strong taste of its own. Soy can split in very hot strong tea, so let the cup sit a moment first. Coconut milk suits Caramel and the chai style teas and nothing else.