American living in the UK confuses people after revealing how to make British tea

‘I’m traumatised,’ one respondent writes in the comments.

(@swfinds/TikTok)

An American living in the United Kingdom has shared their routine for making British tea, leaving many of their viewers confused.

On TikTok, American @swfinds shares videos about things in the UK that confuse them and sometimes asks their viewers for an explanation.

In one video posted on 5 February, the TikTok user shared their own tutorial for making British tea. They begin by pouring milk into a glass kettle. Next, they add in a spoonful of sugar, a teabag, and some bottled water.

They then turn the turn their “electric British kettle” on and said that they “boil a lot until creamy.” The tea is then poured into a mug, along with another spoonful of sugar.

The video has over 1.3m views, so far, with many British TikTok users expressing in the comments that this is not how they make tea.

“British here,” one wrote. “I’m traumatised…where is my therapist… just no lol.”

“*Cry’s in British*” another comment reads.

And while many viewers didn’t specify if they were British, they still didn’t agree with this American’s tea-making technique.

“I hope you know how many therapists are going to hear about this,” one viewer wrote, while another said: “I’m actually crying so much right now…that’s not how you do it.”

This isn’t the first time TikTok users have sparked a debate over tea. Back in June 2020, @jchelle36 shared how she thought Americans make hot tea. In the video, she fills her mug with water, puts it in the microwave for a minute, pours milk in, drops in the teabag, adds sugar, and then stirs it up.

In the comments, many TikTok users disagreed, one of which wrote: “I think I can safely say on behalf of every British person here...we DO NOT claim that tea.”

In fact, the traditional way that British people make tea isn’t exactly the way that @swfind and @jchelle36 explained on TikTok.

As noted by BBC America’s culture and television-news website, Anglophenia, water for tea is never microwaved. Either a kettle or pot on a stovetop is considered the best way to heat up this water.

In regards to how Britts put milk into tea, it ultimately depends on how the tea is made. According to Anglophenia, if the tea is being made in a cup, “the milk should be added after the water, so it doesn’t interfere with the brewing process.” However, if the tea is being made in a pot, the milk should be added to a cup before the brewed tea.

The Independent has reached out to @swfinds for comment.