Would you worry as much about coffee? In The UK tea is a commodity. Google "builders tea". It is unusual to drink "black tea" (any Tea made without milk.)

Black tea with milk is the traditional way of drinking Tea in the UK, so no - I really don't think most people give a shit about what you think. It's a cultural thing and would be like me criticising an Indian for eating a hot Curry or a German for their strict beer making codes.

My choice of words was a mistake, they weren't meant to criticize. I was referring to the post that said "tea is tea" which I was just saying if you put milk and sugar in tea, then yes, you are covering up the true taste and tea is in fact tea at that point and you can't really appreciate a higher quality tea.

Using the word "ruins" wasn't meant to be criticizing, it was meant to be playful tongue in cheek. My own mother takes her tea "the British way," that's what tea was in her family when she was growing up, and I tease her about it. However, I have expanded her taste for tea lately and she has thanked me for it.

>Would you worry as much about coffee?

There's plenty of people who appreciate coffee for coffee. I am not one of them. As much as I try, coffee isn't good to me, the flavor isn't something I can enjoy. I do enjoy flavored fake creamer though, so I add that (probably too much if it...) and cut the actual coffee flavor to something creamy and flavored I can drink. In which case, it doesn't matter the quality of the coffee, it can be the shit cheap stuff or the $50 a pound expensive stuff, I'm covering up the true coffee flavor and I can't appreciate a difference. It's kinda a guilty pleasure, I admit...

It isn't about what I think, I was strictly speaking that one can't say there is no difference in high quality tea and low quality tea while putting milk and sugar in it, as you aren't really tasting the tea flavor at that point.

I am also not worried about anything.