I was just reading a blurb in the odd news section (ref. Daily Telegraph) how the English believe that tea 'tastes better in (their) favourite mug'.
The article states that researchers have claimed this is true. Psychologists at Sheffield University have found that a person's brain is trained to believe a certain methodology of hot drink making creates maximum enjoyment. Dr. Tom Stafford explains, "Drinking tea and coffee is very ritualistic and people become very addictive to the way they want their brew made."
The article states that researchers have claimed this is true. Psychologists at Sheffield University have found that a person's brain is trained to believe a certain methodology of hot drink making creates maximum enjoyment. Dr. Tom Stafford explains, "Drinking tea and coffee is very ritualistic and people become very addictive to the way they want their brew made."
"Caffeine is very much a drug of reward and like any addict, people develop passions on how the drug is delivered. Wherever there is drug use, then rituals will always develop. The long association with the delivery of a morning cup of coffee or tea - people genuinely think it tastes better out of a particular cup. It might be irrational or arbitrary but it's absolutely true. Your daily brew tastes better from your favourite mug."
Apparently, an estimated 65% of Brits have a favourite mug which they always use for a morning drink, and reflecting upon my own family's history, this is accurate. I wouldn't go so far as to believe preferring one's own mug or cup is part of a drug ritual, though. Everyone in our family had a favourite cup or mug. When I was a little wee girl, my beloved old Grannie who was as English as they come, bought me a wonderful white ceramic mug featuring a red skunk bearing the caption "I'm A Stinker", which was an instant favourite for my hot chocolate, milk, tomato juice, soup, etc. No caffeinated drinks were involved, and I was thoroughly convinced that Mr. Skunk made things taste better.
3 comments:
Wow, the things our tax money goes toward. I don't really have a favorite mug, more a series of them. They are all of similar shape and size, so I guess that fits this. I know as a kid I had my favorite bowl; it was one of those thick plastic sorts from the 60's (of course, when I was a girl), and it had Peter Rabbit on the bottom. Wonder if I was addicted to tomato soup and oatmeal?
Hey Fuzzy,
I remember those bowls! My nephews were encouraged to eat their soup/oatmeal in order to see Peter Rabbit on the bottom! :)
I have a favourite mug now, come to think of it, my Casey's Roadhouse mug which is quite large.
hehe, my mom would do the same thing to me; it worked, I ate all my oatmeal :p
all of my favorite mugs are over-sized, but I think that's because I'm too lazy to get up more than I have to for more tea/coffee
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