US News

Day ‘steeped’ in tradition

The whole world is going to teapot.

There’s only one proper way to toast to the pomp and frenzy surrounding the royal couple as they tie the knot tomorrow: with a cup of English Breakfast tea.

The famed blend of Ceylon and Assam tea leaves is ideal for the 5 a.m. event, said Nicky Perry, owner of Tea & Sympathy in the West Village.

“It’s what the queen herself drinks,” she said. “She makes her own teas and travels with her own kettle, using nothing but Malvern [spring] water.”

Unfortunately, many Americans are ill-informed about the details of tea, Perry lamented.

“American tea tastes as though it were pulled straight from Boston harbor,” Perry said.

As for brands, Perry recommends, PG Tips or Yorkshire Gold.

“For God’s sake, forget the Lipton,” she said.