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You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis |
| Tea in the afternoon was introduced in 1840 by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford. Anna would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon. The evening meal was served, in her household, at eight o'clock, leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter, and cake be brought to her room during the afternoon. This became a habit and she began inviting friends to join her. Having tea in the afternoon became a social event that all of England indulged. It waas in the 1880's that the upper-class and society women were changing into gowns, gloves,and hats for afternoon tea. Tea was usually served in the drawing room between for and five o'clock. This provided the host a chance to show off her good taste and refinement. Tea parties are now rare occurance. This economical way to entertain a number of people informally is becoming a sort of lost art. Guest are normally invitated over the phone and asked for 4:30. It is a must to serve China and Indian tea--the loose tea. As accompaniments, both milk and slices of lemon should be offered. The proper China should be used. It is not important to serve something. Sandwiches should be made from fine sliced white or brown (wheat?) bread, lightly spread butter and never with margarine. The crust should always be but off. Ham, tomato, salmon, egg, and cucumber are still the most popular and delicious traditional fillings. |
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| Types of Tea Black Tea: Traditionally, black tea was the only tea known to Western culture. Although green tea has been gradually increasing in popularity, black tea still accounts for over ninety percent of all tea sold in the West. Conversely, black tea is quite rare in Japan, and only typically available from specialist stores or Western-style restaurants. The expression black tea is also used to describe a cup of tea without milk (served black), similar to coffee served without milk or cream. In the United Kingdom, black tea is not commonly consumed black, as adding milk is the common practice. Black tea is often blended and mixed with various other plants in order to obtain a beverage. Earl Grey--black tea with bergamot oil. In the United States, citrus fruits such as orange or lemon, or their respective rinds, are often used to create flavored black teas, sometimes in conjunction with spices (such as cinnamon). These products can be easily confused with citrus-based herbal teas, but the herbal products will generally be labelled as having no caffeine; whereas, the tea-based products do contain caffeine. Green Tea: There is archeological evidence that suggests that tea has been consumed for almost 500,000 years, with India and China being two of the first countries to cultivate it. Green tea has been used as traditional medicine in areas such as India, China, Japan and Thailand to help everything from controlling bleeding and helping heal wounds to regulating body temperature, blood sugar and promoting digestion. Oolong Tea: The word oolong means "black dragon" in Chinese; various legends describe the origin of this curious name. In one legend, the owner of a tea plantation was scared away from his drying tea leaves by the appearance of a black serpent; when he cautiously returned several days later, the leaves had been oxidized by the sun and gave a delightful brew. Another tale tells of a man named Wu Liang (later corrupted to Wu Long, or Oolong) who discovered oolong tea by accident when he was distracted by a deer after a hard day's tea-picking, and by the time he remembered about the tea it had already started to oxidize. Others say that the tea is called "oolong" because the leaves look like little black dragons that wake when hot water is poured on them. |
