Content
Foreword..2Chapter I the history of tea.3Chapter II-British
style tea...6Chapter III-Tea
customs..........................................................9Conclusion.....12Liceul
Teoretic Neagoe BasarabOltenitaBibliography..13
Foreword
As a person who is concerned with British customs and who is
also in love with tea, I have chosen the topic Customs of British
Tea due to the fact that they have a great history in tea. Another
reason for which I have chosen this topic is because I Wanted to
know more about how it all begin and they used to drink it. The
evolution of this drink in the social live of British people is
also interesting because, even thou it came from China, it is more
popular in U.K.The paper is structured in 3 chapters, each of them
contains interesting facts and discoveries in the tea field. I took
me about 3 weeks to research and a lot of tea to discover the
proper taste of the British tea. The internet was very helpful and
I have found some captivating information about how to make it and
how to drink it on sites such as www.wikipedia.com and
http://www.tea.co.uk/.The first chapter will present a short
history about how tea became the most popular drink in the United
Kingdom and about the tea bowls which were very fashionable. In the
second chapter I will present the way that British people drink tea
and the rules that were in pouring the tea in cups. Tea customs in
different social states are presented in the last chapter.I would
recommend this paper to those who are as interested in the United
Kingdom as I am, but also to those who love tea and think of it as
more than just a drink.
CHAPTER IThe history of tea
Before it became Britain's number one drink, green tea exported
from China was introduced in the coffeehouses of London shortly
before the Stuart Restoration (1660); about that time Thomas
Garraway, a coffeehouse owner in London, had to explain the new
beverage in pamphlet and an advertisement in Mercurius Politicus
for 30 September 1658 offered "That Excellent, and by all
Physicians approved, China drink, called by the Chinese, Tcha, by
other nations Tay alias Tee, ...sold at the Sultaness-head, ye
Cophee-house in Sweetings-Rents, by the Royal Exchange, London". In
London "Coffee, chocolate and a kind of drink called tee" were
"sold in almost every street in 1659", according to Thomas Rugge's
Diurnall. Tea was mainly consumed by upper and mercantile classes:
Samuel Pepys, curious for every novelty, tasted the new drink in
1660 and recorded the experience in his diary: [25 September] "I
did send for a cup of tee, (a China drink) of which I had never had
drunk before". Two pounds, two ounces were formally presented to
Charles II by the British East India Company that same year. The
tea had been imported to Portugal from its possessions in Asia as
well as through the TRADE merchants maintained with China and
Japan. In 1662 Charles II's Portuguese queen, Catherine of
Braganza, introduced the act of drinking tea, which quickly spread
throughout court and country and to the English bourgeoisie. The
British East India company, which had been supplied with tea at the
Dutch factory of Batavia imported it directly from China from 1669.
In 1672, a servant of Baron Herbert in London sent his instructions
for tea making, and warming the delicate cups, to Shropshire;"The
directions for the tea are: a quart of spring water just boiled, to
which put a spoonful of tea, and sweeten to the palate with candy
sugar. As soon as the tea and sugar are in, the steam must be kept
in as much as may be, and let it lie half or quarter of an hour in
the heat of the fire but not boil. The little cups must be held
over the steam before the liquid be put in."In the mid-18th
century, tea still had exotic connotations: salt-glazed stoneware
teapot, Staffordshire, ca.1750 (Victoria and Albert Museum)
Between 1720 and 1750 the imports of tea to Britain through the
British East India Company more than quadrupled. Fernand Braudel
queried, "is it true to say the new drink replaced gin in England?"
By 1766, exports from Canton stood at 6 million pounds on British
boats, compared with 4.5 on Dutch ships, 2.4 on Swedish, 2.1 on
French. Veritable "tea fleets" grew up. Tea was particularly
interesting to the Atlantic world not only because it was easy to
cultivate but also because of how easy it was to prepare and its
ability to revive the spirits and cure mild colds:"Home, and there
find my wife making of tea", Pepys recorded under 28 June 1667, "a
drink which Mr. Pelling the Pottecary tells her is good for her
colds and defluxions".The earliest English equipages for making tea
date to the 1660s. Small porcelain tea bowls were used by the
fashionable; they were occasionally shipped with the tea itself.
Tea-drinking spurred the search for a European imitation of Chinese
porcelain, first successfully produced in England at the Chelsea
porcelain manufactory, established around 1743-45 and quickly
imitated.Between 1872 and 1884 the supply of tea to the British
Empire increased with the expansion of the railway to the east. The
demand however was not proportional, which caused the prices to
rise. Nevertheless, from 1884 onward due to new innovation in tea
preparation the price of tea dropped and remained relatively low
throughout the first half of the 20th century. Soon afterwards
London became the centre of the international tea TRADE. With high
tea imports also came a large increase in the demand for porcelain.
The demand for tea cups, pots and dishes increased to go along with
this popular new drink. Now, people in Britain drink tea multiple
times a day. As the years passed it became a drink less associated
with high society as people of all classes drink tea today which
can be enjoyed in many different flavours and ways.
Chapter iiBritish style tea
Even very slightly formal events can be a cause for cups and
saucers to be used instead of mugs. A typical semi-formal British
tea ritual might run as follows (the host performing all actions
unless noted):1. Thekettleis brought to a rolling boil (with fresh
water to ensure good oxygenation which is essential for proper
diffusion of the tea leaves).2. Enoughboilingwater is swirled
around theteapotto warm it and then poured out.3. Add loose tea
leaves, (usually black tea) ortea bags, always added before the
boiled water.4. Fresh boiling water is poured over the tea in the
pot and allowed to brew for 2 to 5 minutes while atea cosymay be
placed on the pot to keep the tea warm.5. Milk may be added to the
tea cup, the host asking the guest if milk is wanted, although milk
may alternatively be added after the tea is poured.6. Atea
straineris placed over the top of the cup and the tea poured in,
unless tea bags are used. Tea bags may be removed, if desired, once
desired strength is attained.7. Fresh milk and white sugar is added
according to individual taste. Most people have milk with their
tea, many without sugar.8. The pot will normally hold enough tea so
as not to be empty after filling the cups of all the guests. If
this is the case, the tea cosy is replaced after everyone has been
served. Hot water may be provided in a separate pot, and is used
only for topping up the pot, never the cup.
Whether to put milk into the cup before or after the tea has
been a matter of debate since at least the mid 20th century; in his
1946 essay "A Nice Cup of Tea", author George Orwell wrote, " tea
is one of the mainstays of civilization in this country and causes
violent disputes over how it should be made". Whether to put tea in
the cup first and add the milk after, or the other way around, has
split public opinion, with Orwell stating, " indeed in every family
in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the
subject". Another aspect of the debate are claims that adding milk
at the different times alters the flavour of the. Some studies
suggest that the heating of milk above 75 degrees Celsius (adding
milk after the tea is poured, not before) does cause denaturation
of the lactalbumin and lactoglobulin. Other studies argue brewing
time has a greater importance. Regardless, when milk is added to
tea may affect the flavour. In addition to considerations of
flavour, the order of these steps is thought to have been,
historically, an indication of class. Only those wealthy enough to
afford good quality porcelain would be confident of its being able
to cope with being exposed to boiling water unadulterated with
milk.
There is also a proper manner in which to drink tea when using a
cup and saucer. If one is seated at a table, the proper manner to
drink tea is to raise the teacup only, placing it back into the
saucer in between sips. When standing or sitting in a chair without
a table, one holds the tea saucer with the off hand and the tea cup
in the dominant hand. When not in use, the tea cup is placed back
in the tea saucer and held in one's lap or at waist height. In
either event, the tea cup should never be held or waved in the air.
Fingers should be curled inwards, no finger should extend away from
the handle of the cup.
Chapter iiiTea customs
Afternoon TeaAnna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, is reputed to have
originated the idea of afternoon tea in the early 1800s. She
conceived the idea of having tea around four or five in the
afternoon to ward off the hunger pangs between lunch and dinner.
Some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had the idea of putting a
filling between two slices of bread. These habits soon became a
good reason for social gatherings, and started a trend that is
still very much a part of British life.Anna, 7th Duchess of
Bedford
Tea Gardens and Tea DancesAs the popularity of tea spread, it
also became an essential part of people's entertainment outside the
home. By 1732 an evening spent dancing or watching fireworks in
Vauxhall or Ranelagh Gardens would be rounded off by serving tea.
Tea gardens then opened all over the country on Saturdays and
Sundays, with tea being served as the high point of the
afternoon.Dancing was included as part of the day's festivities, so
from the tea gardens came the idea of the tea dance, which remained
fashionable in Britain until World War II when they lost
popularity. Tea dances are still held in Britain today.
TeetotalThe charge for entrance to such fashionable gardens as
Vauxhall or Ranalagh Gardens included tea with bread and butter -
welcome refreshment after the entertainment. But rapid urban growth
in the early 1800s led to the closure of the gardens and the only
places left serving tea were the inns, taverns and hostelries.
Ranalagh Gardens
Tea now began to play an important role in the temperance
movement's battle against the very high levels of alcohol (in
particular gin) consumption and tea meetings were held all over
Britain in an attempt to convert drinkers and to raise money for
the cause. It is believed that the phrase 'teetotal' may have been
derived from the beverage.
High TeaFor the working and farming communities, afternoon tea
became high tea. As the main meal of the day, high tea was a cross
between the delicate afternoon meal enjoyed in the ladies' drawing
rooms and the dinner enjoyed in houses of the gentry at seven or
eight in the evening. With the meats, bread and cakes served at
high tea, hot tea was taken.
Tea ShopsIn 1864 the manageress of an Aerated Bread Company shop
persuaded her directors to allow her to serve food and liquid
refreshments in the shop. She dispensed tea to her more favoured
customers and soon attracted many clients clamouring for the same
service.Not only did she start the fashion for tea shops but also
unwittingly laid one of the foundations for women's emancipation,
since an unchaperoned lady could meet friends in a tea shop without
sullying her reputation. Tea shops spread throughout Britain,
becoming as much a tradition as tea itself: and even today, despite
the plethora of fast food and drink outlets, this tradition
remains, attracting huge numbers of UK and foreign tourists. For
further information, see our guide to the best tea places in the
UK.Tea BreaksTea breaks are a tradition which have been with us for
approximately 200 years. Initially when workers commenced their day
at around 5 or 6am, employers allowed a break in the morning when
food and tea were served. Some employers repeated the break in the
afternoon as well.Between 1741 and 1820 industrialists, landowners
and clerics tried to put a stop to the tea break maintaining that
tea drinking and rest made working people slothful. Modern thinking
couldn't be further away from this - regular tea breaks can play a
vital part in the day to help maintain a positive attitude towards
work and fluid intake. Conclusion
As a result in this paper I have learned new and exciting things
such as how to make a proper tea and at what temperature the milk
should be. Another interesting fact that I have found out is that
the British tea is not considered just a beverage, but also a meal
between lunch and dinner. For some people tea was a reason to meet
and to socialize. By this we can be sure that this drink had an
important part in the social life of people back then, and we can
also say that it brought people together.Also books were written
due to the high importance of tea in the life of British people.
One author who wrote a book as that war George Orwell who wrote the
book A Nice Cup of Tea. This custom has also separated the United
Kingdom in two different parts, some of them thought to be wright
to put the milk first and after that the tea, and some of them
believed that the best way to prepare British tea was to put the
tea and after that the milk. In my opinion, each of us makes it as
they like it, and there is no best way. In this paper we can notice
the great impact that British tea had and still has in the social
life of people in the United Kingdom. I would recommend it to the
big lovers of a nice cup of tea.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.wikipedia.comhttp://www.tea.co.uk/.http://www.historic-uk.com/https://www.travelodge.co.uk
