TheOriginofTea

Legendsabouttheoriginsofteahavebeenpassedonfromgenerationtogeneration. Onesuchstory,datingbackto2700BCE,describeshowtealeaves,blownbythewind, accidentallyfellintoaChineseHerbalist'spotofhotwater.Thewaternowtastedof these wild leaves, and the herbalist, Shen Nung, found its soothing taste and fine flavorssoirresistiblethatheinstructedallofhispeopletodrinkinthewondersofthe beverage. AnotherstoryexplainshowtheIndianMonk,Bodhidharma,sailedtoChinaandwent into a nineyear meditation. During this "Zen experience," he began to dose off and closed his eyes for a moment. He instantly cut off his eyelids to avoid sleeping, and where they fell to the ground a tea bush sprouted from the earth. And so the plant foundanotherhomewithBuddhistsintheirmeditation,helpingthemtostayawake andtomaintainahighlevelofalertnessandconcentration. Therearemanyotherstoriesbutthewonderfulfactiswedidnotdiscovertea,"tu", "cha"or"tay,"butthatitdiscoveredus.Teawasandstillisusedtonurturethebody and uplift the soul. Its subtle flavors and health benefits make it the world's most popularbeverageafterwater. Chinaenjoyedteaforcenturiesbeforeitwasintroducedtotheworldthroughtrade. TeamadeitswaytoEuropeviathePortugueseoutpostinMacau.And,teacameto AmericawiththeearlyBritishsettlers.

TeainBritain
Tea,isarelativelatecomertoBritishshores.Itwasnotuntilthemid17thcenturythat thebeveragefirstappearedinEngland. The use spread slowly from its Asian homeland, reaching Europe by way of Venice around 1560, although Portuguese trading ships may have made contact with the Chineseasearlyas1515. PortugueseandDutchtradersfirstimportedteatoEurope,withregularshipmentsby 1610. England was a latecomer to the tea trade, as the East India Company did not capitalizeontea'spopularityuntilthemid18thcentury. Coffee Houses. Curiously, it was the London coffee houses that wereresponsible for introducingteatoEngland.Oneofthefirstcoffeehousemerchants,ThomasGarway, sold both liquid and dry tea to the public as early as 1657. In 1660 he issued a broadsheetadvertisingteaat6and10perpound. Tea gained popularity quickly in the coffee houses, and by 1700 over 500 coffee housessoldit.Thisdistressedthetavernowners,asteacuttheirsalesofaleandgin, and it was bad news for the government, who depended upon a steady stream of

revenue from taxes on liquor sales. By 1750 tea had become the favoured drink of Britain'slowerclasses. TaxationonTea.CharlesIIdidhisbittocounterthegrowthoftea,withseveralacts forbidding its sale in private houses. This measure was so unpopular that it was impossible to enforce. A 1676 act taxed tea and required coffee house operators to applyforalicense. This was just the start of government attempts to control, or at least, to profit from thepopularityofteainBritain.Bythemid18thcenturythedutyonteahadreached anabsurd119%.Thisheavytaxationhadoneeffectteasmuggling. Wanttoknowwheretogetareallygood"cuppa"?Youcoulddoworsethantostart with The Parlour, South Molton, Devon, which was named winner of the 1999 Britain'sTopTeaPlaceoftheYearbytheTeaCouncil. Smuggling Tea. Ships from Holland and Scandinavia brought tea to the British coast, then stood offshore while smugglers met them and unloaded the precious cargo in small vessels. The smugglers, often local fishermen, snuck the tea inland through underground passages and hidden paths to special hiding places. One of the best hidingplaceswasinthelocalparishchurch! Even smuggled tea was expensive, however, and therefore extremely profitable, so many smugglers began to adulterate the tea with other substances, such as willow, licorice,andsloeleaves.Usedtealeaveswerealsoredriedandaddedtofreshleaves. Finally, in 1784 William Pitt the Younger introduced the Commutation Act, which dropped the tax on tea from 119% to 12.5%, effectively ending smuggling. Adulteration remained a problem, though, until the Food and Drug Act of 1875 broughtinstiffpenaltiesforthepractice. TeaClippers.Intheearly1800'sshipscarryingteafromtheFarEasttoBritaincould takeoverayeartobringhometheirpreciouscargo.WhentheEastIndiaCompanywas givenamonopolyontheteatradein1832,theyrealizedtheneedtocutthetimeof thisjourney.TheAmericansactuallydesignedthefirst"clippers",orstreamlined,tall mastedvessels,buttheBritishwereclosebehind.Theseclippersspedalongatnearly 18knotsbycontemporaryaccountsnearlyasfastasamodernoceanliner. Sogreatwastheraceforspeedthatanannualcompetitionwasbegunforclippersto racefromtheCantonRivertotheLondonDocks.Thefirstshiptounloaditscargowon thecaptainandcrewaheftybonus. ThemostfamousoftheclippershipswastheCuttySark,builtin1868.Itonlymade thetearuneighttimes,butforitseraitwasaremarkableship.TheCuttySarkisnow onexhibitionatGreenwich.

TeaGardens.ThepopularpleasuregardensofRanelaghandVauxhallinLondonbegan serving tea around 1730. An evening of dancing and watching fireworks would be cappedbytea.Theconceptcaughton,andsoonTeaGardensopenedalloverBritain. Usually the gardens were opened on Saturday and Sunday, and an afternoon of entertainmentanddancingwouldbehighlightedbyservingtea. TeaShopsthatoh,soBritishestablishment,canbetracedtooneperson.In1864the womanmanageroftheAeratedBreadCompanybeganthecustomofservingfoodand drink to her customers. Her best customers were favoured with tea. Soon everyone was asking for the same treatment. The concept of tea shops spread throughout Britain like wildfire, not in the least because tea shops provided a place where an unchaperoned woman could meet her friends and socialize without damage to her reputation. Tea and Pottery. What connection, you might be excused for asking, does tea have with the growth of the British pottery industry? Simply this: tea in China was traditionally drunk from cups without handles. When tea became popular in Britain, therewasacryingneedforgoodcupswithhandles,tosuitBritishhabits.Thismade for tremendous growth in the pottery and porcelain industry, and the prosperity of suchcompaniesasWedgwood,Spode,andRoyalDoulton.

AfternoonTeaMenu
OurAfternoonTeaSelectionsincludeyourchoiceofhottea,icedtea,coffee,chai, cocoa,milkorlemonade TheDuchess'Delight(AfternoonTeainEngland) AsconewithDevonshirecreamandpreserves,twoeachofEggSaladSupremeand CucumberMintteasandwiches,Quicheofthedayanddessert. LouisXIV'sFavorite(AfternoonTeainFrance) AsconewithDevonshirecreamandpreserves,ParisianChickenCroissanttea sandwich,RoquefortPecanteasandwiches,BrieEnCrouteanddessert. MyLady'sRespite(TraditionalAfternoonTea) AsconewithDevonshirecreamandpreserves,assortedteasandwiches(EggSalad Supreme,ChickenTarragon,CucumberMint,PestoNutandRoastBeefwithTomato andCreamCheese),adelightfulpetitesavoryanddessert. Venetian'sRomance(AfternoonTeainItaly) AsconewithDevonshirecreamandpreserves,GoatCheesewithSundriedTomatotea sandwiches,PestoNutteasandwiches,RoastedGarlicCheesePuffsanddessert. SummerRegatta(AfternoonTeainCalifornia) AsconewithDevonshirecreamandpreserves,TunaSaladteasandwiches,Goat CheesewithSundriedTomatoteasandwiches,miniMushroomTartsanddessert.

AphroditesPleasure(AfternoonTeainGreece) AsconewithDevonshirecreamandpreserves,Mediterraneansalad,OliveandCream Cheeseteasandwiches,TunaSaladteasandwiches,KalamataandArtichokeTartand dessert. *Mademoiselle'sCreation(AfternoonTeaintheGarden) Mixedgreens,seasonalberriesandfetacheese,tossedinastrawberryvinaigrette, toppedwithtoastedalmondsandservedwithafreshscone Addaservingofegg,chickenortunasalad. *LordWilliam'sPromise(TeaSandwichSampler) Alovelyselectionofeightdeliciousteasandwichesandaminisweet. *TeaTimeTrio(ALightAfternoonTea) Agardenfreshsalad,freshlybakedscone,andyourchoiceofacupofsoupor4tea sandwichesor2savories. CourtJester'sSurprise(forYoungLadiesandGentlemen12years&under)Choiceof tea,cocoa,lemonadeormilk,peanutbutterandjellyteasandwiches,pigsina blanket,pizzabites,icecreamtreatandaminisweet. QueenVictoria'sCreamTea Apotofteaservedwithyourchoiceoftwofreshscones,oraselectionfromour desserttray.

TheAfternoonTeaMenu
TherearenosetrulesaboutthecontentofatraditionalAfternoonTeamenu,butit usually consists of sandwiches and a variety of sweet items. A typical menu might read: TraditionalAfternoonTea Aselectionoffreshlypreparedfingersandwiches. Warmsconeswithclottedcreamandpreserves. Avarietyofhomemadepastries,fruitcakeandbiscuits. Yourchoicefromarangeofteas. ACreamTea'isgenerallyscones,clottedcreamandpreserveservedwithapotoftea. Manyhotelsalsooffersetmenusthatincludeaglassofchampagne,ortheoptionto addthisforanadditionalcharge. The range of teas on offer can vary from half a dozen to over a hundred, including someveryrareandobscureones.Someofthecommonteasonofferwillincludethe

following: Assam Darjeeling EarlGrey Lapsang Souchong A strong fullbodied tea from India, which has a distinctive, malty' flavour. AnaromaticandastringentteafromIndia,withahintofalmondsand wildflowers. A blend of black teas scented with oil of bergamot named after Charles,2ndEarlGrey,whowasPrimeMinisterfrom1830to1834. A Chinese tea fired over smoking pine needles, which produces a strikingsmokyodourandflavour.

Afternoontea:asliceoftraditioninfused withelegance
The tradition of the English afternoon tea started in the midnineteenth century. Amongtheupperandmiddleclasses,lunchwasusuallytakenat12or1oclock,and dinnerwascomparativelylateataround7oreven8oclock.AnnaMaria,theseventh DuchessofBedford,iscreditedwithinventingafternoonteain1841,whenshestarted drinkingteaandeatingalightsnackinthemidtolateafternoon,tobridgethislong gapbetweenmeals. The idea was very attractive and soon caught on,withtheDuchessinvitinggueststojoinher intheritual.Inotherfashionablecircles,dinner was taken earlier, and the tradition of afternoonteadidnottakehold.Bythe1860s, however,ithadbecomewidespread. Havingevolvedinthehighestsocialcircles,the tradition of afternoon tea acquired many airs and graces, having more to do with fashion, elegance and ritual than the simple need to haveacupofteaandcake.Teawassippedand food nibbled from the finest bone china. The food itself was delicate in the extreme, with waferthinbreadandbutterorsandwichesand elegant cakes and scones, presented beautifullyonintricatetablecloths.

With such social moresassociatedwith afternoon tea, it was only natural that much etiquettegrewuparoundtheoccasion.Thehostesswouldberesponsibleforpouring the tea, which would then be distributed by any gentlemen present. Thoughtful hostesses would serve biscuits so that the ladies could eat without removing their gloves,assandwicheswouldrequire.Manycontemporaryinstructionmanualsgointo greatdetailonthesepoints.

Amealthatoozedrefinement
It was around the same time that cucumber sandwiches assumed an important role in the ritual of afternoontea.Whitecrustfreebread, so thin it was transparent, was lightly buttered to protect it from the cucumber juice, and again very thin cucumber slices were placed in the sandwich.Thisfoodepitomisedupper class taste, as it was a very light sandwich favoured by the leisured classes, who unlike the working classes,didnotneedthecalories. The food served during afternoon tea quickly evolved into the traditional threetiered tray offering that we see today with elegant, thinlysliced sandwichesonthebottomtier,scones, to be covered with preserves and cream,onthemiddle,anddaintycakes onthetop. Afternoonteaissometimesmistakenly called high tea, whilst it is more correctlycalledlowtea.Highteawasa working mans main meal, served at thehightable,afterafulldayswork(alsocalledmeatteaordineer).Lowteawas servedonthe(lower)drawingroomtable,andwasthelighter,afternoonpreserveof theupperclasses. Whateveryouwouldliketocallit,andwhateverfoodyouhavetoaccompanyit,the oneirrefutablefactaboutafternoonteaisthatitmustincludeacupofthebeverage thatgavethisquintessentiallyEnglishritualitsname.

AFTERNOONTEA AveryBritishtradition
"Therearefewhoursinlife moreagreeablethanthehour dedicatedtotheceremony knownasafternoontea." HenryJames Tea,thatmostquintessentialofEnglishdrinks,isarelativelatecomertoBritishshores. AlthoughthecustomofdrinkingteadatesbacktothethirdmillenniumBCinChina,itwasnot untilthemid17thcenturythatteafirstappearedinEngland. AfternoonteawasintroducedinEnglandbyAnna,theseventhDuchessofBedford,intheyear 1840.TheDuchesswouldbecomehungryaroundfouro'clockintheafternoon.Theevening mealinherhouseholdwasservedfashionablylateateighto'clock,thusleavingalongperiodof timebetweenlunchanddinner.TheDuchessaskedthatatrayoftea,breadandbutter(some timeearlier,theEarlofSandwichhadhadtheideaofputtingafillingbetweentwoslicesof bread)andcakebebroughttoherroomduringthelateafternoon.Thisbecameahabitofhers andshebeganinvitingfriendstojoinher. Thispauseforteabecameafashionablesocialevent.Duringthe1880'supperclassandsociety womenwouldchangeintolonggowns,glovesandhatsfortheirafternoonteawhichwas usuallyservedinthedrawingroombetweenfourandfiveo'clock. Traditionalafternoonteaconsistsofaselectionofdaintysandwiches(includingofcoursethinly slicedcucumbersandwiches),sconesservedwithclottedcreamandpreserves.Cakesand pastriesarealsoserved.TeagrowninIndiaorCeylonispouredfromsilverteapotsinto delicatebonechinacups. Nowadayshowever,intheaveragesuburbanhome,afternoon teaislikelytobejustabiscuitorsmallcakeandamugoftea, usuallyproducedusingateabag.Sacrilege!Toexperiencethe bestoftheafternoonteatradition,indulgeyourselfwithatrip tooneofLondon'sfinesthotelsorvisitaquainttearoominthe westcountry.TheDevonshireCreamTeaisfamousworldwide andconsistsofscones,strawberryjamandthevitalingredient, Devonclottedcream,aswellascupsofhotsweetteaservedin chinateacups.ManyoftheothercountiesinEngland'swestcountryalsoclaimthebestcream teas:Dorset,CornwallandSomerset.

References
http://www.planettea.com/teas_origin.html http://www.historicuk.com/CultureUK/Trendsetters.htm http://www.britainexpress.com/History/teainbritain.htm http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/ http://www.quotegarden.com/tea.html