History
In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I gave permission for the British East India Co. to open up trade routes and negotiations with spice growers in the Far East, India and Southeast Asia. These same routes became the basis for trading tea, although the practice did not begin until the 1670s.
Popularization
By the turn of the 17th century, tea was commonplace in London, on sale in over 500 cafes. The practice of drinking tea became even more popular when Queen Anne made a point of opting for tea as opposed to ale for her morning beverage. During the era of the Industrial Revolution, families fell into the custom of serving tea with their main meal of the day, which consisted of bread, meat, pickles, chutneys and cheese. The practice of eating this meal at a high dining table rather than a low tea table resulted in the expression "high tea."
In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I gave permission for the British East India Co. to open up trade routes and negotiations with spice growers in the Far East, India and Southeast Asia. These same routes became the basis for trading tea, although the practice did not begin until the 1670s.
Popularization
By the turn of the 17th century, tea was commonplace in London, on sale in over 500 cafes. The practice of drinking tea became even more popular when Queen Anne made a point of opting for tea as opposed to ale for her morning beverage. During the era of the Industrial Revolution, families fell into the custom of serving tea with their main meal of the day, which consisted of bread, meat, pickles, chutneys and cheese. The practice of eating this meal at a high dining table rather than a low tea table resulted in the expression "high tea."
Types
Tea falls into four main categories. The most popular is black tea, which covers a range of flavors including Assam, Ceylon and Darjeeling. In black tea, the leaves are oxidized, but in green tea, the unoxidized leaves are heated after they are picked to stop oxidation. Oolong tea is the happy medium between green tea and black tea as it is semifermented. The rarest type of tea is white tea, whose leaves can only be picked during a slim season of a few weeks. White tea grows only in China's Fujian province.
Tea with Meals
The popularity of English tea has produced two distinct customs for enjoying its benefits with a meal. The first, afternoon tea, is considered more of a snack than a meal. In afternoon tea, hot tea accompanies traditional sweets such as scones, shortbread, biscuits and buns. If the scones come with clotted cream and jam, the repast is known as cream tea. High tea may also feature sweets, but it is preceded by savory foods such as pasties, sandwiches, cheese and breads. These days, it is often referred to as dinner or supper.
Etiquette
When adding sugar or milk to the tea, you do not stir with the spoon, but rather gently fold the tea two or three times. A used teaspoon should be placed on the right side of the saucer. Never raise your saucer unless you are standing while drinking tea. Do not add cream to tea. Milk is fine, typically poured in after the tea. Lemon slices, not wedges, are an acceptable accompaniment, but lemon cannot be added to tea that has milk because it causes curdling.
Tea falls into four main categories. The most popular is black tea, which covers a range of flavors including Assam, Ceylon and Darjeeling. In black tea, the leaves are oxidized, but in green tea, the unoxidized leaves are heated after they are picked to stop oxidation. Oolong tea is the happy medium between green tea and black tea as it is semifermented. The rarest type of tea is white tea, whose leaves can only be picked during a slim season of a few weeks. White tea grows only in China's Fujian province.
Tea with Meals
The popularity of English tea has produced two distinct customs for enjoying its benefits with a meal. The first, afternoon tea, is considered more of a snack than a meal. In afternoon tea, hot tea accompanies traditional sweets such as scones, shortbread, biscuits and buns. If the scones come with clotted cream and jam, the repast is known as cream tea. High tea may also feature sweets, but it is preceded by savory foods such as pasties, sandwiches, cheese and breads. These days, it is often referred to as dinner or supper.
Etiquette
When adding sugar or milk to the tea, you do not stir with the spoon, but rather gently fold the tea two or three times. A used teaspoon should be placed on the right side of the saucer. Never raise your saucer unless you are standing while drinking tea. Do not add cream to tea. Milk is fine, typically poured in after the tea. Lemon slices, not wedges, are an acceptable accompaniment, but lemon cannot be added to tea that has milk because it causes curdling.
