British tea culture
The British tea culture originated in the 17th century and is on the United Kingdom also known. The United Kingdom ranked third in the world after Turkey and Ireland in 2016 with an annual consumption of 4.28 pounds (1.94 kilograms) of tea per capita . Drinking tea is part of the typical British way of life and is an integral part of the British drinking culture . Especially the afternoon tea ( tea time ) is often celebrated and served according to certain rules. Most of the time, the proverbial cup of tea is not a refined expression of British culture, but simply a frequently enjoyed everyday drink, also from a mug.
history
England began importing tea from China in the middle of the 17th century. At that time it was only affordable for the upper class and was considered a status symbol .
According to the biographer of Charles II (King of England) Antonia Fraser , the request of Katharina von Braganza (1638–1705), Infanta of Portugal, for a cup of tea and Charles II's answer have been handed down:
“We don't drink tea in England. But maybe some ale will do? "
“We don't drink tea in England. Maybe a beer would be enough? "
In fact, it was Katharina von Braganza who had the tea brought to England. Since she liked to drink tea herself, tea was imported from China to England and became a drink of fine society there. The first mention of tea in British literature is found in a diary entry by Samuel Pepys on September 25, 1660 :
"And afterwards I did send for a cup of tea (a China drink) of which I never had drank before, and went away."
"And after that I sent for a cup of tea (a drink from China) that I had never had before and left."
Queen Anne (1665–1714) contributed to the popularity of tea drinking by preferring tea for breakfast instead of the usual warm beer. Around 1700 there was also tea in the 500 or so coffee houses in England. After 1750, the first tea gardens were opened, where tea was drunk outdoors. While women were denied access to the coffee houses, the tea gardens were open to them. Here orchestras often played to dance. That was the beginning of the dance teas . When tea taxes were lowered in 1783, the middle class who had previously drunk coffee could afford tea. The families of the workers followed later.
The East India Company owned the trade monopoly . In the 18th century, Great Britain became the center of the European tea trade. In order to prevent the steady loss of foreign exchange due to tea imports, Great Britain began growing tea in its colonies in the 19th century .
The British immigrants had spread tea consumption in North America, and the New England states obtained the tea directly from the motherland Great Britain. Another significant increase in the tea tax led to the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773 , at which indignant merchants and other citizens disguised as Indians stormed the British merchant ships in Boston harbor and threw 342 tea boxes into the sea in protest. This was one of several crises that eventually culminated in the American War of Independence .
The introduction of afternoon tea is attributed to Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford (1783–1857), a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria.
Making tea
The British way of preparing tea was largely adopted by the East Frisian tea culture : Britons drink almost exclusively black tea, preferably unflavored, although the well-known Earl Gray tea is named after a Briton. Strong varieties are preferred, not necessarily the highest quality ones. Loose tea leaves (since the 20th century also tea bags) are put in the pot and scalded with boiling water, where they stay, so that the tea gradually becomes stronger. For this reason, additional hot water is sometimes added. Most British people also drink their tea with milk, which makes it milder. The question of whether first the tea is poured or the milk is in the Kingdom of a dispute between the respective supporters of the principles Milk in first (Mif) and Tea-in-first (Tif) - According to Michael Bentley from London's Ritz Hotel to Queen Elizabeth II, for example, be a Mif follower, according to other sources a Tif follower. Mif used to be used to protect fragile porcelain cups. There should be no effects on the taste.
Tea bread
As tea bread ( tea bread ) or crumpets ( tea cake ) in the UK are all Hefegebäcke referred commonly served with tea, including various flavored breads. The typical Scottish shortbread consists of shortcrust pastry and is therefore not one of them. The best known types are:
- Currant bread
- Generic term for fruit bread
- Fat rascals
- small Yorkshire tea cakes with spices and raisins, which are eaten warm with butter
- Fruit bread
- Pastries with dried fruits
- Malt bread
- a soft malt bread with raisins that is eaten with butter
- Spice bread
- a generic term for bread that contains fruits and spices
glossary
- Early morning tea
- The tea that many Brits drink before breakfast , often in bed.
- Light tea
- An afternoon tea that is served only with simple scones .
- Builder's tea
- A strongly brewed tea bag with lots of milk and lots of sugar, as traditionally drunk by construction workers during work breaks.
- Cream tea
- A simple variant of afternoon tea originally from southern England with only scones , but served with clotted cream and strawberry jam.
- Afternoon, five-o-clock, low tea
- Afternoon tea, which is served between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and is traditionally not taken at the dining table, but at a low tea table in the salon. In addition to the cream tea , the menu also includes savories (small sandwiches, e.g. topped with egg, cucumber, cress, ham or salmon and appetizers ). In hotels, afternoon tea is often served on a cake stand .
- High tea
- A meal that is served between 5 and 7 p.m. and is a mixture of afternoon tea and dinner. It is taken at the dining table ( high table ). The high tea is usually only served on special occasions when guests are invited. Cold roasts, cold chicken, salads, cooked vegetables, cakes and fruits are usually served with tea. Normal dinner, which is often accompanied by tea, is generally not called high tea , nor is the cup of tea after dinner.
- Reception, formal tea
- A reception tea (reception) is a standing reception in which no champagne but tea is served. There are often sandwiches with it.
- Royal tea
- An afternoon tea that also serves champagne or sherry .
literature
- M. Dalton King: Tea Time. Tradition, accessories and recipes. 12th edition, Ars edition, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-7607-3056-1 .
- Jane Pettigrew: Tea Time. Popular recipes from the land of tea drinkers. 4th edition, Hugendubel, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-88034-644-5 .
- Helen Simpson: The Ritz London Book of Afternoon Tea: The Art & Pleasures of Taking Tea. Ebury Press, 2006, ISBN 0-09-190994-5 .
- Peer Vries: On the political economy of tea. What tea can tell us about the English and Chinese economies of the early modern period . Böhlau, Cologne 2009, ISBN 978-3-205-78341-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://www.statista.com/statistics/507950/global-per-capita-tea-consumption-by-country/#0
- ↑ Samuel Pepys' diary entry from September 25, 1660
- ↑ Patricia Clough English Cooking . dtv publishing house.
- ↑ Builder's tea no longer preferred drink for construction workers , Sunday Express , July 10, 2013