High tea lesson

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Tea & the Brits

Do you know...

Tea sparked a revolution?

A Duchess started the tradition of Afternoon tea

Different types of tea traditions were tied to different social classes

(M.I.F./Dunking the biscuit/High tea etc.)

Tea etiquette - the dos & don'ts

But first .......... (next 3 slides)

Do you drink tea?

YES

NO

Do you drink tea WITH MILK?

YES

NO

Do you drink tea WITH SUGAR?

YES

NO

What is a traditional
British "high tea"?

Tea - some facts 

• The Chinese character for tea is '茶', initially with an extra stroke '荼', pronounced as "tú" -  a word for a bitter herb

• The tea plant originated in China/India, where boiled water was poured onto tea leaves and  the hot liquid was drunk as a medicinal drink

• Tea is a plantation crop, best grown in subtropical climates. Its taste depends on the geography and climate where it is grown.

• Tea was first introduced to Western priests and merchants in China during the 16th century, back then it was called "chá".

(source: Wikipedia.com)

Tea in British culture

In the 18th century tea was only for the upper class and was imported from China 

by ship. It was expensive & heavy duty had to be paid for import.

In the 19th century it became available for the common people.

Smugglers first made tea available for the lower classes.

The government lowered taxes on tea import so that everyone could enjoy tea.

 

Great Britain started to grow tea  in India, which became a British colony in 1858.

Good tea harvests in India resulted in lower tea prices, making it affordable for all

1840s- the Duchess of Bedford starts Afternoon Tea

The   Duchess of Bedford starts sneaking in a snack in the later afternoon with Darjeeling tea, to keep herself from getting ‘hangry’ before dinner (pictures below: the Duchess Anna Russell and her home Woburn Abbey)

The upper classes only enjoyed breakfast and dinner. Only ladies had a light lunch (soup/sandwich), (working)  men went to pubs; dinner was served between 7:30 - 8:00 pm. It was fashionable for upper class to serve dinner late.

Different classes different tea manners

The poor usually had to drink their tea black or with watered down milk and brown sugar

The correct way to drink tea was “with cream instead of milk, and very small lumps of sugar.” Also, a splash of fresh lemon was added to  tea by the upper class

Dunking Biscuits 

Teashop introduces Victorian etiquette: 

No dunking biscuits, clanging spoons or mobile phones - The Daily Mail - 07 August 2007

A civilized cup of tea: 

An eccentric tea shop owner is causing a stir by barring customers who dunk biscuits, clang their spoons or use mobile phones.

David Daly warns customers they will be asked to leave his Brighton tea shop if they stray from his code of etiquette.

Dunking Biscuits history

Dunking biscuits has its roots in naval history - on board sailors dunked "hardtacks" in beer to soften them 

The most popular biscuit to dunk in tea in Great Britain is the McVitie Digestive (Telegraph, 2009)

How do you feel about dunking biscuits
in your tea?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

British tea etiquette

Correct expression: "To have tea"  - "Having tea with someone in the afternoon"

4. Managing the Additions

....it is essential to remember that milk is added after the tea has been poured, never before. Milk is added to black tea, such Assam, but Lapsang Souchong is usually enjoyed with a slice of lemon. Sugar is added last, after the milk, and the tea stirred by moving the teaspoon back and forth in an up-and-down motion -- avoid large circular stirring motions which can, in some company, be seen as inelegant. The teaspoon is placed lengthways along the back of the saucer.

5. How to Drink It

Sit up straight and spread out the napkin on your lap. Hold the cup by the handle and bring it up to your mouth -- avoid leaning forward to drink. Never cradle the cup in your hands and avoid raising your little finger. Take small sips and don't slurp, and or blow on hot tea to cool it. The cup is put down on the saucer in between sips.

source: HuffPost.com - 2015

What is the difference between a Cream tea and an Afternoon Tea?

1. Cream tea = creamy tea Afternoon tea = tea served in the afternoon
2. Cream tea = tea served with a scone/jam/clotted cream Afternoon tea = tea with sweet & savoury finger foods
3. Cream tea = a special tea blend from China Afternoon tea = a special tea blend from India
4. Cream tea = tea served with pie as dessert Afternoon tea = tea served with scones/jam/clotted cream in the afternoon

British Cream tea

Cream tea = 

tea served with scones, jam & a dollop of thick, clotted cream

 The tradition of eating bread with cream and jam 

existed at Tavistock abbey in Devon during the 11th century.

Still debate over traditions/origins:

"Devon and Cornwall battle over true home of the cream tea"

Strawberry & Cream - which comes first?

• The Devon method -  split the scone in two, cover each half with clotted cream, and then add strawberry jam on top. 

• The Cornwall method  -  a "Cornish split", a type of slightly sweet white bread roll, rather than a scone, first spread with strawberry jam, and finally topped with a spoonful of Cornish clotted cream.

British Afternoon tea 

Upper class / UK - 18th/19th century

Only 2 meals: breakfast & dinner at 8 pm 

Afternoon tea served at 4 pm/late afternoon

Savoury & sweet finger foods

traditionally 3 courses, 

served at a low table whilst 

sitting in comfortable chairs,

or on sofas

British High tea - origins

Working classes / UK  - 18th/19th centuries

(started in industrial areas northern England/

southern Scotland - still a tradition in these areas)

Industrial workers came home hungry at 6 pm

Tea was expensive for them, not to be wasted

High tea served as a meal a the high table 

at 6 PM

Dishes included: 

A mug of tea, bread, vegetables, cheese and 

occasionally meat (varied with pies, potatoes and crackers)

British High tea - nowadays

In the UK still often called Afternoon Tea, 

meaning the same as High Tea in the rest of the world

British upper class adopted high tea as  a meal that could be 

eaten when their servants were away or not available:

 easy to prepare. 

The upper class 'high tea' combined

Afternoon Tea and high tea, with the addition of pigeon, veal, 

salmon and fruit.

What is the Boston Tea Party?

1. A type of tea party that is celebrated with delicious Bostonian food.
2. A tea party for people living in Boston, celebrated every year.
3. An important historical event in Boston, America.
4. A political party that promotes tea.

The Boston Tea Party - 1773

The Boston Tea Party - 1773

American politicians and merchants protest to the Tea Act and throw shipments of tea into the Boston waters  (East Coast US)

Tea Act:

British Act (law) which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on selling and trading tea in the American colonies. 

Why were the Americans mad?

The Americans opposed taxes in the Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes to all goods sent to the American colonies in order to raise extra money (revenue) for Great Britain. This Act was  decided by the Brits and not by American 

representatives.  

Also, they didn't want the Brits to have a business monopoly on tea. Tea was drunk by all the 

colonists and they didn't want the British government to meddle with it.  These social, economical and 

political concerns resulted in strong protests.The colonists believed Great Britain should no longer decide 

over America & with the Boston Tea Party, they laid the groundwork for the American Revolution in 1776  

(independence from Great Britain)

Tea - Fun Facts

• First importation of tea in Great Britain was in 1669 - shipped across the ocean from Java by the English East India company

• Until the 1850s  tea mostly originated from China

•  Afternoon tea became a fashionable form for entertainment by 1865 - especiallys for ladies discussing "tea business", 

      the equivalent of men discussing politics (ladies were not supposed to discuss this in mixed company)

• A teaspoon was placed upright in your cup to show you did not want any more tea

• In the 18th century  a hot beverage  was poured into a saucer to help it lose heat. The saucers were deep,

       more like a small bowl, while the earliest tea cups were much like Chinese teacups and frequently did not have handles.

• MIF = milk in first  - before you pour tea into your cup - became a question (again) of upper vs lower class

      “Rather m.i.f., darling,” she says to convey inferior social station."- Evelyn Waugh, 1955 (British author)

Ideas for Afternoon/High Tea

Cucumber/Chive cream cheese sandwiches

Egg salad & cress skewers

Club sandwich

Traditional scones

Cheddar & sage scones

Deviled eggs

Banana Muffins/brownies/cakes etcetera

(link to more recipes on next slide)

https:

Your high tea ideas
(recipes)

Who's doing what:
preparation of high tea (what)
in pairs/individually (who)

Savoury snacks are:

1. sweet
2. spicy or salty
3. delicious
4. cheap (saving you money)

Cream tea is:

1. the same as high tea
2. tea with extra cream
3. Tea with scones & jam & clotted cream
4. Devonshire tea

The Devon way to eat your scone is

1. Jam first, cream on top
2. Split your scone in two
3. No tea with scone
4. Cream first, jam on top

The perfect way to drink your tea is

1. To dunk a biscuit in it
2. To fill your cup with milk first (MIF)
3. To go for coffee afterwards
4. To have a cup of tea & enjoy a scone with it.

Afternoon tea is the term used in

1. Europe
2. America
3. Great Britain
4. The Netherlands