Time Out for Tea Time

Published in The Packet

I’ve had tea on my mind lately. I’ve been invited to several tea party-themed baby and bridal showers, I’ve recently visited London where it is said that tea is as much a part of the national identity as the British accent itself, and a few days ago, I discovered a lengthy social studies paper I wrote when I was eleven called “The Domestication of the Tea Plant.” I’m fairly certain my teacher stopped reading after page twelve, but that big red A still fills me with pride.

My family’s version of teatime was an informal, but nonetheless ritualized social experience shared by my mother, grandmother, and myself after school. Unfortunately, I only learned how to make a cup of tea to suit my tastes (green tea with honey and some freshly grated ginger). Trying to order tea at a café or serve tea to someone other than my mom has always left me befuddled. I was given a beautiful tea set as a gift, but I haven’t the faintest idea how to use it. I was fed up with my lack of knowledge, so I channeled my eleven-year-old self and set out to determine what a person meant when they said, “one milk and two sugars.” I felt pretty stupid when I realized the unit of measurement left unspoken was the obvious teaspoon.

Here are some other fun facts about tea I learned.

After water, tea is the most widely sipped beverage in the world. The Chinese invented tea and historically drank tea directly from the spout of the teapot. Tea is considered one of the seven necessities of Chinese life along with firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Anna the Duchess of Bedford started the traditional English teatime in the early 1800s, when it was common to only eat twice a day. She was tired of feeling irritated from hunger pangs between meals, so she began having tea and a snack in her bedroom every afternoon secretly. Over time, she invited friends and acquaintances to join her, and the teatime practice took off.

Early European teacups were originally made of soft-paste porcelain that had a tendency to crack. Milk was added to tea in Europe to temper the cups. Eventually, Europeans brought the Chinese technology of hard-paste porcelain to the continent, but the milk habit stuck.

The phrase, “I’ll eat my hat” comes from the 1700s when sugar cubes were cone shaped, resembling a witch hat.

A traditional tea service includes a teapot, cups and saucers, sugar bowl, creamer, teakettle, waste bowl, and tray. To make tea, first warm the water in the kettle. While this is happening, scald the teapot and mugs, and add teabags to the empty pot. Add hot water to the pot and wait three minutes. Stir clockwise three times. Serve those who like a weak cup of tea first, by pouring their cup half full of tea, and then topping it off with hot water. Pour tea for those who like it stronger next. Once everyone is served, add more hot water to the pot.

Traditionally, the teapot spout faces the hostess. A guest indicates they have had enough tea by placing the teaspoon on the saucer. The hostess signals the end of tea by picking up her napkin.

The six different types of tea (white, yellow, green, oolong, black, and post-fermented) are made from the same leaves. They are just processed differently to create the different tea flavours.

Here in Newfoundland, the Labrador Tea plant grows wild in woody, damp areas. The plant grows over a foot tall, is woody-stemmed, and blooms small white flowers in June. It is said to have sedative effects, but should be consumed in moderation because the plants toxins could cause cramps, stomach issues, and headaches.