A Nice Cup of Tea

THE HISTORY OF THE TEAPOT

I’m a little teapot short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout When I get my steam up then I shout Tip me over and pour me out. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED AS YOU DRINK YOUR CUP OF TEA (AND I HOPE IT IS FROM A BONE CHINA TEACUP AND POURED FROM A TEAPOT) WHERE IT ALL ORIGINATED FROM. WELL I AM GOING TO TRY AND EXPLAIN TO YOU IN AN EASY TO READ ARTICLE. WELL THE ACTUAL INVENTION OF THE TEAPOT CAN DATE BACK TO THE MING DYNASTY (1368 – 1644) IN CHINA WHICH IS SOME SEVEN HUNDRED YEARS AGO. IT WAS MADE TO PRESERVE THE AROMA AND FLAVOUR OF THE TEA. IN THE BEGINNING THE TEAPOT SHAPE WAS VERY SIMPLE AND WAS SMALL IN SIZE TO SERVE ONE OR TWO CUPS, HAD A SHORT SPOUT AND A LOOP HANDLE. THE RED CLAY WAS INITIALLY OBTAINED FROM YI-HSING NEAR SHANGHAI. IT WAS KNOWN AS STONEWARE WHICH WAS SUPERIOR TO PORCELAIN. AS TIME MOVED ON THE CHINESE POTTERS STARTED TO PRODUCE MORE IMAGINATIVE SHAPED TEAPOTS.SOME  OF THESE DESIGNS INCORPERATED ANIMALS,FRUIT AND FOILAGE. IN 1610 TEA WAS FIRST IMPORTED FROM CHINA TO HOLLAND BY DUTCH TRADING COMPANYS ALONG WITH STONEWARE TEAPOTS. IT WAS FIRST CONSIDERED AS A MEDICINAL DRINK AND IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR THE SOCIAL CONCEPT TO BE APPRECIATED. LATER IN THE SEVENTEETH CENTURY DUTCH POTTERS STARTED MAKING SIMILAR TEAPOTS LIKE THE CHINESE. MEANWHILE ON THE CONTINENT FROM ABOUT 1720 WHITE PORCELAIN TEAPOTS WERE MADE. TEA REMAINED VERY EXPENSIVE THERE IS SOME REFERENCE THAT THE MONITARY COST IF MADE EQUIVELANT TO POUNDS WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND 10 POUNDS FOR ONE POUND OF A CHEAPER VARIETY AND 30 POUNDS FOR THE MOST EXPENSIVE SO TEA POTS AND CUPS REMAINED SMALL AND ONLY THE VERY RICH COULD AFFORD TO DRINK IT AND USUALLY DID SO IN COFFEE HOUSES OR IN COURT.

TEAPOTS WERE ALSO MADE IN SILVER DURING THE 1700’S AND THE QUEEN ANNE AND GEORGIAN STYLES IN ENGLAND REPLACED EARLIER, MORE GOTHIC AND TRIANGULAR EWER SHAPES. SILVER TEAPOTS WERE ALSO POPULAR IN SCANDINAVIA. BECAUSE OF THE DURABILITY OF METAL, MORE EXAMPLES ARE MORE NUMOROUS THAN THOSE OF EARLY STONEWARE AND PORCELIAN.

THE GLOBULAR OR ROUNDED BODY SHAPE OF THE TEAPOT HAS THE FUNCTIONAL ABILITY TO CHANNEL THE LIQUID IN A SMOOTH STREAM TOWARDS THE SPOUT AND COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT MOST POTTERS FIND IT THE MOST SATISFYING SHAPE TO LOOK AT AS WELL AS BEING EASIER THAN OVAL OR SQUARE POTS TO MAKE AND FIRE, THIS EXPLAINS WHY SO MANY GLOBULAR POTS HAVE BEEN MADE. SO WHILE A TEAPOT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE OF ANY PARTICULAR SHAPE AS LONG AS IT IS PRACTICAL AND IS OBVIOUSLY A BONUS IF IT IS PLEASING ON THE EYE TO LOOK AT.

LONG BEFORE TEA REACHED THE WEST; IT HAD SPREAD FROM CHINA TO JAPAN AND SOUTH THROUGH ASIA. THE HILL TRIBES OF BURMA AND SIAM HAD BEGUN PICKLING TEA BY BRUISING AND STEAMING THE LEAVES BEFORE STUFFING THEM INTO BAMBOO STALKS OR PITS. LATER THE EXTRACT WOULD BE DRUNK, AND THE LEAVES CHEWED.

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY HAD THE MONOPOLY OF ONLY TRADING WITH CHINA FOR THEIR TEA, HOWEVER THIS ENDED IN 1833 AND TEA GROWING STARTED IN NORTHERN INDIA, AND THEN LATER CEYLON, JAVA, SUMATRA AND AFRICA.

BY THE LATE 18TH CENTURY, TEA HAD REPLACED ALE AT THE WEALTHY ENGLISH BREAKFAST TABLE. ETIQUETTE WAS FORMING AROUND THE DRINK THAT WOULD BECOME CONSTANT IN MOST IN THE BRITSH AND DUTCH CULTURES. COFFEE BECAME THE PREFFERED BEVERAGE ON THE REST OF THE CONTINENT IN THE MID 18TH CENTURY. BRITAIN BECAME A TEA-CRAZY KINGDOM THAT INNOVATED TEA RITUALS AND TEAPOT DESIGN.

TODAY TEA IS SECOND ONLY TO WATER IN TERMS OF WORLDWIDE POPULARITY AND AROUND 50 BILLION CUPS ARE SERVED EACH YEAR.

HIGH TEA:

DEFINITION

LATE AFTERNOON, OR EARLY EVENING MEAL  CONSISTING OF A COOKED DISH, USUALLY HOT, WITH BREAD AND BUTTER, CAKES AND TEA

HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF EXPERIENCING A HIGH TEA?

THE SETTING IS VERY IMPRESSIVE WITH LOVELY TABLECLOTHS REAL LINEN NAPKINS, A POSY OF FLOWERS IN A CRYSTAL VASE ADOURNES THE TABLE AND A VERY PRETTY ENGLISH BONE CHINA CUP,SAUCER AND PLATE, ALSO YOUR OWN SUGAR BOWL AND CREAM JUG. YOUR CHOICE OF TEA IS BOUGHT TO YOU IN A LOVELY PORCELAIN TEAPOT AND YOU ARE THEN OFFERED ON A THREE TIER STAND MAYBE SOME OF THE FOLLOWING DELIGHTS:

AFTERNOON TEA SANDWICHES- PETITE STYLE NO CRUSTS

CHICKEN AND WILD HERB, CUCUMBER, CRÈME FRAICHE AND DILL, SMOKED SALMON WITH FRESH ROCKET.

SCONES AND CONSERVES

ASSORTED SWEETIES

TEAS

ENGLISH BREAKFAST SUPREME,SCOTTISH BREAKFAST,EARL GREY PREMIUM,QUEEN MARY,PRINCE OF WALES,RUSSIAN CARAVAN,ASSAM,DARJEELING,CHINA SENCHA AND FINE SELECTION OF HERBAL/FRUIT INFUSIONS

YOU CAN TREAT YOURSELF TO THIS VIA SOURCING ON THE INTERNET WHO HAS IT AVAILABLE
OR
WHY DON’T YOU DO IT YOURSELF AND SEND OUT INVITATIONS TO A FEW GOOD FRIENDS AND ENJOY A GOOD OLD FASHIONED CUP OF TEA!

CHEERS - KIM