Some Trivia on Tea

donna

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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May 12, 2010
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Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
There are many interesting tidbits or trivia on teas. I learned most of these from book, "Country Tea Parties" by Maggie Stuckey.

In ancient times, tea leaves were made into bricks and used as money.

Herb teas are lighter in color than brewed black tea. However you judge its readiness by fragrance and taste and not its color.

When one uses a screw together tea ball, fill it only 1/2 full as loose tea expands several fold when it steeps.

Store sugar cubes for your tea in a jar with whole cloves or cinnamon sticks. The cubes will absorb the spicy fragrance.

Stash ice tea glasses in the freezer an hour before the party.

A "cream tea" is an afternoon tea in Britain. It features scones and clotted cream.

Afternoon tea was invented by the Duchess of Bedford in the mid 1800s. She wanted to tide herself over for a very late dinner. She had her maid serve small sandwiches and cake with her afternoon tea. Thus, a new fashion was born.

If a small bit of loose tea floats to the top of your cup, you will soon be visited by an intriguing stranger.

A slash of any fruit flavored liqueur in your favorite hot tea makes a delicious treat.

Earl Grey tea is named for the 19th century Englishman who served as diplomat to China. He learned to enjoy the orange scented tea blend that now bears his name.

Teas made from rose hips are rich in vitamin C. Rose hips are the cranberry size red fruits that develop after the flowers are faded.

The British drink an average of six cups of tea per day per person.

"The agony of the flowers" is when covered with boiling water, the dried, twisted leaves of loose tea slowly unfurl.

An old superstition holds that if two women pour tea from the same pot, one of them will give birth to a redheaded child within a year.

A special treat for someone feeling down or blue is to sweeten herbal tea with fruit preserves.

The medicinal value of certain herbs is well established. Tea brewed from them is healing as well as soothing. Some favorite teas for colds and sore throats are horehound, mint, lemon, balm and sage. One for nausea or cramps are peppermint. For digestive calm are anise, fennel and lemon verbena.

Therefore, for good health and well being, drink tea everyday. It is good for you and your soul.
 
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I drink 5 or 6 cups of breakfast tea a day and only from thin, white China cups. I have my own favourite one and hate it, when my wife washes it. Or my mother comes round and tries to! (The brown stains inside do not bother me.)
I hate a dark or fat cup and could not drink tea from one. I could for coffee. If I go to someone's house, choosing a mug is important and can determine if I have tea or coffee.
Yes; I am weird.
 
An old superstition holds that if two women pour tea from the same pot, one of them will give birth to a redheaded child within a year.

This explains my red hair! :laugh:

A special tea cup is important for tea. I collect tea cups and have special ones for different occasions.

I also have a special coffee mug. It was one my grandkids gave me and say "We love Grandma". I collect coffee mugs too.

I have a collection of tea cups, too. There's a myth that tea actually tastes better from bone china tea cups. Not sure I believe that. However, I will say tea steeped in a Brown Betty teapot does have a richer, more robust taste. It's all in the special clay used to produce the pots. I picked mine up in England, but you can order them online. I know @LoriAnn enjoys the English Tea Store, so here's a link to the famous teapot.

 
I know @LoriAnn enjoys the English Tea Store, so here's a link to the famous teapot.
Oh, this store is such a temptation! I'm a sucker for the floral and butterfly designs, but just when I think I've narrowed things down, I see another teapot that I like. Then I remember I don't really need a teapot. :laugh:

Though the one I have is only a 2 cup. It would be nice to have a slightly larger one for family teas. :whistling:

If I go to someone's house, choosing a mug is important and can determine if I have tea or coffee.
Yes; I am weird.
I can understand this. I don't know if taste is affected, but I can see the visual and tactile elements coming into play.

I guess I'm not your average Brit......I hate the stuff!
I only like my tea doctored up, just like my coffee. I can't quite figure out how people drink either plain.

I collect tea cups and have special ones for different occasions.
Me too! My tea cups belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. My coffee mugs are special purchases I've made from pottery makers.
 
Brenal Are you a coffee drinker? Some like coffee, some like tea and some like both. I like both very much.

Have a good day.

Yes Donna, I drink coffee any way that it comes, from hot black and strong to any of the myriad of ways that modern baristas can conjure it up these days.

The Sons of Liberty had the right idea.
 
I am not the biggest fan of tea,but when we go out for Chinese food I will have some tea.I do not have the standard tea oolong tea that they give everyone but ask for Jasmine tea.they bring you out a tea pot of boiling water with the tea leaves in it and you have to let it steep for a while.it is a light tea with a very unique flavor.
 
I love tea of all kinds and even all the things that come with it - pretty teapots and teacups and even the occasional cosie. And of course the gossip that goes with it! I love coffee too. I'm southern so there is always a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge, year round. I wish I was in Knoxville today. I'm missing this: http://www.mabryhazen.com/tea/
 
I love tea. Before I had kids, I was a terrible tea snob and much preferred loose leaf for real tea (although I did get some herbals bagged). Now my favorites are mostly bagged teas. I have tea pots but mostly make my tea in big mugs -- usually 12 oz for herbals and 16 oz for black teas -- but they can't be too thick.

I drink hot tea year round, and iced tea mostly in the summer. I drink Earl Grey hot on occasion (although I prefer the citrus-y kind of Lady Grey), but my favorite use of Earl Grey is "Earl's Lemonade," where you make Lemonade Ice Tea using Earl Grey.

Recently heard about blooming teas (here, maybe?), where there's an intact flower in the tea bundle that opens up -- "blooms" -- in the tea cup as it steeps. I drink hibiscus tea for health (helps to keep blood pressure down), so I keep thinking I should give one of those a try.
 
I drink 5 or 6 cups of breakfast tea a day and only from thin, white China cups. I have my own favourite one and hate it, when my wife washes it. Or my mother comes round and tries to! (The brown stains inside do not bother me.)
I hate a dark or fat cup and could not drink tea from one. I could for coffee. If I go to someone's house, choosing a mug is important and can determine if I have tea or coffee.
Yes; I am weird.
No, no, you’re not weird at all, I know plenty of English people that like their tea cups to have that brown tea stain, they don’t scrub the cup clean, they just rinse it out. To be honest most Brits drink tea from a mug, tea so strong you could stand your spoon up in it. The only time that I drink tea from a cup is if tea leaves are used rather than tea bags. Tea always tastes better in a proper bone China cup.
 
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