Tea – The beverage, The meal and Steps for Preparing the perfect-taste Tea

ea the drink - is a beverage with aromatic flavour commonly prepared by pouring hot water over dried tea plant leafs, (usually it is Camellia Sinensis), and it is the second most widely consumed beverage in the world. The culture of drinking Tea came to Britain in the 16th century and by the 17th century it became popular through Europe, when Dutch merchants first imported it from China.

Tea the meal - it may refer to any of several different meals or mealtimes, depending on the country’s various customs and the drinking tea history. Tea the meal closely involves tea the drink as an important part but really is directed toward social or family parties where the food and the tea are consumed as a comprehensive part of the gathering.

The main difference between tea meals is the timing, the variety of food and the location (table) served.

Afternoon tea and High Tea differences

Afternoon tea is a light meal typically eaten between 4 and 6 in the afternoon. It is also called low tea because of the location served - a lounge (or low) table and it is served in a teapot with milk and sugar. Usually it goes along with various sandwiches (egg and cress, tuna, and smoked salmon, ham and cucumber) cakes, pastries and scones (with butter, cream and jam). These days the afternoon tea is more likely to be a luxury gathering in a café, tea shop, or a hotel’s foyer although many tea enjoyers still have a cup of tea and slice of cake at teatime.

High tea is an early evening meal, typically eaten between 5 and 6 pm and it is as a substitute for both afternoon tea and the evening meal. The term comes from the meal being eaten at the 'high' (main) table, instead of the smaller lounge table.

High tea typically consists of a hot meal dish, followed by cakes and bread, butter and jam. Traditionally, high tea was eaten by middle- to upper-class workers when they came home from work and their family. The term was first used around 1825, and high is used in the sense of well-advanced (high noon) to signify that it was taken in the afternoon hours in a way to distinguish it from afternoon tea, and was mainly used by the work class. Today the high tea term is used to refer to afternoon tea or a tea party, or social gathering in which tea, thin sandwiches and small cakes are served.

Steps for making tea...

• For best tea flavour, fresh water is preferred – spring or filtered water will be the perfect choice. Make sure that it is not re-boiled water as the oxygen in the water gives a fresh flavour to the tea. The re-boiled water can make the tea taste flat.
• Bring the water to the boiling point.
• Once the water boils, pour a little of the water in to a teapot and rinse so the pot will become hot.
• Next place one bag or teaspoon of tea per person plus a little bit for the pot. For 4 persons add 5 bags/teaspoons of tea- it will be the perfect taste, not strong and not light flavour but in between.
• Make sure the pot comes to a point of continued boil and pour the water on to the teabags/tea, put the lid over the pot and leave it for 5 minutes to brew. 5 minutes are just perfect but you can leave it for more depending on how strong you like the brew. Test the colour of the tea in a white cup and the perfect one will be a rich brown colour. But if some of your guests like it lighter, serve them first, as the first pour will be the weakest in colour and taste. For those who adore a stronger brew, the tea can be left in the pot with the lid on for a further 2-3 minutes.
• For refilling the pot, you will need to add an additional bag/spoon of tea to the already prepared one and add some boiling water, or you can make a new fresh pot. This depends on the time between the first brew and the second. For best tea taste in such case making a fresh pot is recommended.
• At the end don’t forget Enjoy every moment of the tea, whether alone or with company.

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