Introduction: The British began importing tea in the 1660s. At that time, the Portuguese princess Catherine? Braganza (Catherine of Braganza) married King Charles II of England, she brought the hobby of drinking tea into the British court. The British began to import tea from the Netherlands, and in 1689 (Kangxi 28), the British East India Company imported tea directly from Xiamen, China for the first time and shipped it back to London. By the 1750s, tea had become the national drink of the British.
There are countless facts to support the close relationship between the British and tea. Calculated, one-third of their life is Teatime (tea time); even if you have a big deal, you have to wait for the British to finish the afternoon tea before, this is an unchanging rule; a British ballad sang:? When the clock strikes four, everything in the world suddenly stops for tea.
English tea culture elegant tea culture
History has never planted a piece of tea in the British, but with imported products invented a rich connotation, the way elegant? British afternoon tea? culture. Perhaps because of the bad British food makes the British in front of the French meal and Italian food ashamed of themselves, they are always in the sleep and food to carry forward the traditional British tea culture. The British make tea with milk to make a delicious ? English tea?
Honorable Beginnings
British tea culture, the beginning of the royal family and hooked up, married to King Charles II in 1662, Princess Catherine of Portugal, known as? Tea Queen? , when her dowry included 221 pounds of black tea and exquisite Chinese tea sets. In the years when the value of black tea is comparable to silver, the Queen's elegant example of drinking, attracted the aristocracy to follow suit.
Tea has become a status symbol, the tea box is locked up, the key is kept by the hostess, only in the banquet guests to drink. Even if the guests drink the leftover dregs of tea, the maids steal to the market to sell, but also to get back the extra money.
Until 1826, the British in the mountains of northern India occasionally found abound wild tea trees, tea began to become cheaper than beer. From then on, from Dover in England to Aberdeen in Scotland, tea was practiced throughout Britain.
Tea for rest
? When the teapot was sent into the study, the room was immediately filled with a refreshing aroma. After a cup of tea, the whole body and mind get a good comfort. Walking back from the rain, a cup of hot tea provides a cozy warmth that is indescribably beautiful. The protagonists in Pride and Prejudice are drinking tea and showing the variety of British life.
Tea to start each day, tea to finish each day, the British people are happy to repeat the routine of tea to tea. Early in the morning as soon as you open your eyes, lean on the bed to enjoy a cup of tea? Earlymorningtea; breakfast and then a cup of tea? Breakfast tea?breakfasttea; also known as eye-opening tea, selected India, Ceylon, Kenya, black tea from all over the modulation of the rich flavor, the most suitable for the morning after waking up to enjoy. Paired with bacon sausage and eggs, it is a strong tea recipe that removes oil and grease. Even if you're busy in the morning, take a 20-minute break for a sip of teatime tea. Work break tea teabreak; before work to drink tea and eat dessert legal hour afternoontea; at this time, the special aroma of Earl Grey tea has become the first choice. Earl Grey tea is a Chinese tea as the base tea, participate in bergamot modulation and become, smell fragrant, taste is not too strong. Home before dinner and then a formal tea with meat cold cuts Hightea; before going to bed there is no less? The tea of farewell?
In addition, Britain has a wide range of items of tea (Tea-Party), garden tea (Teaingarden) and weekend excursions picnic tea (Picnic-Tea), it is a trick. In addition to the traditional English tea, often, the British and the black tea added a variety of flowers, fruits and precious spices, prepared into today's very popular flower tea, fruit tea and spice tea. To add sugar, milk or lemon, the orthodox British afternoon tea and no strict rules, depending on personal preferences. But the basic rule is: strong tea with creamer taste smooth, light tea or flavored fruit tea to drink the original flavor.
Tea with a taste
The most common British tea cookies with Scottish cream, Victorian muffins, muffins. The famous South West England cream tea also includes special scones with a unique local cream plus jam. As muffins need to be eaten while hot to get the taste and flavor, they need to be savored first. The flavors are usually identified according to the order: from light to heavy, from salty to sweet. Therefore, when you take from the bottom layer gradually up to take, first eat the bottom layer of sandwiches and muffins easy to satiate the stomach, and then the second layer of cakes and other desserts. Finally, the third layer of fruit cookies and other snacks. Afternoon tea is about relaxed family style, so using your hands instead of a knife and fork to take the snacks is still a tradition today.
Exquisite tea
Blue and white celadon, with a little suppressed but simple colors, is the norm of the British introverted style; the surface of the British plants and flowers depicted in the bone china, is typical of the Victorian style, complete with the British love of horticulture habits reflecting on the tea. Regardless of which porcelain, with sterling silver teapot, teaspoon, beautiful lace tablecloths, romantic elegance to people's hearts, the British style to call out.
British tea, how to drink?
The traditional tea room etiquette, the sound of conversation should be small, porcelain light take light put; Ms. calm demeanor, someone from the front of the pass by to politely and quietly move posture, reported to smile. Muffins are eaten by cutting them with a knife, but not to the bottom, then tearing them by hand and spreading them first with jam and then with cream. One bite, then another. When the cup of tea is finished, the teaspoon is put into the teacup to indicate that this is the end of the tea, otherwise the host will refill the tea from time to time.
Authentic British Tea Guide
Like the Michelin food guide, the UK publishes a "Guide to the Best Tea Houses in the UK" every year, which specifically cites famous and distinctive places to have a cup of tea, making it an authoritative guide to drinking tea. According to the citation, the most famous tea room in the United Kingdom has about 125, the environment is invariably elegant, rich cultural atmosphere, the layout of the decoration is exquisite, and the general are hung with pictures of the history of tea.
London ---- the capital of the tea city
In London, virtually all the big hotels have a tea table. The traditional aristocratic afternoon tea is best known for the Palm Court at the Ritz. Due to Princess Diana's frequent visits during her lifetime and left a legendary color. Come here to drink afternoon tea, men must wear a tie to enter, must be booked in advance, the busiest two weeks in advance to find a seat. In the British Tea Association (TeaGuild) selection, Claridge's hotel (Claridge?s) to provide the English afternoon tea, was selected as the best British afternoon tea. There were 17 categories in total*** and the judges acted as confidential customers to experience the flavor of English afternoon tea first hand. Claridge's Hotel staff to? Excellent control of tea-related learning, attentive service? The staff of Claridge's Hotel has won the judges' favor. Claridge's has a history of more than 100 years of providing English afternoon tea, which is priced at $28.50 per serving. In addition, the Savoy Hotel and Brown's Hotel are also well known for their afternoon teas, and in addition to the locals who negotiate business, there are many tourists.
Representatives of the countryside afternoon tea
In the beautiful scenery of the north of England, York Betty?s Tea Rooms is a model of the countryside tea room. Although the history is not very long, but has become one of the top afternoon tea store in the U.K. Established in 1919, famous for the British traditional HighTea. In the York branch, the whole store in wood color with classical decoration, in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass to drink a sip of English black tea, watching the window of the old cross street street, style is very elegant. The price is not too expensive and the restaurant is always crowded. In the British countryside of life beat leisurely, listening to the beautiful piano drinking afternoon tea, and the metropolis feel completely different!
The Peninsula Hong Kong
? Can't afford to live in the Peninsula, just drink a cup of afternoon tea in the hotel? has become one of the most moody content of traveling Hong Kong. The afternoon tea here does not bear the reservation, no matter what your identity are required to line up. tiffany's porcelain, robertsbelk's special silverware, the hotel seat of the concoction of the Peninsula sauce, and the lobby dazzle the band's play, no wonder this is the Hong Kong celebrities of the convergence of the tabloid reporter also attracted squatting in this.
Hong Kong Classical Rose Garden
is the masterpiece of the Taiwanese painter Mr. Huang Tenghui. The tea room is decorated in typical Victorian style, with rich blues and reds, red seats in the shape of rose petals, English china and tea. You don't have to go far to appreciate the essence of British afternoon tea.
TWININGS, British royal tea
Originating in 1706, TWININGS is the oldest tea in Britain, and is still the exclusive favorite of the aristocratic royal family. The Earl Grey tea is most famous for its elegant creamy yellow packaging, printed with the emblem derived from the golden lion and the word TWININGS. Because of the strong flavor of Dunning's tea, if you are a first-time visitor, the initiative from the most popular Earl Gray tea (EarlGray) to start drinking.
Whittard, the British national tea
Whittard is a modern operation of the tea and coffee company, in the United Kingdom have a chain of stores. In addition to selling a variety of self-managed consumption of tea and coffee, many related peripheral equipment, from cups, pots, tea filters, to snacks, sweets and even cocoa, everything, but also in accordance with the holiday launch of souvenir goods and gift boxes. In all the Whittard outlets, located in the Covent Garden Whittard of ChelseaTeaZone is more special, because in addition to selling tea, but also attached to the test tea area (TeaZone), guests only need to spend 5 pounds, you can enjoy the fun of their own hands with tea.
FortnumMasons, the British traditional style
From 1707 on the start of the operation of the department store, the most important product is tea, selling more than a hundred kinds of tea from China, India, Nepal, Japan, etc. and their own brand of tea. The teahouse at FortnumMasons is located behind the Victorian confectionery department and is surrounded by grand paintings in muted colors depicting scenes from Victorian India and Egypt.