Tea Time

Since the 18th century the British have been the largest tea cosumers in the world, with each person consuming on average 2,5 kilo tea per year. Drinking tea is typical for the English culture particular the well-known tea time.

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First, England began to import tea from China in the middle of the 17th century. But tea was too expensive, so only the upper-class could afford it.

There were about 500 coffeehouses in England where tea could be drunk, too. After 1750 tea gardens were opened, where the tea was drunk outside. While women weren't allowed to go in coffehouses, they were welcomed in the tea gardens.

Later in the 18th century, the tea prices dropped and first the middle class an then the lower classes could afford tea. Soon afterwards London became the center of the international tea trade.    

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The British drink almost only black tea which is very strong and not always high-quality. But it's served with milk and so the tea gets softer. The question is, which comes first, the tea or milk? Many ask the question but I think it's just a matter of taste. The British drink besides black tea also Earl Grey and Darjeeling.

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Now, of course tea is a drink, like tea and coffe, but it can also be a light evening meal or an afternoon snack. But there isnt just one common tea time. There are afternoon tea (or low tea) and high tea.

The traditonal afternoon tea, which isn't just a cup of tea, is a small meal taken at 4 o'clock. It traditionally consist of tea or coffee served with either freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam (which is also called cream tea) and assorted pastries OR afternoon tea sandwiches with cucumber and the crusts cut off.

Afternoon tea is not common these days because most adults go out to work. But you can still have Afternoon tea at the many tea rooms around England.

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The popularity of tea occasioned the furtive export of slips to tea plants from China to British India and its commercial culture there, beginning in 1840; British interests controlled tea production in the subcontinent. Tea, which was an upper-class drink in Europe, became the infusion of every class in Great Britain in the course of the 18th century and has remained so.

Die Britische Teekultur entstand bereits im 17. Jahrhundert und ist weit über Großbritannien hinaus bekannt. Hinter China und Irland liegt das Vereinigte Königreich mit einem jährlichen Konsum von rund 3,5 Kilogramm Tee pro Kopf weltweit auf Platz 3. Das Teetrinken gehört zur typisch britischen Lebensart und ist fester Bestandteil derTrinkkultur der Briten. Vor allem der Nachmittagstee (tea time) wird oftmals zelebriert und nach bestimmten Regeln serviert.

      And the final word is tea. Now of course this is a drink, like tea and coffee, but it can also be a light evening meal. I think this word is often used in families, particularly with their children. "It's tea time", "It's time for tea!" This means their small evening meal.

England begann Mitte des 17. Jahrhunderts damit, Tee zu importieren, und zwar zunächst aus China. Er war damals so teuer, dass er nur für die Oberschicht erschwinglich war und als Statussymbol galt. Queen Anne (1665–1714) förderte die Popularität des Teetrinkens, indem sie zum Frühstück statt des üblichen Warmbieres lieber Tee trank. Um 1700 gab es in etwa 500 Kaffeehäusern in England auch Tee, und nach 1750 wurden die ersten Teegärten (tea gardens) eröffnet, in denen Tee im Freien getrunken wurde. Während Frauen der Zutritt zu den Kaffeehäusern verwehrt wurde, standen ihnen die Teegärten offen. Und so spielten Orchester hier auch häufig zum Tanz auf.  Erst als 1783 die hohen Teesteuern gesenkt wurden, konnte sich auch die Mittelschicht, die bis dahin Kaffee getrunken hatte, Tee leisten. Etwas später folgten auch die Familien der Arbeiter. Das Handelsmonopol besaß die East India Company. Im 18. Jahrhundert wurde England zum Zentrum des europäischen Teehandels. Um den stetigen Devisenverlust durch die Tee-Importe zu verhindern, begann England im 19. Jahrhundert damit, Tee in seinen Kolonien anzubauen, wo er ebenfalls sehr gut gedieh.

Die englische Art der Teezubereitung ähnelt der ostfriesischen. Briten trinken fast ausschließlich schwarzen Tee, vorzugsweise unaromatisiert, obwohl der bekannte Earl-Grey-Tee nach einem Briten benannt ist. Bevorzugt werden kräftige Sorten, nicht unbedingt die hochwertigsten. Die Teeblätter werden lose in die Kanne gegeben und mit kochendem Wasser überbrüht, wo sie auch bleiben, so dass der Tee allmählich immer stärker wird. Aus diesem Grund wird mitunter zusätzlich heißes Wasser nachgegossen. Außerdem trinken die meisten Briten ihren Tee mit Milch, denn dadurch wird er milder. Die Frage, ob zuerst der Tee eingegossen wird oder die Milch, ist im Königreich eine Streitfrage zwischen den jeweiligen Anhängern der Prinzipien Milk-in-first (Mif) und Tea-in-first (Tif) – Königin Elisabeth II. soll beispielsweise eine Tif-Anhängerin sein.

AFTERNOON TEA (The traditional 4 o'clock tea)

This is a small meal, not a drink. Traditionally it consists of tea (or coffee) served with either of the  following:

Freshly baked scones served with cream and jam (Known as a cream tea)

Afternoon tea sandwiches - thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off.

Assorted pastries

Afternoon Tea today

Afternoon tea is not common these days because most adults go out to work. However, you can still have Afternoon tea at the many tea rooms around England.

Afternoon tea became popular about one hundred and fifty years ago, when rich ladies invited their friends to their houses for an afternoon cup of tea. They started offering their visitors sandwiches and cakes too. Soon everyone was enjoying Afternoon tea.

HIGH TEA (The traditional 6 o'clock tea)

The British working population did not have Afternoon Tea. They had a meal about midday, and a meal after work, between five and seven o'clock. This meal was called 'high tea' or just 'tea'.

(Today, most people refer to the evening meal as dinner or supper.)

Traditionally eaten early evening, High tea was a substantial meal that combined delicious sweet foods, such as scones, cakes, buns or tea breads, with tempting savouries, such as cheese on toast, toasted crumpets, cold meats and pickles or poached eggs on toast. This meal is now often replaced with a supper due to people eating their main meal in the evenings rather than at midday.