"Everything stops for Tea"

All tea comes from the dried leaves of Camellia sinensis, the tea plant that was first cultivated in China and later found growing in India. 

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, with water being the first. 

Several factors affect the flavour characteristics of tea: where the tea is grown, the climate, soil conditions, and how the tea is processed. 

Tea is harvested after each "flush" - the sprouting of the top two leaves and bud. The top two leaves and bud are hand-plucked and then processed into one of the four main types of tea - Black, Oolong, Green, and White. 

Black Tea is withered, fully oxidized and dried. Black tea yields a hearty, amber-coloured brew. 

Oolong Tea is generally referred to as "semi-fermented" or partially oxidized tea. It principally comes from China and Taiwan (often called Formosa, its former Dutch name). Oolong tea falls between black and green tea in taste. 

Green Tea skips the oxidizing step. It is simply withered and then dried. 

White Tea is the least processed. It is not oxidized or rolled but simply withered and dried by steaming.

The first samples of tea reached England between 1652 and 1654. Tea quickly proved popular enough to replace ale as the national drink of England. 

Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals-breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. 

Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day.

 The Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) was one of the first to adopt the European tea service format. She invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o'clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centred around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. 

This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walking the fields." (London at that time still contained large open meadows within the city.)

 The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses.

A common pattern of service soon merged. The first pot of tea was made in the kitchen and carried to the lady of the house who waited with her invited guests, surrounded by fine porcelain from China.

 The first pot was warmed by the hostess from a second pot (usually silver) that was kept heated over a small flame. Food and tea was then passed among the guests, the main purpose of the visiting being conversation. 

I have to admit I am not a great tea drinker, but if I am going to have a cuppa, I do prefer it strong.

My sister-in-law however, is completely the opposite. So I will finish with a little ode...

                 I think that I shall never see,

            A drink as weak as poor Jane's tea:

            For when it pours out from the pot,

                   I can't tell if it's tea or not !

               The water's there for all to see,

              But only God could find the tea.