#candc English

[avidrecordcollector-blog]

Afternoon Tea

While sitting in the well decorated, small coffee shop called Jo’s Java, which is located on the edge of the Greenville University campus, first lady Kathy Filby made her appearance to my classmates and myself. She came bringing tea cups, tea kettles with tea infusers, and of course a variety of different types of tea. Mrs. Kathy Filby introduced herself by stating where she grew up, which was Northern Ireland and her knowledge of English tea time. The teapot and tea cup that are featured in one of my photos was given to Mr. & Mrs. Filby as an anniversary gift. The items are made out of china and are a custom gift given to most English couples since tea is a major component of the English culture. We were given some history of tea like where it originated and how one can tell if something is a “real” tea or if it is just some leaves that people call tea. While Kathy Filby stated that afternoon tea is something that most English partake in, it is a fairly new tradition since it started in the late 19th/early 20th century. Afternoon tea was originally for the wealthiest due to its high price, but eventually became an item that was easily accessible to majority of the English population. During afternoon tea, it is a custom to have some sort of light food such as dainty sandwiches or sweet pastries such as scones or biscuits. Since this is the case, Mrs. Filby provided scones, shortbread, and chocolates. Kathy Filby also gave us a quiz sheet to see if we knew our “tea facts”. It was interesting to learn that tea bags were a US invention and that there are five types of tea, which are black, white, red, green, and Oolong.

The whole experience of afternoon tea was enlightening. The feeling of being present through the process of waiting for the kettle full of water to heat up, the scooping of the loose tea leaves into the tea infuser, the awful wait of letting the tea seep, and the marvelous moment of actually drinking the tea was definitely something that I will remember. The tea itself smelled appetizing and was steaming when I got my cup of British Breakfast tea, which is a type of black tea. As I took my seat and took a sip of the tea out of the tea cup, the flavor of the tea hit my taste buds. Personally, the tea was a bit bitter on my tongue, but despite my reservations, wasn’t as bad as I imagined. I am someone who prefers red tea since it is more of a sweeter type of tea, but the black tea was something that could potentially replace my morning cup of Joe. To compliment this beverage, I grabbed a chocolate scone that Mrs. Filby had provided. The scone was flavorful and delicious because who doesn’t enjoy chocolate? It was also different then my usual blueberry scone, but again could be a potential replacement since it was something that really, I enjoyed. The event of afternoon tea, in the little coffee shop, with the delightful Mrs. Kathy Filby was a wonderful experience. I would be excited to take a trip to the UK to find out what it’s like to have tea during afternoon tea in the very culture where it is a tradition.

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Afternoon-Tea/

[shalmycat]

A Happy English Tea Time

Tea has been a huge subject in the British culture. Speaking of “British,” did you know that Britain is composed of England, Whales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland? That’s a lot of land smushed together for one title!

The history of tea drinking is actually quite dense. The only legit teas are white tea, black tea, red tea, green tea, and oolong. So, that means when you buy that package of supposed fruit teas, you’re not actually buying tea. There are situations where the label will state that one of the five teas are included within the fruit tea, but unless that happens, you’re drinking something other than real tea. 

In the English culture, there are allotted times set aside for tea drinking and social interaction. Two of these times are noted as afternoon tea around 3-4 p.m. (designated as a snack between lunch and dinner) and high tea around dinner time. Unlike afternoon tea, high tea is much more relaxed. Afternoon tea holds high expectations, such as a specific dress code, social behaviors, and proper usage of the tea. Scone is a food snack that is prominent and one of the main items during this time.

Through the advancements of technology, we now have tea kettles that can be plugged into an outlet in order to allow the choice of how hot or cold the water for tea needs to be. For example, green tea should not be mixed in with boiling water, but black tea should. It is important to pay attention to what each tea requires so that the full flavor can be expressed. Along with this, it’s important to note that tea bags are not as useful as loose leaf tea is. Even though it lasts longer, tight tea bags do not allow the particles to mix very well in the water. If you have a tea bag that is quite spacey, however, you will have a better chance of getting it closer to the effects loose leaf tea has with water. 

So, now that you know how to mix the tea itself, what do we add to our delicious drink to make it perfect? Some people enjoy adding milk with their tea to create even more flavor. Cold milk is also a great way to help cool down hot tea! But, do we add the milk first or the tea first in our cup? Resources say various things, but adding milk in last is safer for wasteful purposes. If you add milk first, there’s a good chance your cup will overflow from the miscalculation of the amount of tea you have made. 

It’s a good thing that tea was discovered because if you make it correctly, the health benefits are great. It contains a bunch of antioxidants and helps fight off all kinds of diseases. If tea is consumed daily, not only will potential diseases be fought off, but the body’s strength in various areas and the process of aging will be healthier. If the average coffee drinker would switch out their daily cup of coffee for a daily cup of tea, their body would undergo a lot of positive results both physically and mentally. 

Tea party, anyone? 

References: 

https://www.thedailymeal.com/8-ways-tea-can-change-your-life/52214 

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/06/30/418660351/high-tea-afternoon-tea-elevenses-english-tea-times-for-dummies 

[reaghanlesh]

A Cup of Tea is the Solution to Everything. 

While most people might believe that tea originated in Britain, tea actually made its appearance in China. Tea was invented in 2737 BC. Legend has it that Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was sitting under a tree with his servant and tree leaves fell into the water he was boiling. He tried it, liked the taste, and the rest history.

Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century. Afternoon tea originated with Anna the 7th Duchess of Bedford. She came up with the idea to have tea in the late afternoon to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner. This custom spread across Britain and became very popular. There are five main types of tea. Black tea, which is the most popular in the UK, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, and red tea. Loose leaf tea was the way to go when making tea but tea bags have surpassed that method. Tea bags were invented in the US and became a quick and easy phenomenon. One upside to tea bags is that they remain good for two years, while tea leaves are only good for two months.

This afternoon we had tea with our First Lady of Greenville University, Kathie Filby. She said something that really stuck with me. She said that tea is much more than just the taste, it’s part of the culture. Mrs. Filby said that a cup of tea is the solution to everything. Stressed out because of upcoming exams? Let’s go have a cup of tea. Your boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with you? That’s terrible, let’s go have a cup of tea. Loved one passed away? I’m sorry for your loss, let’s go have a cup of tea. When you’re in the midst of your busy life and you find yourself becoming emotionally or physically drained, the best thing you can do is stop, and have a cup of tea. Between the process of brewing and then the pouring and eventually sipping the hot beverage, tea encourages one to slow down, diffuse, and reflect. When Mrs. Filby said that today, it reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies, About Time. The scene gives a little glimpse to the cup of tea tradition.

I would consider myself a tea drinker, I have a cup of green tea nearly every morning. Except I don’t brew it traditionally with loose leaves or even a tea bag, I use a Keurig. It’s simple and quick and gets the job done. I occasionally like making tea with tea bags, but I believe this was one of my few times drinking loose leaf tea. I had black tea with a bit of milk and then a chocolate chip scone on the side. I’ve had black tea before but I never really liked it that much. This tea, however, I loved. It was the perfect temperature and it had a really soothing taste. The scone was also very good. I liked the black tea and scone combination. I think Kathie Filby inspired me to widen my tea palate. I want to try more in the future. I felt like the tea helped my mood as well, I felt a little more relaxed and almost energized. So, if you ever feel like your world is spinning in chaos, find a friend and spend a few hours over a pot of tea and you’ll likely walk away with a sense of peace.

https://www.britainexpress.com/History/tea-in-britain.htm

[emilyhogue-blog]

An English Tradition

In the words of Kathie Filby, if you are ever sad, depressed, angry, or not feeling like yourself, have a cup of tea. Tea originated almost 5,000 years ago in China when a couple of tree leaves fell into a boiling pot of water. Over time, tea made its way across the globe to the Brits in the mid 1600s. With the newly imported tea came the most well known British tradition, afternoon tea.

Our first cuisine and culture adventure was taken at Jo’s Java for a traditional English afternoon tea with a British native, Kathie Filby. It was my first proper afternoon tea and I very much enjoyed it. I had gone into it not knowing much about the whole idea of afternoon tea other than it was a big British tradition. It was fascinating getting to learn the background of how and where tea was originated from before it made its way into British territory. Though tea came to Great Britain in the 1600s, afternoon tea did not exist until almost 200 years later by Anna Russell the 7th Duchess of Bedford. The Duchess would become quite hungry in between her regular morning and evening meals. So, she always had her maid bring her some tea and light treats to please her hunger. In time, this idea spread throughout the country and has become a staple idea for the Brits, as well as many other Europeans.

Having a someone come in who has experienced this for the majority of their lives and teach us about this tradition was incredible. The only “real tea” I had ever liked was your typical McDonald’s sweet and unsweetened tea. I had never really sat down and made myself a proper cup of tea. So, spending the afternoon at Jo’s Java with Kathie Filby and her British traditions was a completely new experience for me. Firstly, I tried the tea. It was a true black tea, or a British breakfast tea, and like tradition has it, I added some milk to mine, which I had never done before and was a little reluctant at first. However, it exceeded my expectations. I usually do not drink tea for its almost bitter taste, but the milk actually helped in balancing the bitterness with something a little sweet. In addition to the sweetness of the milk, I had a blueberry scone for my afternoon tea treat. I have had a scone before this, but having it with some milky tea made me feel a little bit more proper. What I have not had before was an English biscuit, which most people compare to an American cookie, however they are quite different. American cookies tend to be sweet and soft when English biscuits usually have a harder consistency and texture. For instance, when having the well loved snack of milk and cookies, the cookies tend to become crumbly once dipped into the milk. I found a difference in the English biscuit in that once dipped into the tea, the cookie acquired this soft, warming texture that I absolutely loved.

I can definitely see myself just relaxing in the afternoon with a cup of tea and a sweet treat to push all of my troubles away now since getting to experience a traditional British afternoon tea. It was a nice baby step in becoming more adventurous in my desired food choices, and I cannot wait to experience more as this class continues.

http://www.coffeeteawarehouse.com/tea-history.html

[claytoncc]

#english

The English love their tea. It’s pretty obvious tea time must be at least one of the favorite times of the day for 75% of English people. I came in to this class knowing nothing about tea and having only ever tried fake tea (the American, sweet kind) and some weird really bland tasting kind I got at the Japanese tea gardens in San Francisco.  I can say now that I definitely know a lot more about it.  

Tea was invented by the Chinese.  Mrs. Filby told a story about this.  Apparently there was a lord, or lord equivalent in china, who was sitting under a tree while his servant boiled some water. While the water was boiling, some leaves fell into it.  They found this out and out of curiosity tried the water and found that they liked it.  Then I guess they spread the word and next thing the knew they had started the newest and longest fad they had ever experienced.

We learned about 5 different kinds of tea, black, green, red, white, and oolong.  Black tea is the most popular kind.  Known for its less bitter taste compared to the other four. The leaves are crushed so they can oxidate.  This causes the more bitter chemicals to become less bitter.  Second, green tea. This type is more common in the east than in the west. It is very close to black tea but with the one difference that they stop the oxidation of the leaves half way. This causes them to be a little more bitter but also have a different taste. It also isn’t as flavorful. Red tea is a little confusing. We didn’t talk much about it but it appears that most types have a more earthy taste. White tea is one step further than black and green. It has no oxidation and so is a lot more bitter but also “naturally sweet”.  Finally oolong, the strangest of all the names. This tea is in between green and black. It’s not as strong as black but seems to be more of a flowery tea than anything else.

The English typically drink their tea in the morning or the afternoon but truthfully any time is a good time for tea.  It is typically served with a biscuit of some kind or a scone. The biscuit is a very hard, cookie-like snack that is dipped into the tea and then eaten. Scones are a little more unique. They are a bread, almost pastry, that is very close to a dessert. I think of them as little triangle shaped muffins that are slightly drier. Tea is also served with either sugar or milk in it.  More traditionally it is served in a cup with a small plate under it.  Then another small plate with a napkin is on top of that for your biscuits and scones. People on the other hand do tend to use mugs more than tea cups nowadays.

https://blog.udemy.com/kinds-of-tea/

[captainbgraves-blog]

Day one of cuisine and culture!! We got to start our class with taking some time on the English tradition of tea. We had it during traditional time which was 3. I had the pleasure of trying English breakfast tea. When we had the tea we learned about the rich history of tea. I learned that tea actually originated from China and not Britain. We learned that tea has a common battle that occurs. It’s weather you put milk in before the tea or after. I learned also that there is fake tea. It’s tea leaves that aren’t actually real tea but from the wrong type of tree. Today I picked after because it seemed more logical to me lol. Tea is big in that part of the world and even in the us. The us were the inventors of the tea bag which was crazy to me. They say the best way to make tea is with the tea leaves and not the bag. You have to make sure the water is boiled to the right temperature then it’s good to add in the tea whether u put milk in before or after. Although tea isn’t my favorite drink I still had a good expierence of English tradition with friends and classmates.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/history-and-types-of-british-tea-435180

[i-fly-xwings-blog]

English Tea Time~

[theyeatwhatblog]

English Tea

[middlelunde-blog]

DELOY

Deloy, this is only a test.

[psychoticcrepe-blog]

English tea at Greenville

I am not typically a tea drinker. But I have many friends who do drink tea because of England and Asian countries. Many friends have offered to hold tea parties with other friends because they enjoy spending time with their friends while drinking tea. I have not typically gone to these types of events, but I am starting to try to taste new types of food. I recently had black tea with the First Lady on “Filby” day, so I was excited to try it again and learn how about the English culture.

           I was shocked to discover that afternoon tea and high tea were not made into traditions until the late 19thcentury. This tradition started with Anne, who was the seventh Duchess of Bedford. She would want to eat a small meal in between her lunch and dinner since they were so far apart from each other. She would ask for a little snack and some tea to soothe her appetite until dinner.  Tea was expensive and was considered to be a luxury. It was also a luxury to have the pastry that typically went along with the tea. If a person could afford these luxuries, they would try to participate in it as much as possible. The working class would also try to participate in this luxury as much as they could. Instead of calling it afternoon tea, the working class would call it High tea. The difference is that high tea is served at what we would consider being a dinner table, rather than a low table. The reason for this is that working class families would have high tea as a replacement for lunch and dinner. To get tea, workers would have to have it smuggled into the country. This tea was often tampered with to make it appear fresh.  As for the snacks, the working class would make pies and have meat instead. There were not as many etiquette rules for high tea.

 The tea at the tea party was a black tea. I have never been a huge fan of black tea before the tea party. I never cared for the bitter taste, which is due to the fact that tea is supposed to be brewed for 4 minutes or more. For black tea, water is supposed to be served at a boil. I never heated my water to a boiling point, mainly because I never had the patience for it. Traditionally the tea is also supposed to be served in a hot tea pot, as it helps with the process of brewing the tea. I don’t have a tea pot, so I pour my water into a mug. That did not take away from my experience of the tea. Overall, I found the tea that we had yesterday to be good. The only way it would have been made better was by brewing the tea longer. I found my tea to still be bitter, so I did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would.  I also enjoyed hearing about how tea time was used as a social gathering. I got to socialized to some of my new classmates and the first lady. I would love to have tea again and try some of the First Lady’s peach tea.

=D�R�

[sarabrewer1-blog]

English questions

1. Why is 3 - 5 pm the regular time for tea

2. Why does the English serve their tea with milk

3. Why did the britians not start using tea bags until 1970s

https://www.tea.co.uk/tea-a-brief-history

[kamyraaa16-blog]

English Questions

1. So, are raising pinkies while drinking tea not a thing in the English country? 2. Since having tea in the English country seems to be kinda fancy, is there a certain way you are suppose to dress? 3. Since there is a wrong way and a right way to make tea, is there a wrong and right way to stir it? http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/blog/the-afternoonteacouk-team/afternoon-tea-etiquette-top-10-do's-don'ts/

[itssavagecabbage-blog]

English Teatime Review

By: Maggie Schoepke

Nothing can please me more than a good cup of tea. Whether it be green, black, white, or oolong, this girl has to have her fix of a brew at least once a day. Some might even go as far as to say I favor the warm drink as much as my British neighbors. Based on my English Teatime experience as of late, I would have to agree.

My Cuisine and Culture class met together today for the first time at Jo’s Java. It was there that Kathy Filby, Greenville College’s First Lady, keyed us in on the important history behind and the culture within English Teatime. Specifically, the occasion we participated in can commonly be referred to as Afternoon Tea or “low tea” because of the traditional style of sitting at that time of day (between 3 and 4 pm). Before we were informed as to all that occurs in such a setting, Kathy quizzed us on our knowledge of tea in general, including but not limited to questions as to whether tea came from Britain or China and if it was the Americans or the British that could be attributed to the ever-convenient invention of tea bags. Considering what little I know about both Britain and China, I would say I did not do half bad!

After the “Teatime Teaser,” as Kathy called it, we got into the good stuff. She informed us that tea did indeed originate in East Asia, its domestication going back as far as 2000 BC! It was also mentioned that although Britain is often associated with a high level of tea consumption, it was the Portuguese and those that lived in the Indonesian island of Java that first adopted the drink and brought it back to the UK and the rest of Europe. Considering the name of the Coffee Shop we were dining at, I would say this was a pretty nifty fact!

Once the history behind the tea was explored, Kathy moved onto the culture within. She showed us a clip of how to get the best flavor out of a cup of tea and a video concerning the great debate as to whether milk or tea should be the first choice in a traditional British blend. As my friends and I gathered around the table, we found ourselves more than just enjoying a nice cup of tea. With all the comfort of a typical English setting, I sipped in delight at a drink that in itself was flavored strongly, but compared to the many green and fruit teas I was accustomed to, was actually rather bland. Such a delicate balance of basic ingredients ensures that English tea is a drink I will soon return to, and in light of the remarkable health benefits the tea’s many tannins hold, I plan on also recommending it to my both my friends and my family in the coming future!

All together, the experience was certainly something I will never forget. While I only participated in just a taste (quite literally) of British culture, my palette has been wet, and I cannot wait to see what a new day and a new culture holds for me and my ever-hungry classmates!

https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HighTeaHistory.htm

[bjwhit]

Depending on where you live or where you were born, tea time may be sipping it out of a sealed mug in the morning during your commute to work, or setting aside a specific time every day to casually sip out of fine china while conversing with friends, family, or neighbors, in a fashion that may be known as more traditional.

Unfortunately here in the United States, traditional teatime is rare or nonexistent as a result of society’s fast paced lifestyles and inability to generally place time aside for bondage with genuine company. Egos and the love of money may also be blamed for our lack of this traditional.

This disables many individuals in the states whenever they travel or whenever they simply have an experiencing with a culture who has a traditional teatime as a way of life. Bruce Richardson, a historian that specializes in British tea, states in the High Tea, Afternoon Tea, Elevenses: English Tea Time For Dummies article, “The Ritz-Carlton staff in London always can tell it's an American when they call for high tea at 2 in the afternoon” and continues on to state, “Keep those pinkies down! Americans in the Ritz's tea room stand out because they work so hard to keep their pinkies extended while holding their teacup. It makes you look pretentious.” In other words, don’t be an ignorant fool.

So here are some things to know if tea time for you is nontraditional, if you’re to ever have tea in Britain, as well as many parts of Europe, Asia, etc. or just simply learning about how a culture lives by the teacup daily…

1. History

Although many may think it, the British did not discover tea. Tea was first discovered by the Chinese emperor and herbalist Shennong in 2737 BCE. Tea would eventually make it’s way to Britain from the island of Java. For more click here.

2. Types of Teas

The four (popular) types of tea consists of, green, black, white, and oolong tea. These teas are all unique in their own light based off what’s in them, how they taste, cultures they’re highly associated with, as well the way they are prepared. For more about types of teas click here.

3. Tea Times

Elevenases: This is commonly known as a late-morning work break tea time involving a light snack such as muffins, biscuits or stones.

Afternoon Tea: This is traditionally associated with more of a fancy affair, occurring in the late afternoon such as 4 p.m. since dinner would traditionally be no earlier than 7:30 p.m. for upper classes.

High Tea: Often more casual, high tea originated with the lower classes. Because dinner would often be midday for many of the lower class and they didn’t have time for a tea break at work, this tea time normally occurred during dinner. It’s thought that the name comes from the fact that tea was normally served at a proper/higher settings during dinner rather than couches and settees for lower classes. For more about tea times click here.

Hopefully, after reviewing this short post you have acquired enough knowledge of tea and tea times that you can respectfully and successfully have tea time in a more traditional fashion if you don’t already do so.

[pnlr7]

English Tea Time Questions

1. Where does Tea Time take place in ones home? 2. Who is able to participate in Tea Time? 3. What kind of tea is used during Tea Time? http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/information/what-is-afternoon-tea/

[themattcollective-blog]

English

1. Why do people dress up for tea in england?

2. why all the emphasis on manners?

3. what started the stereotype of the extended pinky?

http://www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/taste/tea.shtml