The world of tea is rich with variety.
Afternoon tea with scones and cucumber
sandwiches in England; kneeling on a tatami rice
mat while awaiting powdered green tea during the
tea ceremony in Japan; diluting a strong cup of
black tea with hot water from a samovar in Russia;
buying a cup of spicy chai tea from a train window
in India; cooling off on a hot summer day with a
clear glass of iced tea in America. In addition to the hundreds of
different types of tea, there are innumerable
customs found in nearly every country around the
world, and with a little familiarity these customs can
enrich your life no matter where you’re from.
First the basics. All tea, including black, oolong,
and green, comes from either Camellia sinensis
var. sinensis (China variety) or Camellia sinensis var.
assamica (Assam variety). Once a tea leaf is picked
it immediately begins to wither and oxidize, much
like a slice of apple turns brown after slicing(many
books incorrectly call this “fermentation”). If the tea
is steamed or dry-fried immediately and then dried,
it becomes green tea. If it is allowed to wither and
oxidize partially and then heated to stop the
oxidation, it becomes oolong tea. If you oxidize the
tea leaf 100 percent, you have black tea. Of
course there are many other factors that affect
flavor, but basically it all comes from one plant.
English Tea: Traditionally, English tea is a full-
bodied black blend, often served with milk and
sugar. Over the past couple of decades, teabags
have, unfortunately, become common in Britain
(P&G and Tetley are especially popular). However,
good English tea requires loose tea. Remember
that “afternoon tea” is served around 4 pm and is
a light meal of sandwiches and cakes, “5 o’clock
tea” is just tea and sweets, and “high tea” is a
working class supper served with tea around 6pm.
The words "high" and "low" refer to the heights of
the tables used.
German Tea: Good quality loose tea has become
popular throughout Europe in recent years,
especially in Germany and France. People in the
northern German state of Ostfriesen consume
more tea per capita than anybody in the world,
and some of the largest tea importers are based in
Hamburg.
French Tea: In Paris, tea salons are now more
numerous than in London, and the emphasis is on
quality, variety, and proper brewing technique.
Unlike England, where tea is an everyday drink,
tea is a special occasion in France and
approached in the same manner as wine. The
most famous tea salon in Paris is Mariage Freres,
which dates back to 1854 and sells around 500
types of tea, including small, muslin tea bags. Of
course the French pay attention to food and tea,
and sweets include the renowned little madeleines
that Proust wrote so about so eloquently.
Russian Tea: Throughout the former Soviet
Union, people still follow the custom of placing a
small pot of very strong black tea ("zavarka") on
top of the samovar (a small tabletop electric water
heater for tea), and pouring some of this tea into a
tea cup, diluting it with hot water from the samovar,
and then adding sugar, or fruit jam to the cup.
Some people scoop a teaspoonful of jam in their
mouths or place a sugar cube in their mouth and
wash it down with tea. Tea is popular in the
afternoon or after the evening meal, and is often
served in a glass held in a silver holder with
handles. Russians often serve their tea in glass
mugs. Most popular are full-bodied black teas from
Assam, Sri Lanka, Kenya, or Vietnam. The smoky
or orange flavored teas non-Russians think of as
"Russian Tea" are not Russian, just Russian-
inspired.
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