Registration of new members is currently closed. Guestbook opened for now.  Guests who have questions may post at our guestbook.  No lengthy debates please. Kindly note: MV is a place for serious learning through mutual consultation where we have zero tolerance for trouble-makers, narcissists and needless disputants. We simply stand for what is compatible with the Noble Quran regardless of titles such as "traditionalism" or "modernism." We have the right to our opinion just as you have the right to yours. All disagreements must be left at that. Final Judgement belongs to The Almighty.
MUSLIM VILLA - QURAN ONLY
March 18, 2024, 10:13:08 pm
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
 
  Home Help Search Arcade Gallery Links Staff List Calendar Login Register  

Story of Tea

+-
Shoutbox
November 01, 2023, 03:44:32 pm Zainab_M: Allahhuma ameen .. ameen.
November 01, 2023, 03:43:43 pm Ruhi_Rose: Yes .. making lots of dua everyday ..... watching those real life video clips, my face feels wet with tears all the time.  May ALLAH grant the best to these wonderful, brave & steadfast martyrs,  Ameen ya Allah.
November 01, 2023, 03:38:26 pm Zainab_M: Keep praying, praying a lot for Gaza. It's worse than a prison .. it's a concentration camp.  Children as young as 10 or 11 are having to care for their younger siblings ages 2, 3 and 4 becoz many have lost both parents.  It's a very, very, very tearful situation there.
October 26, 2023, 03:40:19 pm N. Truth Seeker: Don't forget to look up MV Blog Zainab's Lounge for our Gaza updates.
October 20, 2023, 04:24:44 pm Zainab_M: Right sister Heba.  Gaza hospital bombing has the fingerprints of Israel all over it.  For Israel this is no big crime.  They have done this and much worse many times in the past and intend to do the same and worse many more times in near future.
October 20, 2023, 04:20:20 pm Heba E. Husseyn: Catching Zionist lies isn't hard. Soon after Gaza hospital bombing killing and maiming hundreds, Israel was quick to accuse Islamic Jihad of a misfired rocket.  That didn't sound plausible because IJ does not have such sophisticated bombing devices.  Zionist lie was fully exposed when anglican archbishop of Jerusalem,Hosam Naoum,  said today that 3 or 4 days prior to boming Israel had warned Gaza hospital to evacuate. Yet CIA claims in its flawed analysis that the rocket did not come from Israel.  But conveniently does not explain how Israel could have known 4 days earlier that a "misfired" rocket from IJ was coming.  Yet on the basis of this flawed & bias analysis of CIA, Biden is comforting Israel he believes Israel didn't do that war crimes bombing.
July 29, 2023, 03:02:07 am Zainab_M: Yesterday was Ashura, Muharram 10, 1444 (July 27, 2023).  Read about this very tragic day and details of the world's greatest 7th century revolutionary: WHO WAS HUSSEIN.
June 28, 2023, 09:48:39 am Zainab_M: Walaikum As Salaam.  This was the first Hajj open to all after the pandemic. It was attended by 2.6 million Muslims.
View Shout History
Pages: [1]   Go Down
  Send this topic  |  Print  
Author Topic: Story of Tea  (Read 4764 times)
0 Members and 4 Guests are viewing this topic.
Heba E. Husseyn
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA Villa Artisan
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4968



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« on: May 08, 2009, 02:24:02 pm »



STORY OF TEA  




After the popular one, Story of Coffee , it's unfair to ignore tea - a beverage that isn't trailing too far behind in popularity.  Though its history isn't as glamorous as that of coffee, it's interesting enough.

The tradition of tea drinking in gatherings of all kinds is an ancient one.  No one really knows for sure how it started, except that it started from the East.  It can be formal or informal, on business occasions or celebrations, or simply for relaxation and nutrition.    

A silly legend concocted by some Chinese emperor around 2,000 years BC says that tea was invented when leaves accidentally blew into his pot of boiling water.  Of course this is just a myth.

Where is tea grown?  

Tea is only grown in places with damp tropical climate that are slightly hilly and receive very heavy rainfall each year.  Tea is usually grown on the slopes.    The places where tea plantations are cultivated include the regions China, India, Ceylon (or Srilanka as its called at present), Taiwan and Japan.  

History of tea in Europe / Britain / Ireland  

Tea was introduced in Europe and Britain in the 1600s, after the introduction of coffee from the Middle-East, when Asian trade routes were carved out, primarily by the British East India Company.   During this era, tea leaves were very expensive in Europe and Britain.  It was considered a luxury and was kept locked in boxes.  Only the wealthy could afford it.  Thus, the culture of drinking tea became a status symbol.  Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II introduced the ritual of tea-drinking to the English Royal Court and the habit was soon adopted by the aristocracy.

It was as late as the Victorian era when tea became a commodity, followed by the grand tea rituals - tea with the tea time snack - originally designed by the British, was a way of fighting off hunger pains.  The ritual of afternoon tea came about when business etiquettes began being considered important during the late 19th century.  

The first tea shop for ladies was opened by Thomas Twining in 1717 and slowly tea shops began to appear throughout England making the drink available to everyone.

The British further developed their love of tea during the years of the British Empire in India.

The very interesting history of 'high tea'  

This started from England.  I quote from an old email I received from a relative some months ago.  Enjoy the read!  

Quote ----  

History of 'high tea' in Britain  

The modern tea ritual’s roots lie with a subject of Queen Victoria. Anna, the 7th duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) was a lady in waiting to the Queen. She traveled extensively across Europe and was quite educated and worldly for her time. The wealthy noble’s of the day would eat a big breakfast, a small lunch, and a grand supper at nine in the evening. To counteract what Anna called a “sinking feeling” late in the afternoon she began asking her servants to bring tea with small cakes and pastries to her boudoir. This “snack” was cause for much speculation and interest in Queen Victoria’s court. Anna began sharing the small meal with her friends. She would send out invitations and receive the ladies in her dressing room. Victoria caught wind of the idea and quickly fell in love with it, so much so that a tradition was born. By the late 1840’s the Queen was having formal dress afternoon teas daily. These never lasted past 7pm because one needed ample time to change clothing in preparation for supper at 9pm. What a tough life those nobles lead!
 
What started as a leisure ritual for the wealthy quickly caught on as essential with the working class. At 5 p.m., immediately following work, the middle class would partake in “family tea”. The advent of gas lighting brought on longer work days. Breakfast was eaten before the sunrise and a light portable snack was consumed for lunch at one’s work station. As per the rules of etiquette, supper wasn’t served until 8 p.m. The eight hours between lunch and supper were tough for a working man to handle. Tea quickly became a wonderful compromise. “Meat tea” or “High tea”, as it was called because of the standard table height where it was partaken, became the modern day dinner.  The late meal was dropped all together because a meat tea quickly consisted of that as well as potatoes, vegetables, breads, sweets, and of course tea.  Tea was the foundation of the evening ritual because it tasted so good that it made the bland foods eaten by the lower classes nicer to consume.
 
By the late Victorian era, afternoon tea was again mostly a pastime of the idle rich. It fulfilled the purposes of socializing, event planning, introductions, informal business meetings, as well as a perfect platform for gossip which was a major pastime of the day. This 4 p.m. tea ritual became known as “Low tea” because it was served in the low point of the afternoon.  Tea fare included many items.  Elaborate bite sized sandwiches that were recently made popular by the Earl of Sandwich (That's how the common and modern 'sandwich' got its name Smiley )  as well as a plethora of sweets and pastries were incorporated into these afternoon events. Certain foods became popular during each season of the year. Fruit and berries were eaten in the spring and summer while heavier starch items were reserved for the colder months.  
 
Trays of different items were placed all over the sitting room were tea was served. This allowed the guests to mingle through out the early evening. The Victorians called a tea service a tête-à-tête (introducing a new vocabulary). This consisted of a teapot, sugar bowl, and a cream pitcher. So many contraptions were invented for the single purpose of tea consumption, such as sterling silver items like the berry scoop and bun warmer. Boiling water was often brought around by servants at regular intervals to replace the cooling water in the teapots. What started out with basic bread and butter items eventually turned into a full blown gourmet “snack”.
 
The female wardrobe even expanded to include a new more revealing dress, the 'tea gown.'

[/URL][/img]

Tea Gowns, or ‘teagie’ as contemporary slang termed them, were a significant part of a woman’s arsenal. It was the definitive item that radiated whether a Lady was fashionable, racy, or frumpy. It allowed a perfect place for the Kimono inspired Asian fashions of the late Victorian age to be tested out. By the early Edwardian period a lady’s teagie wardrobe consisted of her most exquisite and expensive fashion items.
  
Unquote ----
 

Types of tea  

There are currently almost 1,500 different varieties of tea. They all vary in style, taste and color.   This includes Indian tea, North Indian tea (a.k.a. Darjeeling tea), East Indian tea (a.k.a. Assam tea), Ceylon tea and China tea.  

The ones that are most popular are Persian tea, South Asian tea, English tea, Chinese tea, herbal tea and the American iced tea.  Each of these are better known as styles of tea, because they all have their own traditional ways of serving.    

Herbal tea and iced tea are of course are not considered the real "tea" by tea experts.  These are any edible plant or spice that can be steeped in water and consumed.  These are derived only from the Camellia sinensis plant.  Examples of herbals are rooiboos, peppermint, chamomile, or rose.  Iced tea is generally made with these.  It can also be made with the regular black tea.  Just steep it on the strong side and then add ice. Though some dislike it, some find it a refreshing drink in summer.

Preparing tea

Everyone has an opinion on how to make a ‘proper’ cup of tea. The first ingredient must be leaf tea. Not tea bags and certainly not powder. Only black tea is considered real for a cup of tea in Britain. Black tea is the dried and fermented leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.  

The commonest way of preparing and drinking tea is with milk and sugar.  But there are variations - black tea with no sugar, black tea with sugar, tea and milk without sugar, black tea with honey, tea and milk with honey, black tea with a dash of lemon juice and so on. Muslims in Middel-East and South Asia also flavor their tea (milk and sugar) with pinch of saffron or a few cardamom seeds or both.    

It is very important to use clean filtered water.  This makes the tea taste good and also helps provide a healthier cup of tea.

Enjoying Tea in modern days  

As tea connoisseurs would say, enjoying one's cup of tea is a lot more than just drinking it.  A huge part of the enjoyment involves "warming the pot and choosing your favorite china cup."  Tony Turnbull writes in the Times of London "Simply dropping teabags into a mug not only yields an unsatisfying, solitary brew, it spoils the ceremony and anticipation crucial for enjoyment."  Longtime tea fans often love the most rudimentary form of processed tea - the dry rough tea leaves - and use it in the kitchen from scratch to prepare a great beverage.  

Tea is about the relationship of the tea server to the environment, the tea, the teaware, the guest (if there are any), and to himself or herself.  

The kind of tea you are having would determine the teaware you need to use.  For example, Chinese tea would require the use of porcelain teacup and saucer with lid, and Chinese made matte clay teapots.  In Chinese culture, green tea and black tea are made in different color teapots.  For black tea, the teapot needs to be of a darker color.   For drinking English tea - I guess everyone knows what teapots & teacups look like.  Teaware for Persian and South Asian tea aren't too different.  

At a tea room tea party (exclusively tea only), the tea is enjoyed with the conversation and atmosphere.  If alone, the surroundings would play a role in enhancing the relaxation provided to you by your cup of tea - flowers, lamplight, candlelight, starlight, music, books, paintings etc.  Other natural objects like rocks, stones, trees, pinecones, wood, etc. can be used to create beauty and simplicity, which are the hallmarks of real sanctuary in a tearoom.

The British typically serve finger sandwiches as well as condiments for the tea, such as milk or cream, sugar and/or lemon.
 
Chinese typically use no condiments with tea, and during a formal tea party would not usually serve food.  Rather, the focus is on the taste of the teas themselves.  At the same time, informal Chinese and Hong Kong teahouses often serve light small dishes, most especially noodle dumplings filled with shrimp or vegetables.
 
Persian, Middle-Eastern and South Asian tea parties - or the fusion tea parties - would generally include plenty of snacks and food with green or black tea.   Sweets, pastries, sandwiches, pakoras, samosas, chips .. even salads and soups.  The sky is the limit, you can create anything!   Rich and strong South Asian party tea sometimes does not require a tea pot.  Water, tea and milk are combined together in a large saucepan and cooked for a while.  At times pinch of saffron or a few green cardamoms are added for an enhanced and somewhat different flavor.

Benefits of tea  

According to study, black helps to reduce stress and prevents tooth decay.

It's widely thought that sweetening your black tea with honey is healthier than using white sugar.  However, honey isn't carb free either.  It also affects the blood sugar and not every believes that it's not injurious for the teeth.  But rest assured, black tea with honey tastes great!

Some people also like drinking their black tea with a dash of lemon juice.  It gives black tea a very zesty herbal touch and those on a sugar-free diet will love it.  But do remember that while fresh lemon juice is very healthy, its regular intake with tea can cause erosion to the teeth in the course of time.  That's because lemon juice is highly acidic.

Most importantly, tea is known to have anti-oxidants that help prevent certain types of cancer.  According to a BBC report "antioxidants in tea offer protective benefits against cancers of the stomach and oesophagus (gullet)."

Something to remember  

Last but not least, also remember that latest findings suspect that regularly drinking piping hot tea (or any steaming hot beverage for that matter) can promote cancer of the oesophagus because of thermal injury.   Second warning, don't become a tea addict.  Tea is the category of oxalate food and too much of it can lead to stone in the kidney.  Up to two or three cups a day is fine.  Try not to go beyond that.

Report Spam   Logged

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Ruhi_Rose
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA The Avid Reader | Mom of 3 cute rascals
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6271



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2009, 05:57:45 pm »



How interesting!  Pakistan and Afghanistan have borrowed the British style of tea-drinking, mostly tea with milk and sugar, or black tea with sugar or tea with milk without sugar .... even the practice of snacking with tea which is so common in Pakistan.  I wonder if that's taken from the English or did the English take it from them when they had their empire across the sub-continent?  But among the Brits, it's fun to read how the culture of tea drinking has evolved in just 500 years.  


Report Spam   Logged

Heba E. Husseyn
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA Villa Artisan
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4968



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2009, 02:07:33 pm »



I think the Brits borrowed the trend of snacking with tea from Pakistanis & Afghans.  Brits are great copy-cats but try to show that others copy them.
Report Spam   Logged

Heba E. Husseyn
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA Villa Artisan
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4968



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2009, 02:12:42 pm »



I'm in love with the Persian and Turkish tea joints.  Just my kinda place for a Halal hangout.  

Report Spam   Logged

Zainab_M
TEAM MV Founder
Admin
Hero Member
*
Posts: 6318



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2009, 06:31:57 pm »



MashAllah, what a lovely thread .. Thanks sister Heba.  The story is just so interesting.   Such commodities are a difficult topic to write on, and yet it's nice to see that we've made our tea and coffee outlook / research so interesting.

I too love Iranian and Turkish coffee houses.  Turk coffee houses go back to Ottoman era, that's when the culture originated and the story-tellers in coffee shops.  I would like to write a piece on the culture of coffee house story-telling. 


"Brits are great copy-cats but try to show that others copy them."

lol ,, true.   All across the West it's the same story .... as if everyone is copying them.  They forget everything they stole while colonizing which was the foundation of their culture.

Report Spam   Logged

Ruhi_Rose
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA The Avid Reader | Mom of 3 cute rascals
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6271



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2017, 12:52:33 am »



Salams and hiya folks.  I thought of comin to this thread with a question.  I bought a whistling tea kettle few days ago (tired of using electric tea jugs so my family and I wanted to some traditionalism in the kitchen for a change).  The tea kettle looks great.  But the problem is it won't "whistle"  Sad   Any suggestions why?
Report Spam   Logged

Zainab_M
TEAM MV Founder
Admin
Hero Member
*
Posts: 6318



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2017, 01:08:40 am »



Wa'salaam Sister Ruhi.  I too had the same issue with my whistling tea kettle.  No high pitched squeaks.  But it screams quite a bit now.  I tell what .. first off make sure the cover of the kettle is firmly closed.  Second, never fill the kettle with little water even if you're making just one cup a tea.  It should be at least three-quarters full and allow it to come to a rolling boil.  Third, keep the temperature of the stove above medium.  Try out these suggestions.  InshAllah, it will whistle  Smiley
Report Spam   Logged

Ruhi_Rose
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA The Avid Reader | Mom of 3 cute rascals
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6271



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2017, 01:22:22 am »



Thankoz me Sis  Smiley   Yeah I make sure lid is tightly closed.  But my husband usually fills it half or less over low temperature .. I mean little below medium so the kettle won't stain (though it's stainless steel) and won't take too long to boil.  But lemme try it according to your guidelines.  Will InshAllah let you know.   
Report Spam   Logged

Ruhi_Rose
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA The Avid Reader | Mom of 3 cute rascals
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6271



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2017, 04:32:15 pm »



Presto sis!  Cheesy  Your suggestions worked.  Actually the most important thing is keeping the temperature above medium.  I filled it less than three-quarters, about half but set the heat at one mark above medium .... and yeah, it whistled happily  Grin

My husband and kiddos send you their thanks.  If any day we fill it three-quarters, it would be better to set the stove setting two marks above medium, right?

Btw, what's the logic behind it?
Report Spam   Logged

Zainab_M
TEAM MV Founder
Admin
Hero Member
*
Posts: 6318



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2017, 04:44:36 pm »



Alhumdulilah, great to learn that  Smiley  A warm welcome to your wonderful family, dear Sis.

Yeah, if you fill it more than half, set the stove at 2 points above medium.  I always do when I fill it that much. 

The logic behind it is:  More water means more steam, and more steam means greater its force when it gushes out of the spout.  This is the aspect that makes the whistling sound.  If the steam is little or without much strength, it won't be forceful enough to whistle. Also, the evaporation process begins before the water in the kettle starts to boil furiously.  Thus filling it with little water over low heat will cause much of the steam to evaporate prior to that. Thereafter when the water comes to a full boil, the steam will be too little to cause a squeaky whistle.
Report Spam   Logged

Ruhi_Rose
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA The Avid Reader | Mom of 3 cute rascals
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6271



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2017, 04:56:47 pm »



........
The logic behind it is:  More water means more steam, and more steam means greater its force when it gushes out of the spout.  This is the aspect that makes the whistling sound.  If the steam is little or without much strength, it won't be forceful enough to whistle. Also, the evaporation process begins before the water in the kettle starts to boil furiously.  Thus filling it with little water over low heat will cause much of the steam to evaporate prior to that. Thereafter when the water comes to a full boil, the steam will be too little to cause a squeaky whistle.

Aw!  thankoz again meo sis ... that was sooo informative worth remembering I never thought about before.  Will pass this info to my hubby too. 

Allah bless.

Report Spam   Logged

Heba E. Husseyn
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA Villa Artisan
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4968



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2017, 04:02:58 am »


Wowie!  Thanks to me too for those tips on whistling kettle Smiley  Some day InshAllah I'll need it.  Right now we're into our 2 electric tea jugs.  Got a whistling kettle as gift from my brother during my 14th wedding anniversary 3 yrs ago.  It's still unused, lying in the store cupboard.  Neither my hubby nor me have opened it yet though we plan to every now and then.  InshAllah, maybe let the summer pass and we'll open it in winter.  In winters sound of that squeaky whistle from the kitchen gives an extra cozy touch to the home.
Report Spam   Logged

Ruhi_Rose
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA The Avid Reader | Mom of 3 cute rascals
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6271



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #12 on: August 19, 2021, 09:16:39 am »



👍


Sis Heba, is the kettle still in the box?  😃   Got reminded of it so came here cause we finally had to trash that kettle I mentioned earlier.  It again stopped singing.  My husband bought a new one online.  Let's see what drama ensues from this one .. though I will remember Sister Zeynab's instructions.

Report Spam   Logged

Heba E. Husseyn
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA Villa Artisan
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 4968



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #13 on: August 19, 2021, 09:19:35 am »



heheheee  😁  No, taken out of the box last year.  It's still in good shape.  Does whistle, but I wish it was louder.
Report Spam   Logged

Ruhi_Rose
TEAM MUSLIM VILLA The Avid Reader | Mom of 3 cute rascals
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6271



WWW
Badges: (View All)
« Reply #14 on: August 19, 2021, 09:21:12 am »



👍
Report Spam   Logged


Pages: [1]   Go Up
  Send this topic  |  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Scammers & spammers will be reported | © If you borrow MV contents you must mention our link with hypertext | MV Team is not responsible for comments by members or guests.
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum


Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy