The Origin of High Tea

This article comes from Wikipedia

Tea in England was initially served in coffee houses. Due to high taxation it was expensive, and only affordable for the very wealthy. Despite the cost, tea drinking became widely popular, and tea sellers such as Thomas Twining started selling dry tea, so that ladies who could not frequent the coffee houses could enjoy it.

Tea was very valuable, and was kept by the lady of the house rather than in the care of the housekeeper. It was the lady of the house also who would serve the tea, in imitation of the Japanese tea ceremony.

The following is disputed, and may in fact be an urban legend:
Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford had the idea of asking her butler to bring tea, bread and butter to her chambers at 5 o'clock, as she found herself hungry before dinner, and soon started inviting her friends to join her in her sitting room for this new social event. Eventually, the beverage tea became generally affordable and the growing middle class imitated the rich and found that the meal tea was a very economical way of entertaining several friends without having to spend too much money, and afternoon tea quickly became the norm.

The Legendary Origins of Tea

The story of tea began in ancient China over 5,000 years ago. According to legend, Shen Nung, an early emperor was a skilled ruler, creative scientist and patron of the arts. His far-sighted edicts required, among other things, that all drinking water be boiled as a hygienic precaution. One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling, the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from the near by bush fell into the boiling water, and a brown liquid was infused into the water. As a scientist, the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created. (This myth maintains such a practical narrative, that many mythologists believe it may relate closely to the actual events, now lost in ancient history.)

Read the full story here...

Fun with google

Now that I Blog with google, mail with google, get daily search reports from google and monitor web traffic with google, I'm way more exposed to other google products. Today I was side tracked to a google labs project called google trends. It lets you track trends in search requests and news reporting. The best part is it lets you compare multiple searches. For instance, "green tea" is searched or reported way more than "black" or "oolong" tea. The bad news, "coffee" is searched more than "tea" but "love" is searched way more than "hate"

So, if you need an excuse to web out while enjoying tea at MG here's a guaranteed time waster. I'm going to go try "jesus" vs "mohammed"...

Busy Tea House Action!

Well, it's been a full week since I last had a chance to post. No wonder, the sunny weather has brought out Commercial's sun lovers in droves.

We've been busy icing teas and coming up with all kinds of fun blends. I'm especially pleased with our version of an African classic, Organic Bancha blended with Organic Spearmint make a naturally sweet and refreshing iced tea.

As promised we'll roll out our Summer Menu styles this weekend. Pizzas, which have been on their way out, are being replaced by crepes. We'll run three sweet and three savoury crepes each week as wel as random runs of fresh inspired fillings. Chilled soups will tie down the soup section, this week it's classic chilled borscht with dill yogurt, decadent gazpachos will make frequent appearances as we get heirloom tomatos and outdoor cucumbers. Vichysoise and rich bean soups will round out the suprisingly large range of chilled soup options. Oh! Maybe some dessert soups too!

Our experiments with new style bubble teas have yielded only one true winner so far: Spicy fresh ginger jelly which can be served in iced chais and Organic Lemonade. Speaking of Organic Lemonade we'll roll out four flavour choices this weekend with more to come. Check out the adult taste of Jamaican inspired lemonade served with fresh black pepper and piloncillo, a kind of pure cane sugar. (Yes, it's 100% Columbian cane!)

Orwell's Tea Technique

Here is George Orwell's famous essay in the Evening Standard

http://www.netcharles.com/orwell/essays/nicecupoftea.htm

I disagree strongly with his assertion regarding the addition of sugar. Although I take nearly all tea black, were I wanting too enhance the flavour, or sweeten without ruining it, sugar is what I'd use. Culinarily sugar is considered salts' counterpart. It enhances flavours in food without adding much of it's own distinctive tastes.

As an aside: salt and sugar can be used to cancel each other out in some situations. I have successfully rescued more than one batch of too-salty potatoes with a little sucrose.

Be:Leaf begins

I am extremely excited about the start of our second regular night of entertainment here at MG. After his guest set at Spice Traders last Tuesday, Laurent AKA Spaceman Spliff, clearly demonstrated that he is one of Vancouver's undiscovered talents. I'm looking forward to sets full of innovative trip hop and downtempo from the far leftfield to classics.

With a weekly guest we'll bring a fresh vibe to the Drive. I want to make it known that we don't have to leave our East Van home to catch some fine DJs and performers. There's such a wealth of talent and deep local apreciation for genuine good vibes it seems like more of these events on the Drive should be natural.

Be:Leaf will run every Thursday from 9 - midnight with host Spaceman Spliff and weekly guest. No cover but, please, support your local DJ with a kind (or kine) donation.

Which Comes First: Tea or Milk?

I came across this interesting article from the Globe and Mail and thought you might like it, too.


Questions: How do you think tea is best served? What do you think: should the milk should go in first or last?
Responses:
I really enjoyed your article as I am a self-proclaimed tea expert. Since moving to East Africa in 1971 from Vancouver, BC and first being introduced to tea from the many hotels we lived in, due to the political unrest, I have studied and learned as much as is possible. I have sensitive taste buds and enjoy the varieties grown around the world and have put on classes on afternoon tea and tea tastings and have entertained many a group and museum with a talk on tea's incredible history and folk lore while dressed appropriately in an 1895 period tea gown. You explained that 'high tea' is a commoners' tea which I thank you for as I have had many an argument with ladies professing it to be a classier tea. Even giving the historical background of the classes has rarely helped. Your good reputation will help lend credence to my discussions. Many new books have come out in the last twenty years or on 'tea', but not all have done their research. I'm surprised at how many mistakes have been published. Your article though was top notch. (Afternoon tea is bigger in the States than in Canada, I am ashamed to say. I feel that having closer ties to Britain we should be the North American leaders in preparing and serving tea. Alas, not so.)

Read the full article here...

Welcome to Morning Glory

Organic Strawberrries are in! We have Organic Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie $4 a slice and, Orange White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries $1.50