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British Tea Culture

Anyone care to explain it?

Coming from West Coast of the United States, it's just not a thing here. Coffee? Yes. Tea? Not so much.

Why are the British so enamored with tea?

And what are the formalities surrounding tea culture in the UK?

Is it similar to tea culture in China and Japan?

I'm thinking of switching from coffee to tea.

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by Anonymousreply 191May 29, 2022 7:38 AM

I'm from the West Coast, and I like hot tea over coffee these days. Usually the black varieties over fruity types - think Irish Breakfast, English Breakfast, Earl Grey. Very good on a cold, Northern California day.

by Anonymousreply 1May 19, 2022 3:06 AM

Tea over ☕️? Ewwww

by Anonymousreply 2May 19, 2022 3:09 AM

[quote]I'm thinking of switching from coffee to tea.

Maybe you should taste it first, just to see if you like it.

by Anonymousreply 3May 19, 2022 3:11 AM

Japanese tea ceremonies are rigid.

I mean, they're actually CERMONIES.

Lots of formalities, and quietness, and being proper and well mannered.

It's nice to experience once in a while, but to have to go through that shit all the time is torture.

I'm guessing that the British basically brew some tea, throw some cookies and scones on a plate, and then relax.

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by Anonymousreply 4May 19, 2022 3:12 AM

I've actually attended a formal tea ceremony in Japan (hosted by the government), and it was the longest, most boring thing ever.

by Anonymousreply 5May 19, 2022 3:14 AM

I am on the west coast and I gave up coffee for English breakfast. PreP and coffee upset my stomach so I switched to tea and never looked back. There isn't the after taste and I put two bags in per cup, so I definitely get a caffeine jolt. Black teas are the most caffeinated. I like PG Tips and Tetley.

by Anonymousreply 6May 19, 2022 3:14 AM

As they say. a nice cup of tea.

by Anonymousreply 7May 19, 2022 3:15 AM

I think they call it a "cuppa" or maybe that's just the poor Brits.

by Anonymousreply 8May 19, 2022 3:17 AM

r6 I do the same thing, either 2 or 3 bags of black tea. A little sugar. Sometimes cream or milk if I'm feeling like it.

One of my favorite Stbx drinks (and I don't go there often) is a London Fog which is basically a tea latte made with Earl Grey. Love it!

by Anonymousreply 9May 19, 2022 3:36 AM

Is this a Greg thread?

by Anonymousreply 10May 19, 2022 3:47 AM

It's a little repast in the middle of the afternoon. It's very nice, but not if it's overdone to the point of pretentiousness. It's like a siesta but you don't get to sleep, you get caffeine and sugar instead.

by Anonymousreply 11May 19, 2022 3:50 AM

During lockdown, I tried to make the the Queen's favorite Chocolate Biscuit Cake. I would lay in bed and drink tea and champagne alone during the holiday 2020. I think Wills had it at their wedding. It's basically a thick chocolate tart with crumbled up McVittie's cookies or biscuits as they say. I messed up the eggs and got the worst diarrhea. It's a non bake and I can't cook.

by Anonymousreply 12May 19, 2022 3:52 AM

[quote] Is this a Greg thread?

[quote] I messed up the eggs and got the worst diarrhea. It's a non bake and I can't cook.

NOW it is!

by Anonymousreply 13May 19, 2022 4:08 AM

I'm on the West coast, but I spent a year in England. There's nothing equivalent to the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Main thing is making sure the water is hot enough--so warm the teapot first, with hot water, then pour out that water and add the tea leaves, then pour on the boiling water (for a black tea) and let it steep, preferably using a tea cozy to keep it warm. The tea is less bitter if made properly. Milk (not cream) is poured in the cup first then the tea is added. (Though I've heard that there's some debate on this.) I don't bother with sugar, but whatever.

While the Brits drink tea all day, there are two kinds of main afternoon teas--the kind with little sandwiches or scones or cakes and the the later type which is basically a supper--more in the north of England.

There's something just right about a cup of tea with a couple of digestive biscuits when you've been caught in that miserable chilly rain that England gets. In June.

by Anonymousreply 14May 19, 2022 4:08 AM

R14 = Iola Boylen

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by Anonymousreply 15May 19, 2022 4:14 AM

So, are we here to spill the tea or drop it?

by Anonymousreply 16May 19, 2022 4:16 AM

Am on the West Coast and have experienced English-style "tea culture" in current or former British Commonwealth countries like Canada, New Zealand, Fiji, and Australia, as well as "high tea" at twee US restaurants and hotels. Am NOT an expert! But what I have experienced is basically an afternoon "coffee break" but with tea (sometimes coffee!) cake, cookies, or scones and maybe little cucumber sandwiches served in the afternoon at around 3:00pm that lasts about half an hour. It is social. It is delightful. People perk up with their afternoon caffeine and sugar rushes. Whereas some countries I've visited sometimes have two hour lunches with a huge meal and maybe a nap (France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Mexico), the Commonwealth countries have a late afternoon break instead. It's really a thing. On an afternoon flight between Sydney and Cairns, Australia, I was not expecting any meal service, when at exactly at 3:00pm, giant slices of pound cake and tea were offered to everyone, who seemed to have been expecting it. Passengers stopped looking at their movies or computers and became chatty during tea. It was like a short party onboard. Air New Zealand did something similar, but also offered wine and sandwiches. Hotels in these countries would put out cake and tea, and sometimes coffee (for Americans, I thought) at around 3:00pm. So civilized! Also, I stayed at several eldergay-owned BnB's in New Zealand and the owners would put out sweets and tea and sit with you and chat/gossip for 30 minutes. It seemed almost expected that you'd return "home" from your busy touring day to have a cuppa with the hosts, but maybe that's because I had a firm bubble butt when I was there 20 years ago?

by Anonymousreply 17May 19, 2022 4:17 AM

[quote] I had a firm bubble butt

Was that the giant slices of pound cake that were offered to everyone?

by Anonymousreply 18May 19, 2022 4:19 AM

[quote] maybe little cucumber sandwiches served in the afternoon

Yum. Do you have a recipe for this?

[quote] at exactly at 3:00pm, giant slices of pound cake and tea were offered to everyone, who seemed to have been expecting it. Passengers stopped looking at their movies or computers and became chatty during tea. It was like a short party onboard

That's so cute!

by Anonymousreply 19May 19, 2022 4:22 AM

Uhh actual ceremonies in real time please

by Anonymousreply 20May 19, 2022 4:23 AM

"Would you like a nice cuppa, luv?"

by Anonymousreply 21May 19, 2022 4:25 AM

That Japanese tea ceremony is something that even people in Japan don't experience very often. IIRC, matcha tea is served (the bitter tea made from matcha powder).

I worked in an office in Japan and they drank loose green tea (leaves). There were big urns / thermoses in the break room w/a pump on top. You put some loose tea in a small mesh strainer (over your cup), go over to the thermos pump and pump some hot water over your tea. Let it steep a while then lift out the strainer.

No sugar, no milk.

by Anonymousreply 22May 19, 2022 4:34 AM

r19, for tea sandwich recipes, look no further than the DL's own favorite twink, Nicholas Fairford on his Youtube blog.

by Anonymousreply 23May 19, 2022 4:34 AM

In one of the hotels I stayed at in Japan, the compact room had an electric kettle to boil hot water, and packets of instant, powdered green tea, which I'd never seen before. I became addicted to it by the time I got home to the US.

by Anonymousreply 24May 19, 2022 4:41 AM

Here's proper tea etiquette in Japan.

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by Anonymousreply 25May 19, 2022 4:44 AM

My Indian friend made us Holy tea like his mum does in Kerala. They put the tea pot on the stove with water and milk and boil the hell out of it. That was a joke.

by Anonymousreply 26May 19, 2022 5:00 AM

I won't big cock with my tea and the Japanese cannot deliver that like the Brits can. I'll stick with my British tea, thank you very much!

by Anonymousreply 27May 19, 2022 5:31 AM

While I'll happily eat scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, toast, lemon curd, little open-faced smoked salmon sandwiches and digestives with my tea, I've never quite understood cucumber sandwiches. I've followed instructions on making them, had them with British brown bread, but the combination of soft bread, butter and cukes just seems kind of strange to me.

Does anyone have a recipe for a great cucumber sandwich? Or at least an idea on what makes a good cucumber sandwich?

by Anonymousreply 28May 19, 2022 5:32 AM

R28 Knock yerself out! I make them without the mint.

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by Anonymousreply 29May 19, 2022 5:35 AM

R28, I’ve had some good cucumber sandwiches made with soft white bread and blue or Gorgonzola cheese.

by Anonymousreply 30May 19, 2022 5:36 AM

Also, try to get the thin-skinned, skinny cucumbers, ie, Japanese cucumbers. No need to peel and looks nice.

by Anonymousreply 31May 19, 2022 5:38 AM

The difference between green tea and black tea is one of processing and fermentation, the tea leaves come from the exact same plant. Initially the British were enamored of green tea and drank it primarily over black tea. Robert Fortune, a Scottsman, was sent to China as one of the worlds first agents of corporate espionage to steal information about processing of tea and seedlings for the British to build a tea empire in India. While there he noticed that the green tea for export to the UK was being dyed a blue green color because they expected green tea to actually be green in color. The dye they were using contained cyanide. When this information was leaked and Brits found out there was an all out rejection of green tea and a switch to black tea being the dominate choice, which has carried on to the present day.

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by Anonymousreply 32May 19, 2022 6:34 AM

That’s an article, but if you want the full story this is a great book.

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by Anonymousreply 33May 19, 2022 6:36 AM

I woke up an hour ago, here in thundery England (the lightning storms last night were insane!), brushed my teeth and put the kettle on. I've just finished my first cup: black 'regular' tea with a dash of milk, no sugar.

When I start work, I'll have another, probably Assam. And then another, and another... all in cups with tea bags, no tea pot. I might break it up with the occasional coffee.

I tend to only use the tea pot when there's two or more and it's a social thing. I had an afternoon tea on Sunday with my Mum where we had Lady Grey loose tea in Mum's inherited bone China set. She made little sandwiches and I brought scones.

by Anonymousreply 34May 19, 2022 6:53 AM

Thanks R29, R30 and R31, I have the right kind of cucumbers (we grow them). I could definitely go for some gorgonzola, though it's probably very un-Brit to do them that way. I shall try the Buckingham Palace version, even with the mint, since we also grow that, but I'm still not sure cucumber sandwiches make sense, but maybe they're meant for those who can't deal with egg salad . .

by Anonymousreply 35May 19, 2022 7:07 AM

R35 The main event is the tea. Because an afternoon tea is not as strong as a breakfast tea, you want nibblies that don't detract from the flavour/bouquet of the main event, such a cucumber, thin slices of salmon, cress, etc. I would never use a strong cheese such as gorgonzola, as it detracts from the tea.

For the perfect crispy cucumber accompaniment, make sure you get as much moisture as possible out of the cucumbers using paper towel. When there is almost no moisture showing on the paper towel, the cucumber is ready.

by Anonymousreply 36May 19, 2022 7:35 AM

The British like tea because it symbolizes their former control of the world.

by Anonymousreply 37May 19, 2022 3:28 PM

I agree that a cucumber sandwich doesn't really go with butter.

Cucumbers are just too bland to put into a sandwich.

For that matter, why not just make an alfalfa sandwich? Or a lettuce sandwich?

If you want to try something really delicious, make some potato salad and put that in a tea sandwich made with rye bread.

It's really good, and it would go perfectly with a hot cup of tea.

by Anonymousreply 38May 19, 2022 4:54 PM

Here is the Chinese Version:

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by Anonymousreply 39May 19, 2022 5:08 PM

I have tea when I wake up (a standard British tea, PG Tips, strong with milk). Then mid morning I’ll have a coffee (flat white). In the afternoon I’m back on the tea, and in the evening before bed I’ll have a lesbian tea (mint or rooibos).

by Anonymousreply 40May 19, 2022 5:29 PM

I love tea but the word "cuppa" has got to be one of the ugliest in the English language.

by Anonymousreply 41May 19, 2022 5:33 PM

[quote] I agree that a cucumber sandwich doesn't really go with butter.

Another combo I don't understand is radishes and butter.

by Anonymousreply 42May 19, 2022 5:43 PM

We literally can't bear to have a sit-down conversation without it.

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by Anonymousreply 43May 19, 2022 5:46 PM

I'm a Brit from London and we don't really "do" Afternoon Tea any more. It's for tourists. I'm 41 years old and cannot think of anyone I know in all my years in London who's actually gone for Afternoon Tea. They'd be laughed at. It's an archaic idea no-one does these days.

by Anonymousreply 44May 19, 2022 5:49 PM

Why archaic, R44?

Even if it's no longer a custom, there's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking tea in the afternoon.

I think it's the perfect time to take a little break and relax with some Earl Gray.

Just because you don't do it any more, doesn't mean that the practice has stopped.

by Anonymousreply 45May 19, 2022 5:53 PM

R45 It's just not something 'we' do. I can't think of anyone I know who's eaten a cucumber sandwich. I've been at work since the 80s and at no point did anyone stop for 'afternoon tea'. It doesn't exist any more except for Americans who get their ideas about British culture from Downton Abbey.

by Anonymousreply 46May 19, 2022 6:07 PM

tea makes a wonderful enema

by Anonymousreply 47May 19, 2022 6:17 PM

R29/36 Thank you! Now I see what the logic behind a cucumber sandwich is.

R44, My experience with "tea" back in 80s is that people didn't stop working for afternoon tea, but it was something people did when traveling--lots if advertisements for "cream teas" when going to places like Bath. Lots of tea shops in "quaint" villages. Not super fancy, but a pot of tea with a couple of scones or some other such thing. Is that really no longer done?

by Anonymousreply 48May 19, 2022 6:42 PM

R48 It's just not something Brits do any more. We all know about the traditional idea, but Afternoon Tea is almost laughed at. You'll only find it in hotels or other tourist traps. It's always so over-priced and a ridiculous waste of time.

Yes we Brits drink tea but we don't do that Afternoon Tea nonsense.

by Anonymousreply 49May 19, 2022 6:57 PM

Anyone else who doesn't like milk in tea? (coffee, yes)

by Anonymousreply 50May 19, 2022 7:11 PM

[quote]While the Brits drink tea all day, there are two kinds of main afternoon teas--the kind with little sandwiches or scones or cakes and the the later type which is basically a supper--more in the north of England.

There is no second type. They just call their dinner, "tea"

They also call their dessert "pudding". It's just what they do

by Anonymousreply 51May 19, 2022 7:17 PM

I like milk in strong black tea. If the tea is really strong, then half 'n' half.

by Anonymousreply 52May 19, 2022 7:18 PM

I'm with you, R50.

I always drink my tea plain. No milk/cream, and no sugar.

I think that it is best enjoyed by experiencing the natural flavor of the tea.

But I'm not a big sugar person anyway, so...

by Anonymousreply 53May 19, 2022 7:20 PM

Afternoon Tea for Brits is a weekend treat with a relative or friend you haven't seen in a while. It's a holiday experience, not something to do on a daily basis or during work hours.

by Anonymousreply 54May 19, 2022 7:39 PM

Do people in London now prefer a beer or cocktail as an after work beverage?

by Anonymousreply 55May 19, 2022 7:53 PM

Work?

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by Anonymousreply 56May 19, 2022 8:24 PM

R54, That's how I remembered it way back when. I associate having tea with tramping about some National Trust property and then having tea in the tea shop at the place.

I think there may be more of a proper tea thing in some of the former colonies--I saw some fancy tea places in Victoria (reservations required).

Coffee houses in Britain actually pre-date the whole tea thing. The fancy tea era in Britain is actually relatively short--began during the mid Victorian period and was really over, I suspect, with the extended rationing brought on by WWII.

But, hey, you can still get afternoon tea at Claridges for 75 pounds. (Yikes)

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by Anonymousreply 57May 19, 2022 8:37 PM

R14 Milk in First - Miss Manners "Miss Manners refuses to take sides in the chemistry arguments. But if “elegance” is what you are after, whatever that means, she must tell you that certified snobs look down on the MIF folks."

by Anonymousreply 58May 19, 2022 8:54 PM

I've heard that milk-in-first vs. tea-first thing. Supposedly, better-quality teacups could handle the hot tea coming in first, or something like that.

IMO, makes more sense to put the milk and sugar in first. No need to stir afterwards.

by Anonymousreply 59May 19, 2022 10:16 PM

I put the tea in first, so I can better judge how much milk is actually needed. I might need a drop more if the tea is very strong - it's harder to judge if you're a milk-then-tea pourer.

by Anonymousreply 60May 19, 2022 10:48 PM

Of course you put the milk in the tea. In fact, tea is served black with milk and sugar on the side.

by Anonymousreply 61May 19, 2022 11:24 PM

You have to salt the cucumbers first, so that the water doesnt make the white bread soggy.

by Anonymousreply 62May 19, 2022 11:35 PM

Lemon!!!

by Anonymousreply 63May 20, 2022 12:04 AM

I think Americans like the high tea concept for the same reason they like Bridgerton--gracious living minus the racism and snobbiness. It's also a chance to have a British snack that is recognizable as food.

by Anonymousreply 64May 20, 2022 1:46 AM

What is a digestive biscuit? Some magic cookie that helps you digest ?

by Anonymousreply 65May 20, 2022 1:52 AM

Don’t they have arrowroot in them?

by Anonymousreply 66May 20, 2022 1:54 AM

i just learned about this yesterday r65! Apparently, many of what North Americans know as "cookies" had a higher baking soda content, which is known to help with indigestion. Plus they call them biscuits, not cookies in the UK. I don't know if this is true, and if so, if the "higher baking soda content" thing holds true today; maybe a UKer could chime in?

by Anonymousreply 67May 20, 2022 1:56 AM

Tea is both a drink and an event. Tea also means dinner. Tea time is dinner time.

by Anonymousreply 68May 20, 2022 2:09 AM

[quote]Why are the British so enamored with tea?

"Because tea began in Britain as a luxury for the upper classes, it had a reputation in the 18th century as a high-class commodity; however, as prices slowly fell, more people at the middle levels of society had access to it. Accordingly, drinking tea became associated with respectability among upwardly mobile middle-class people.[58] When people drank tea, they were expected to possess certain manners and behave in a particular way.[58] Soon, drinking tea became a domestic ritual among families, colleagues, and friends who were just wealthy enough to afford it, which also increased demand.[48] The association between tea and respectability became so ingrained in both British and Irish culture that it reached a point where it could not go out of fashion.[56] Tea drinking among these groups was also soon considered patriotic."

"Because the British East India Company had a monopoly over the tea industry in England, tea became more popular than coffee, chocolate, and alcohol.[59] Tea was seen as inherently British, and its consumption was encouraged by the British government because of the revenue gained from taxing tea.[60] Unlike coffee and chocolate, which came from the colonies of Britain's rivals in various regions of the world, tea was produced in a single massive colony and served as a means of profit and colonial power.[56][60] Mintz goes so far as to argue that the combination of ritualization and increased production in the British colonies was how tea became inherently British.[61]"

by Anonymousreply 69May 20, 2022 2:51 AM

Source:

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by Anonymousreply 70May 20, 2022 2:52 AM

American here. There's something really nice about the concept of tea. Not a life of leisure, but a break from work with something hot to drink and something nice to eat. Doesn't need to be elaborate.

At one of my restaurant jobs, I opened the restaurant (day time) twice a week. After everything was set up, we'd have some tea and some Marie Lu biscuits. As I got older, I realized there were these Little School Boy biscuits, same as the Marie Lu except with a hunk of chocolate stuck onto it.

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by Anonymousreply 71May 20, 2022 2:59 AM

R71 - those look like the Choco Leibniz biscuits I have in the tin downstairs! Almost more chocolate than biscuit, like the classic Marks & Spencer 'Extremely Chocolatey' range, which is amazing if you're a chocaholic.

R68 - isn't that a Northern thing? 'Tea' is just a drink down here in the SE.

by Anonymousreply 72May 20, 2022 7:05 AM

This doormat queen is the reason.

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by Anonymousreply 73May 20, 2022 7:11 AM

What’s the whole tea cozy thing about, and why has it reached such spectacular heights of kitsch?

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by Anonymousreply 74May 20, 2022 7:35 AM

r74 - to keep the tea hot while the guests enjoy the rest of the tea and company. Tea only stays warm for a certain amount of time while one partakes and converses.

by Anonymousreply 75May 20, 2022 8:05 AM

I wouldn't say there's so much a tea 'culture' as it's not some kind of elaborate ritual or scheduled event, but tea is a very popular way of curing all sorts of ailments in the UK - feel a bit stressed, have a cup of tea - want a natter with someone, do it over a cuppa - head partially severed and bleeding out, stick on a brew and you'll be fine in a few minutes.

It's never been a thing for me - I will have a cup of tea maybe once every few months, I would say the majority of people I know have several per day.

by Anonymousreply 76May 20, 2022 8:58 AM

i come from almost 70% stock UK and a daily tea repast seems so incredibly relaxing, much like many countries have a two hour mid-day break. i don't have many close relatives as my mom and dad were only children, so I don't have any real relatives to help out. This is via 23 and me.

But I kind of tend toward UK culture, tea, etc. I can't wait to spend an extended holiday over there. I've only been 24 hours in London but I really yearn to spend some more time in England, Ireland, Scotland. I feel really drawn to Ireland and the Coast.

by Anonymousreply 77May 20, 2022 9:10 AM

[quote] tea became more popular than coffee, chocolate, and alcohol.

Not sure about that, like...

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by Anonymousreply 78May 20, 2022 9:49 AM

I add a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of red chili pepper to my cucumber sandwiches. I'm probably committing sacrilege in the eyes of our dear Brits, but it just spices things up a little…

by Anonymousreply 79May 20, 2022 9:56 AM

"However, it may have been the wife of King Charles II, two years later, who we have to thank for popularising tea in the UK. In 1662, the newly restored monarch married Catherine of Braganza, the daughter of Portugal’s King John IV. She became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, and, more to the point, she's regarded as starting the tea trend in Britain."

and

"Upon arriving in Portsmouth on 14 May 1662 ahead of her marriage to the king, Catherine asked for a cup of tea. Tea had arrived by this point, but it was rare for anyone to drink it, so none was available - instead, she was offered a small ale. She was already a regular tea drinker, as the drink was already a popular beverage among the aristocracy of Portugal.

The king and queen got married on 21 May, and Portugal provided several ships of luxury items as it had been agreed. One of those items included a chest of tea, the favourite drink of the Portuguese Court. Catherine popularised the drink among British nobility, and subsequently to the wealthier members of society. The invasion of tea in the country had well and truly started"

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by Anonymousreply 80May 20, 2022 10:16 AM

Afternoon tea....

"Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter (some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread) and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her."

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by Anonymousreply 81May 20, 2022 10:17 AM

They shouldn't drink that stuff.

It obviously causes jacked up teefs!

by Anonymousreply 82May 20, 2022 10:21 AM

Drink your coffee!

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by Anonymousreply 83May 20, 2022 10:22 AM

r81 I wonder what sandwiches were called before the earl had his name affixed to them?

by Anonymousreply 84May 20, 2022 11:43 AM

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich likely wasn't first person to have bits of meat between two slices of bread. His fame and position did ensure the thing passed into popular culture with his name.

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by Anonymousreply 85May 20, 2022 12:14 PM

Whoever said younger sons are useless?

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by Anonymousreply 86May 20, 2022 12:15 PM

How funny that OP is perplexed that a country can be addicted to a hot beverage!

by Anonymousreply 87May 20, 2022 1:14 PM

Afternoon tea is an excuse to start drinking early, just like brunch!

by Anonymousreply 88May 20, 2022 1:16 PM

Chinese Tea Culture is more relaxed than Japanese tea culture, but still a bit more structured than British tea culture. I find that the Chinese teas tend to be wonderful on their own. You really don’t need to add milk or sugar to them.

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by Anonymousreply 89May 20, 2022 1:19 PM

I always find it funny when Americans think tea is a fancy affair. It isn’t at all unless you want it to be. Most of the time it is a cup of tea with perhaps a biscuit or a scone, or nothing

. If you have visitors, it is bad manners not to offer them something with their tea.I don’t have a sweet tooth, but I always have something available in case friends come round.

Afternoon tea is a different thing altogether, but it’s for special occasions or for tourists. Claridges is my favourite. When I lived in London I would take visitors there. It isn’t cheap, but it is a real treat to get dressed up and really indulge yourself.

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by Anonymousreply 90May 20, 2022 3:02 PM

Interesting bit of tea trivia: the Portuguese, who were at the vanguard of European exploration, exported tea to the world from the port of Macao, where the Cantonese word for tea was "ch'a" and thus, was first introduced into the English language around 1590 as "cha." In modern Portuguese, the word for tea is "chá," compared to Spanish "te."

The Portuguese' upstart rivals, the Dutch, exported tea from the port of Amoy (Xiamen), and used the local Amoy dialect word "te," pronounced "tay." The Dutch became the chief tea exporters to Europe, supplanting English "cha" or "char" with "tea," originally pronounced "tay."

by Anonymousreply 91May 20, 2022 3:14 PM

R90, tea would cost me £200 there. I need at least 4 glasses of champagne that time of the day.

by Anonymousreply 92May 20, 2022 6:56 PM

"How funny that OP is perplexed that a country can be addicted to a hot beverage"

Interesting that across much of Europe drinks made with boiled water (coffee, tea), beer, lager, ale, cider, or wine were consumed in vast quantities back in old days over water.

This was centuries before Pasteur and others linked filthy water to diseases like typhoid with certainty. Some people just put two and two together and while not knowing exactly why water from local sources made people ill.

Thing is humans need to consume water, otherwise dehydration sets in, and if that goes on long enough and is severe, death will follow.

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by Anonymousreply 93May 20, 2022 9:15 PM

Coffee was drunk in Europe long before tea, but early on it was often foul swill. People did not realize you don't make coffee with boiling water or boil the beverage. That and methods to filter hadn't yet been perfected.

Tea OTOH is far more forgiving of being made with boiling water, and you can filter it while pouring into a cup or other vessel.

by Anonymousreply 94May 20, 2022 9:18 PM

R93 Most people don’t realize the whole Johnny Appleseed thing was about making hard cider, the apples at that time were all but inedible, but you needed something to drink on the frontier that didn’t kill you.

by Anonymousreply 95May 20, 2022 9:23 PM

I find tea insipid. I'm a coffee drinker and like it very strong.

If I had to have tea you'd better bring out some petit fours on those tiered serving platters and with tiny sandwiches, goddammit.

by Anonymousreply 96May 20, 2022 9:35 PM

r96 - that's exactly what we're talking about :)

by Anonymousreply 97May 20, 2022 9:39 PM

As a GERD sufferer, tea is a necessity. As a Brit, it's a non-negotiable.

by Anonymousreply 98May 20, 2022 9:41 PM

[quote] I find tea insipid. I'm a coffee drinker and like it very strong.

It's hard to find / make tea that's strong enough. You've got to use a ton of tea.

When I lived in Japan, the coffee shops served really good "milk tea" or "miruku tea." Strong black tea with cream (served hot).

by Anonymousreply 99May 20, 2022 9:46 PM

R91 very interesting. We still call it "thee", pronounced "tay" !

by Anonymousreply 100May 20, 2022 9:57 PM

R14, the milk NEVER goes first. Tea is the most important element and what ultimately lends the drink its characteristic flavour, so those who appreciate it always pour tea first and then, incorporate either milk or cream and sugar to taste. Since good quality tea is more expensive than either milk or cream, adding tea first and in larger quantities it is a way of indicating one's status. It also signals that one is refined enough to be able to perceive the unique flavour of the tea.

Vulgar people who couldn't care any less about the flavour (and quite possibly, cannot afford good quality tea), add the milk in first because it's cheaper and moreover, they are porbably not very concerned about the final flavour. To them, it's just a matter of habit.

That is why pouring the tea first is much more important.

by Anonymousreply 101May 20, 2022 10:07 PM

Outside of USA such as UK, much of Europe, etc.. a biscuit is some sort of flat unleavened baked good resembling what Americans would call "crackers" or "cookies".

Quick breads (category that includes American biscuits) took off after baking soda was invented in USA. Other countries such as Scotland and Ireland also had quick breads, but used other substances for leavening.

Baking powder revolutionized both home and commercial baking as it required less skill to produce quick breads (hence their name) than traditional things leavened with yeast.

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by Anonymousreply 102May 20, 2022 10:31 PM

Quick breads...

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by Anonymousreply 103May 20, 2022 10:33 PM

As others posters have pointed out, but most people ignore, tea culture was introduced in Britain by the Portuguese princess Catherine of Bragança.

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by Anonymousreply 104May 20, 2022 11:09 PM

Brough of Queens in NYC is apparently named after Queen Catherine of Braganza

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by Anonymousreply 105May 20, 2022 11:32 PM

Queens County was named after Queen Catherine of Braganza, Kings County (Brooklyn) was named after her husband, King Charles II, and Richmond County (Staten Island) was named after Charles' illegimate son, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond.

by Anonymousreply 106May 21, 2022 12:07 AM

Bronx was named after some farmer who did a big land grab.

by Anonymousreply 107May 21, 2022 12:39 AM

The British have Stockholm syndrome over tea.

by Anonymousreply 108May 21, 2022 1:00 AM

It is the nature of biscuits to be dry, and these were biscuits to the core..

by Anonymousreply 109May 21, 2022 1:10 AM

Cake is rarely seen in the best houses nowadays, and sugar is no longer fashionable.

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by Anonymousreply 110May 21, 2022 1:15 AM

So, are they responsible for that whole “Spill the Tea” stuff?

by Anonymousreply 111May 21, 2022 1:29 AM

Generally prefer tea with dessert or when having something after dinner or late evening. First thing in morning and throughout day though have to have my coffee.

As wont to happen as one ages find coffee later in day, especially evening or at night too close to bedtime causes acid reflux and or heartburn. First time it happened was woken from a sound sleep by what can only be described as feeling like a 400lb gorilla was jumping on my chest.

After few of those spoke with my quack who informed me it was coffee and other triggers that was causing issues, so knock it off.

There was a time could hang out all night with friends at a diner, eating and having several cups of coffee, go home and sleep like a baby. Those days are long gone....

Tea also works my nerves less later in day so can fall asleep. If have even one cup of coffee too late in day, either won't be able to sleep, and or cannot remain so whole night.

by Anonymousreply 112May 21, 2022 1:30 AM

My mum is British (I grew up in LA) and we had tea time after school. I loved that tradition and enjoy tea (I like Harney Victorian Fog the best).

by Anonymousreply 113May 21, 2022 1:35 AM

I had a hunch when I posted that thing about the milk in the tea first that it would be disputed--which just goes to show you Brits do still care about your tea.

Re: digestives. I have a fondness for McVitties, which you can find in American stores, though the recipe was changed at some point--probably got rid of the saturated fat or something, they seem a little dryer and less flavorful than they once did.

For my fellow Americans--biscuits tend to be fairly plain and crisp--so some of our cookies are like biscuits, but some of our gooier softer ones don't really fall into that category. Cookies are one of those categories where our multicultural heritage really shows up. We really make a huge range of cookies. (There must be a smelling cookies thread somewhere)

I suspect more iced than hot tea is drunk in the U.S. because they drink tons of overly sweet iced tea in the South--there are truck stops with entire walls of iced tea options in the South.

by Anonymousreply 114May 21, 2022 2:33 AM

Technically, for a good cup of tea you’re supposed to swish boiling water around in the cup before you put in the tea to raise the temperature of it so it doesn’t dissipate the temperature from the tea itself. Milk or half and half first would chill the cup defeating the whole purpose.

by Anonymousreply 115May 21, 2022 2:38 AM

Hyacinth Bucket does a good tea...

Notice clearly she does put tea leaves (or something) into pot. But what is poured into Elizabeth's cup seems to be nothing more than hot water.

A wise precaution I shouldn't wonder since we know what is going to happen, and tea makes nasty marks on cloths and clothing.

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by Anonymousreply 116May 21, 2022 2:54 AM

A couple of years ago I was in London to visit a couple of PR agencies, all in the run to do a campaign for my company. First on the list was somewhere near the Strand, if memory serves me well.

It was late April, raining cats and dogs. Chilly for the time of year.

Everything that could go wrong during my journey went wrong: Plane delayed, crying infants on board, construction works in the tube meant I had to take a crowded bus instead, only to walk the last 15 minutes in the rain.. I was cold and miserable. And that was just the beginning of my trip!

Long story short: I arrived at the agency and was sat down by a lovely office manager. If I would like a hot cuppa tea with milk? Why yes, I would.

It was nothing elaborate, just a cup on a saucer and a little tin with biscuits — but it warmed me up, made me forget about my travel blues and all was well in the world.

by Anonymousreply 117May 21, 2022 7:05 AM

PS: Today is international tea day!

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by Anonymousreply 118May 21, 2022 7:08 AM

r109 Thank you for mentioning that biscuits are supposed to be dry. Biscuit does mean "twice baked" in various languages, such as the Italian 'biscotti' and the German 'zwieback.' Many other cultures have baked goods similar to these. A batter or soft dough is baked(#1), sliced in various ways, then returned to the oven to bake once again(#2), in order to add crispness, develop flavor and extend the shelf life, to the finished product.

How the biscuit[ Twice baked? Hell, sometimes they're not even half-baked!] of beloved sausage gravy fame came to be called a biscuit is beyond me. Perhaps they were named merely for the shape, since a lot of cookies(from the Dutch for 'little cake') are round?

by Anonymousreply 119May 21, 2022 8:08 AM

Tea is great. At 4 pm, it picks you right up and doesn't interfere with your sleep later, as coffee would.

I've gone off any flavoured tea, apart from the occasional Earl Grey. Now it's high quality Assam, Darjeeling and Lapsang Souchong, all with milk. In the morning, it's English Breakfast. The flavoured ones taste too chemical to me.

by Anonymousreply 120May 21, 2022 10:47 AM

Tea bagging required.

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by Anonymousreply 121May 21, 2022 10:52 AM

[quote] Bronx was named after some farmer who did a big land grab.

Dutchman Jonas Bronck.

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by Anonymousreply 122May 21, 2022 7:02 PM

[quote] We still call it "thee", pronounced "tay" ! —Dutchie

The first time I visited Paris, I would see signs above some storefronts that read "Salon de The."

I remember thinking wtf?

Only later did I realize that was the French spelling for tea. Hehe.

by Anonymousreply 123May 21, 2022 7:06 PM

It would be since sound "th" does not exist in French. Learning how to make that sound is often one of the most difficult for French studying English.

by Anonymousreply 124May 21, 2022 7:42 PM

In Britain there is a custom for working persons, school children and anyone else really to have "Elevenses" at 11 0'clock in morning. Here light refreshments and tea or coffee are taken. In USA it is more commonly called "coffee break". You find this custom elsewhere throughout Europe and elsewhere in world.

In UK you can either go down to cafeteria or another place, but often there are "tea ladies" who come around with a trolley of hot drinks (tea or coffee) and light refreshments.

Historically working and laboring classes had their largest meal of day at noon. While middle and above classes had another meal later in day usually around 8PM. Thus for former "dinner" is what they called their midday meal. While middle and upper classes called their midday meal "lunch" or "luncheon". To this day women across Britain who serve school children "lunch" are called "dinner ladies".

For working classes "tea" could be a something they had later on in day, not as substantial as dinner, and that was their last meal of day. Meanwhile as discussed above upper classes still had "dinner", but often were peckish sometime late in afternoon, so you have "tea" which was not their last meal of day.

Today regardless of it being called "tea" or "dinner" it often is last meal eaten of day for most Britons. Dinner time in UK ranges between 630PM and 730PM or maybe bit later (8PM).

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by Anonymousreply 125May 23, 2022 4:00 PM

When I was growing up, my Mum - who was a full-on Stepford wife - had dinner on the table at 7:30 pm exactly. Only at the weekend would she even countenance a take-away or restaurant.

Until recently, before I started working from home more, I did 'take a break' around elevenish, for tea and a biscuit. Now it's more a case of whenever I feel like it, and I'm sure I'm less productive due to the lack of routine!

by Anonymousreply 126May 23, 2022 4:07 PM

The tea habit was acquired from China.

by Anonymousreply 127May 23, 2022 4:11 PM

[quote] Lots of formalities, and quietness, and being proper and well mannered.

That sounds like 99% of Japanese culture.

by Anonymousreply 128May 23, 2022 4:13 PM

There's a hilarious exchange between the pompous Capt. Peacock and Miss Brahms.

Miss Brahms - WE'VE ONLY GOT HALF AN HOUR LEFT TO HAVE OUR DINNER.

Capt. Peacock - "Lunch"

Miss Brahams - What's the difference?

Capt. Peacock - What do you have in the evening?

Miss Brahams - Supper

Capt. Peacock - Only the working classes have dinner and supper. Professional persons such as ourselves have lunch and dinner.

Miss Brahams - Now look, I'm not working class. I live in a detached house.

by Anonymousreply 129May 23, 2022 4:21 PM

Since no one else bothered!

Tea for two!

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by Anonymousreply 130May 23, 2022 4:23 PM

R129 - I remember in the Are You Being Served? sequel, the team inherit a Manor as their pension. Miss Brahams sees it and says: "oh look! It's detached!" 😄

by Anonymousreply 131May 23, 2022 4:30 PM

[quote] It would be since sound "th" does not exist in French. Learning how to make that sound is often one of the most difficult for French studying English.

I noticed that French, Dutch, and Scandinavians usually can't pronounce the "th" sound.

Instead of the word "these," I hear "Deez." And instead of "think," I hear "Fink."

It's strange how they replace the "th" with D and F sounds.

by Anonymousreply 132May 23, 2022 4:45 PM

R127, not India?

by Anonymousreply 133May 23, 2022 4:51 PM

R133 Read the book I mentioned above, All the Tea in China, about how the East India Company sent corporate spies into China to steal information about tea, plants and processing so that England could set up their own plantations in India to have control and production over the tea market.

by Anonymousreply 134May 23, 2022 5:00 PM

No, not India. Tea was developed in India because the tea habit was draining the British exchequer. They tried to balance the payments by sending opium to China first though.

by Anonymousreply 135May 23, 2022 5:09 PM

R134, R135 -- interesting, thanks!

by Anonymousreply 136May 23, 2022 5:20 PM

No formalities, stick a tea bag in a mug, pour boiling water over it, stir it around until it’s strong enough for you, add cold milk, fabulous. Only the British and the Irish can make a decent cuppa. US attempts are vile.

by Anonymousreply 137May 23, 2022 5:31 PM

Did you not learn in school India was a British colony? What a strange question to ask.

by Anonymousreply 138May 23, 2022 5:33 PM

R120 Do you drink any teas from China? You might like a milk oolong from Taiwan, it tastes creamy and sweet without any added milk or sugar.

by Anonymousreply 139May 23, 2022 5:59 PM

I just do Lipton and enjoy it!

by Anonymousreply 140May 23, 2022 7:50 PM

I’m with the others on this thread who have pointed out afternoon tea is mostly an anachronism that doesn’t have any organic place in the culture. In London, it’s mainly for tourists and the quality is usually bad. You’d be laughed at if you seriously suggested having afternoon tea in most social contexts. I know that doesn’t match the American fantasy :/.

However, it’s taken on better in the Far East. Top hotels in Hong Kong and Bangkok, like the Peninsula, do excellent high teas, with a smattering of small dim sun savoury bites added in. They’ve really adapted it and taken it seriously to the point it far outstrips the touristy stake stuff they serve in London hotels.

by Anonymousreply 141May 23, 2022 8:02 PM

OP You sound uncultured.

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by Anonymousreply 142May 23, 2022 8:41 PM

You don't know SHIT, R141.

Shut the fuck up, and sit the fuck down!!!

by Anonymousreply 143May 23, 2022 10:12 PM

Calm down R143

by Anonymousreply 144May 23, 2022 10:54 PM

Have a cuppa, R144.

by Anonymousreply 145May 23, 2022 10:55 PM

HAVE A NATTY!

by Anonymousreply 146May 23, 2022 11:30 PM

It sounds as if Brits hold afternoon tea in as much contempt as we do their dreadful versions of burgers. This is really disgusting unless you want a meatloaf sandwich.

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by Anonymousreply 147May 24, 2022 1:35 AM

consult uncle rodger, r147.

by Anonymousreply 148May 24, 2022 1:37 AM

Donal Skehan--okay, he's Irish, not British--and his travesty of a Chicago red hot, made with a grilled sausage and topped with ketchup but no sport peppers.

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by Anonymousreply 149May 24, 2022 1:45 AM

I believe it’s the same in Ireland. I grew up drinking tea because my Nana anyways had it and drank it like water.

by Anonymousreply 150May 24, 2022 1:46 AM

British burgers and sandwiches are a travesty. they should be left to Americans.

by Anonymousreply 151May 24, 2022 1:47 AM

So tea is an inherently colonialist, oppressive, drink, should it be banned?

by Anonymousreply 152May 24, 2022 1:47 AM

R1 you must be right on the coast or in the mountains.. I live in Norcal and it is usually too warm. We are about to have a heatwave. It will be 100 on Wed. It is still May. Climate change will take us out it is already doing so.

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by Anonymousreply 153May 24, 2022 1:57 AM

The thing that I always find odd is that all the British shows I watch, it seems like their answer for everything. Someone just died? Do you want some tea? Just been savagely raped? Can I get you some tea? Husband lost your house in a bet? Sit down, I’ll make some tea. Is there valium in it?

by Anonymousreply 154May 24, 2022 1:58 AM

r153 I'm in Santa Rosa, and it's not on the beach or in the mountains. I don't drink hot tea during the summer, it will probably switch to water, crystal light lemonade, citrus/cuke-infused water or iced tea (UNSWEETENED, I hate that Southern sweet tea - what disgusting shit).

I'm well aware of our climate here and that we are about to burst into full summer. That doesn't take away the other 5-6 months of the year when it can be downright chilly to frosts in the winter.

by Anonymousreply 155May 24, 2022 2:02 AM

[quote] I don't drink hot tea during the summer

Hot tea is more cooling in the summer than iced tea.

by Anonymousreply 156May 24, 2022 5:41 AM

r156 not to me.

However, where I live there is often a 35-40 differential from morning to mid-afternoon. It can be 49 degrees in the morning and mid-90s by aft. In that case, I may drink hot tea in the morning.

by Anonymousreply 157May 24, 2022 5:48 AM

I love cucumber sandwiches for tea, but I prefer one part butter to two parts cream cheese instead of all butter. Everything else - the bread, chopped mint, salt, pepper and thinly sliced cukes stays the same, but I think the cream cheese/butter spread better compliments the mint and cucumber.

by Anonymousreply 158May 24, 2022 6:12 AM

I don't know what is wrong with you stupid tarts. My YouTube channel is FULL of videos about tea and you should have been promoting that on this thread.

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by Anonymousreply 159May 24, 2022 6:53 AM

Elevenses is again anachronistic, a lovely concept but probably unrecognised by the majority in the UK. Even where the term is understood, it’s likely to be used ironically and elicit laughter.

Compare to the Swedish fika which is still part of the culture.

by Anonymousreply 160May 24, 2022 9:36 AM

The other thing is that sadly in Britain fussing over food and food quality, and quasi-ceremonial stuff, is seen as twee (even amongst our eldergays!). So the socially acceptable thing is to drink alcohol first, second and third. Food is a takeaway or microwave meal to enable further drinking. Of course there are people who aren’t like this, but in stark contrast to continental Europe, they aren’t many of them.

by Anonymousreply 161May 24, 2022 9:45 AM

My Scottish granny thought nothing of baking scones and making several varieties of finger sandwiches at short notice when people were coming for tea. My Irish granny was exactly the same. They both loved to show off their best china and their baking skills. It’s like a competitive sport for old ladies. My partner’s grandmothers were similar.

It must be a generational thing, because I don’t know anyone who would go to the same effort now. Maybe Nicholas Fairford, but he doesn’t appear to have anything else to occupy his mind.

by Anonymousreply 162May 24, 2022 10:05 AM

I would go to the effort at the weekend or a bank holiday, but during the week? I don't have time for that.

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by Anonymousreply 163May 24, 2022 11:11 AM

Are the terms "China tea" and "Indian tea" still used, or are they archaic these days? Is one supposed to be superior to the other?

by Anonymousreply 164May 24, 2022 11:47 AM

^ Archaic but India tea refers to black tea that is brewed and served with milk and sugar, while China tea is brewed and drunk plain, whether the teas are black, green or white. Roughly speaking.

by Anonymousreply 165May 24, 2022 12:08 PM

I'd like to drink more tea but if I drink more than two cups or day, or sometimes more than one cup, my mouth feels so dry I just can't.

by Anonymousreply 166May 24, 2022 12:24 PM

I laugh at the "You will be laughed at!" Brit trolls. They did this on some other thread and I responded similarly.

No one gives a fuck what toothless, inbred Brits are laughing at! How low your self esteem must be if you constantly repeat this "insult."

by Anonymousreply 167May 24, 2022 2:44 PM

"No one gives a fuck what toothless, inbred Brits are laughing at!"

R167 - I watched a metric-fuck tonne of British TV and it seems like almost all British actors have crooked and/or rotting teeth. I have never noticed the "teeth" problems with Canadian, Australian or New Zealander television actors. I wonder why this is so.

by Anonymousreply 168May 24, 2022 3:16 PM

R168 I was always told it’s a fluoride in the water thing. Which, if it is, has proven itself to be abundantly helpful and seems like a public health catastrophe if not instituted everywhere.

by Anonymousreply 169May 24, 2022 9:10 PM

[quote] Elevenses is again anachronistic, a lovely concept but probably unrecognised by the majority in the UK.

Haha. Pippen mentioned "elevensies" in Lord of the Rings, and I had no idea what he was talking about.

Now I do!

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by Anonymousreply 170May 24, 2022 11:19 PM

Mmm elevensies. It was cocoa and biscuits when I was a schoolchild.

by Anonymousreply 171May 24, 2022 11:39 PM

Milk and cookies for us at primary school

by Anonymousreply 172May 24, 2022 11:55 PM

R172 weighs 600 pounds now.

by Anonymousreply 173May 24, 2022 11:55 PM

And has a symbiosis with their couch.

by Anonymousreply 174May 24, 2022 11:57 PM

Size 36 but nice try

by Anonymousreply 175May 25, 2022 12:01 AM

Provided you can keep them free from insects and away from rodents, biscuits being so dry was a plus. In days before preservatives biscuits, crispbreads, crackers, and so on were things that kept (and still do) keep for quite a long time.

Next time at a shop or supermarket examine date certain biscuits, crispbreads, crackers, cookies, etc.. were made, then look at their sell by date. There is often a considerable amount of time between two.

This also is where all those lovely biscuit, cookie or whatever tins came in handy. Long before plastics, vacuum sealing or whatever tins sealed out moisture which kept contents dry and crisp. Tins also kept out vermin which were far more frequent even in best of homes, and certainly shops were food was sold.

For a seafaring nation like Britain (or anyone else) biscuits became a staple of provisions for sailors and others on board. Again their being dry meant would last without going off or moldy. Hence the phrase sending someone to sea "without a biscuit".

Sea biscuit, ship’s biscuit, and or molar breakers, took dryness of biscuits to a whole other level. As name implies they were often rock hard and tasteless. Then you had fact these biscuits often were soon infested with insects and or their larvae. If issued as part of ship's rations you had attack by rodents to worry about as well.

Habit of dunking biscuits, crackers or whatever by military or anyone else came about due to often occurrence of insect or larval infestation. Food being expensive, and not always easily replaced dunking biscuit in liquid (such as hot coffee, tea, milk, etc...) caused insects and larva to float up and into liquid. You then scrapped off any that clung, and consumed biscuit. Sounds gross, but as mother would say "if you were starving you'd eat it...".

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by Anonymousreply 176May 25, 2022 4:35 AM

I smell biscuits!

by Anonymousreply 177May 25, 2022 4:44 AM

"C" is for cookie!

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by Anonymousreply 178May 25, 2022 4:46 AM

I always wanted to drink that tea that they send the monkeys up into the mountains to pick the freshest most rare tea leaves from the highest peaks, but it’s so crazy expensive I’ll never get to do it in this lifetime.

by Anonymousreply 179May 25, 2022 5:34 AM

I'm Welsh-Scot-English. I believe that is why tea was essential to my everyday life, growing up.

As soon as I could manage to hold a cup, my drink of choice became tea. I grew up in a household that drank hot tea at any time of day. Mid-morning, as an afternoon pick-me-up, and especially after dinner. I didn't taste coffee until I was in my mid-20s and hated the taste.

I don't get the same caffeine rush from tea that I do with coffee. Tea contains caffeine but I can drink it until bedtime and fall right asleep. A cup of tea at bedtime is comforting, especially on a chilly evening.

I like an English black tea, the heartier the better. I'll throw in a cube of sugar but it's not a necessity. I don't like lemon, milk or cream. They make tea taste like hot lemon water or hot milk. No thanks.

Constant Comment is my favorite flavored tea. There are a few interesting new tropical flavors that have come on the scene. Pineapple, passion fruit, mango. Life Boat is my favorite tea. I will drink green tea but it's not a favorite, especially the pricier ones since they taste like hot grainy water. For herb tea I like chamomile. Herb tea isn't real tea.

It's been my experience that Brits prefer coffee over tea these days. I love coffee and would dearly love to be able to drink it at night but I'd never sleep so I'm sticking with tea.

Afternoon tea with all the fun little accompaniments is a luxury to me. I'm more interested in getting my tea buzz, but if someone puts a scone with clotted cream and raspberry jam under my nose, I'm in heaven. I enjoy that part of being on a cruise ship. They do afternoon tea each day and I love that.

Accommodations abroad tend to have electric kettles on hand. America fails miserably on that front.

Tea should be made in a pre-warmed glass or china tea pot using only loose tea. Tea bags have a taste to them. At least I can taste the paper. The water you add should be boiling. Now I want a scone. Darn.

by Anonymousreply 180May 25, 2022 8:09 AM

I only drink tea if I am having a cake or scone with it.

by Anonymousreply 181May 25, 2022 8:21 AM

R167 and R168, let me educate you (you won't like it, though!).

"Researchers have found evidence that British oral health is actually as good, or even better, than it is in the States."

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by Anonymousreply 182May 25, 2022 10:08 AM

What I’d like to know is how often the royal family have the afternoon tea. Do they go through the entire routine when home? On the Crown, they seemed to do it after a day in the country but maybe that counts as a special occasion.

by Anonymousreply 183May 25, 2022 10:49 AM

^

They need something to sustain them after a hard day’s waving and opening hospitals.

by Anonymousreply 184May 25, 2022 11:01 AM

Did you come in for a pie, Sir?

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by Anonymousreply 185May 26, 2022 1:13 AM

And I'm tell ya, those pussy cats are quick!

by Anonymousreply 186May 26, 2022 1:14 AM

Mid-morning bloody television!

Patronizing women, castrated males and Welsh cartoons till people who like a gin and tonic get home at 6:30, darling.

by Anonymousreply 187May 26, 2022 1:29 AM

Yes I quite agree with you, I mean what's the point of being treated like a sheep, I mean I'm fed up going abroad and being treated like a sheep, what's the point of being carted around in busses, surrounded by sweaty mindless oafs from Kettering and Boventry in their cloth caps and their cardigans and their transistor radios and their 'Sunday Mirrors', complaining about the tea, 'Oh they don't make it properly here do they not like at home....."

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by Anonymousreply 188May 27, 2022 8:45 PM

Stupid people pretending to be Brits. I watched like 2 Brit docs yesterday...they went to high tea.

Do you laugh at them? BBC doesn't.

by Anonymousreply 189May 27, 2022 9:36 PM

" It was cocoa and biscuits when I was a schoolchild"

Now there's a whole other thread; Brits and "cocoa".

If it's not a cup of hot tea, it's either cocoa or Horlicks.

by Anonymousreply 190May 29, 2022 4:18 AM

I’m just going to leave this right here…

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by Anonymousreply 191May 29, 2022 7:38 AM
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