Англійське чаювання

Дослідницько-проектна  робота

на тему:

«Англійське чаювання.»

“English Теа.”

                              Plan.

1. Introduction.

2. The story of tea.

2.1. The legendary origins of tea.

2.2. The history of  English tea-drinking.

2.3. Afternoon tea in England.

2.4. Tea Cuisine.

2.5. Chai means “Tea”.

3. Three types of tea.

4. Tea time.

4.1. How to make the perfect cuppa (from Stephan Twining).

4.2. How to hold a tea-party.

5. Tea quotes and poems.

6. Summary.

7. References.

1. Introduction.

Britain is full of culture and traditions which have been around for hundreds of years. British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. When people think of Britain they often think of people drinking tea, eating fish and chips and wearing bowler hats, but there is more to Britain than just those things. We have British traditions of sport, music, food and many royal occasions. There are also songs, sayings and superstitions.

Traditions make a nation special. Some of them are old-fashioned and many people remember them, others are part of people's life. Some British customs and traditions are known all over the world: bowler hats, tea and talking about the weather. Englishmen have many traditional holidays, such as Christmas, St. Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter and others. So, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have a very long history. Some are funny and some are strange. But they are all interesting.

Tea-drinking is a rather old tradition and became part of people’s life. Tea is a beverage prepared by pouring boiling water over dry processed tea leaves. It is the most popular refreshing drink in England.

2. The story of tea.

The Chinese people were the first to enjoy the taste of tea. The ancient Chinese records mentioned this drink in 2737 B.C.

Tea in China was respected very much. Emperors awarded it to their noble men for particular merits. In the palace they drank this aromatic drink during spe­cial court ceremonies. The poets glorified tea in their songs. Tea cultivation and production became as secret as production of silk, china, paper and other Chinese inventions. Tea plantations were hidden and protected from foreigners. Chinese merchants sold tea to different countries. From China tea began its triumphant march throughout the world.

In the 8^th century tea came to Japan. Then it went through Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mongolia, Si­beria and Middle Asia. Though tea became a favourite beverage in the majority countries of the world, they could not cultivate it and imported it from China.

Only in the 1^st half of the 19^th century tea was culti­vated in some Asian countries. In 1824, the Dutch grew tea plantations on the island Java, and in 1834, they began to grow tea in India.

2.1. The legendary origins of tea.

The story of tea began in ancient China over 5,000 years ago. According to legend, the Shen Nong, an early emperor was a skilled ruler, creative scientist and patron of the arts. His farsighted 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 nearby 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.)

2.2. The history of  English tea-drinking.

The history of English tea-drinking dates back to 1662. This year English Prince Charles II was presented with the Chinese tea leaves by the merchants as a present for his wedding. Till the 17^th century it had become especially fashionable among the elite to have tea at home.

Till the 19^th century an enormous amount of tea was brought to England from China. Tea was advertised widely. It became of great demand.

In 1706, Tom's Coffee House was opened. The owner was Thomas Twining . It became especially popular. Visitors could taste both coffee and tea. In 1717, Mr. Twining opened a tea house "Golden Lion". It works even nowadays. Soon tea became available to most people.

The 19^th century became the golden age of tea in England. In 1837, Her Majesty got her personal tea provider, who was Richard I Twining.

In 1840, Duchess Anna Bedford brought the tradition of afternoon tea into fashion. A 5-o'clock Tea Law was adopted. This made tea much more popular than coffee.

The races between the ships that brought tea from China to England were very popular. The last race was in 1871 and the ship that won it got a gift — a regatta. The first official tea house was opened in 1864.

In 1876, the Lipton firm appeared. At first it sold tea, than it began to produce tea. In 1893, the Lipton tea took the first place at the World Tea Fair in Chicago.

At the end of the 19^th century the breakfast tea tradition appeared. It became fashionable to listen to and dance the tango in the tea houses.

2.3. Afternoon tea in England.

Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the Eng­lish had two main meals - breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) experienced a "sinking feeling" in the late afternoon. Adopting the European tea service format, she invited friends to join her for an addi­tional afternoon meal at five o'clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walk­ing the fields". (London at that time still contained large open meadows within the city.) The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses. A common pattern of service soon merged. The first pot of tea was made in the kitchen and carried to the lady of the house who waited with her invited guests, surrounded by fine porcelain from China. The first pot was warmed by the hostess from a second pot (usually silver) that was kept heated over a small flame. Food and tea was then passed among the guests, the main purpose of the visiting being conversation.

2.4. Tea Cuisine.

Tea cuisine quickly expanded in range to quickly in­clude wafer-thin sandwiches, shrimp or fish pates, toast­ed bread with jam, and regional British pastries such as scones (Scottish) and crumpets (English).

At this time two distinct forms of tea services evolved: "High" and "Low". "Low" Tea (served in the low part of the afternoon) was served in aristocratic homes of the wealthy and featured gourmet tidbits rather than solid meals. The emphasis was on presentation and conversa­tion. "High" Tea or "Meat Tea" was the main or "High" meal of the day. It was the major meal of the middle and lower classes and consisted of mostly full dinner items such as roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas, and of course, tea.

2.5. Chai means “Tea”.

As a little bit of background, the word "chai" actually means "tea"'. Around most of Asia, a word sounding simi­lar to "chai" is used in Japan and China, it is "cha".

When the Indians, Russians and Portuguese traded with China, they took up the usage of this word, which became "chai".

South Asian and Arab countries also have a version of this, using variations of "chai" or "shai". So how did the English-speaking world come to use the word "tea" when the rest of the world (almost!) uses "chai"?

In one province of Japan, the Fujian province, in­stead of using "cha", they used the word "te". The Dutch traders who worked in that area, adopted that name and, with slight pronunciation changes, sold it as "tay" through Europe.

Somewhere along the line, the English decided to change that pronunciation, and used "tee" instead. And so this is how it's pronounced today!

3. Three types of tea.

There are three main kinds of tea:  black, green, and oolong.

Black tea, which has been fully oxidised or fermented and yields a hearty-flavoured, amber brew. Some of the popular black teasinclude English Breakfast (good breakfast choice since its heartly flavour mixes well with milk).

Green tea skips the oxidising step. It has a more deli­cate taste and is light green/golden in colour.

Oolong tea, popular in China, is partly oxidised and is a cross between black and green tea in colour and taste.

While flavoured teas evolve from these three basic teas, herbal teas contain no true tea leaves. Herbal and "me­dicinal" teas are created from the flowers, berries, peels, seeds, leaves and roots of many different plants.

They differ in the method used to process the leaves. The processing takes place in a factory oh or near the tea estate. All tea-producing countries manufac­ture black tea. Most of the green and oolong tea comes from China, Japan, and Taiwan.

To make black tea, workers first spread the leaves on shelves called withering racks. Air is blown over the leaves to remove excess moisture, leaving them soft and flexible. Next, the leaves are crushed between the rollers of a machine to release their flavourful juices. Then, in a fermenting room, the tea leaves change chemically under controlled humidity and temperature until they turn coppery in colour. Finally, the leaves are dried in ovens and become brownish-black.

4. Tea time.

In most factories and offices in Britain, people stop work for a few minutes in the middle of the morning and in the middle of the afternoon to have a cup of tea, and maybe a biscuit. This is called a "tea break", a tradition that started about 200 years ago. In the last century some employers tried to stop the tea break. They said it made the workers lazy. But it was too late, and today millions of people look forward to their tea breaks every day.

People drink more tea in Britain than in any other country. The average person drinks 1,355 cups per year. Next is Ireland, then New Zealand, Turkey and Austra­lia. In the rest of Europe they prefer to drink coffee!

4.1. How to make the perfect cuppa.

The English know how to make good tea. A cup of it will wake you up in the morning and put you to sleep at night.

If you are hot, tea will cool you off, and if you are cold, it will warm you up.

If you drink it in the middle of the morning, it will stimulate you to work. If you drink it in the afternoon, it will relax you.

Tea making in England is an art. The hostess first of all rinses the teapot with boiling water before adding 4 or 5 teaspoons of tea. The amount of tea varies, of course, according to the number of people present. The pot is then filled with boiling water and covered by a tea-cosy to allow the tea to infuse for 5 minutes.

The English people seldom put lemon juice or rum into their tea, they usually have it with milk.

The English wouldn't drink a cup of tea which has not been made in a teapot in a civilised way; he would certainly never accept a cup with a teabag dangling in it.

Stephen Twining, of Twinings tea, drinks between nine and 15 cups a day, so he knows a thing or two about doing it right. Here are some of his top tips:

- Always keep tea in an airtight con­tainer or it will absorb all the moisture and smells of your kitchen.

- Start with a scrupulously clean teapot — get rid of old tea stains by soaking the pot in water mixed with bicarbonate of soda for two hours.

- Boil a kettle of freshly drawn cold water to ensure maximum oxygen con­tent.

- Warm the pot beforehand, and then add the water as soon as it reaches boiling point. If you leave it steaming away, all the oxygen will be removed, to the detriment of flavour. And when making green tea, use water that has not quite reached its boiling point, as the leaves are more prone to scalding.

- Tea bags require two to three min­utes brewing time; leaf teas usually need a couple of minutes longer.

- If you must add milk (even Stephen Twining does occasionally), do it first. By pouring in the tea afterwards, you will blend the drink perfectly, without the need for teaspoon, which can sometimes taint the flavour.

4.2. How to hold a tea-party.

The tradition of 5 o’clock tea is not so much popular as it was years ago. Nowadays the tea parties are held only in few cafes and clubs. Families organize tea parties very rarely now.

To hold a tea party one should lay the table in a special way. There should be either one-colour cloth or a cloth with small not bright drawings. It can be white or blue. A vase with natural white flowers is necessary. There should be napkins or tea-cloths matching the tablecloths .

Every guest is offered a white- or blue-coloured cup and a saucer together with a fork and knife and a special tea-spoon. There is a tea-pot with already made tea. The tea-pot should be covered with  a tea-cosy, a kind of cloth. A pitcher with the boilling water and a jug with cream or milk are also on  the table. You can see sugar-bowls, jugs with jam and dishes with tea-snacks. There are different tea-cakes, waffles, traditional batches and very simple cakes/pies on your tables.

As for the tea, the guests are traditionally suggested to choose one of the 5-10 tea-brands. The most popular and respectable is Earl Grey . It is very prestigious to have your own mixture of different kinds of tea for guests to taste.

Traditional tea-snacks in England are tea-cakes (buns with raisins), waffles, scones, ginger cakes, jam and creme.

Tea is made in the tea-pots. Water is not added in the cups after the tea is poured. Tea should stay for 3-5 minutes in the tea-pot before being poured into cups. Then boiling water is added in the tea-pot again, The tea-pot is covered with the tea-cosy.

You can hear the pretty tune of the tango that is very popular in the English tea houses.

5. Tea quotes and poems.

As tea is the most popular drink in England many poems are about tea. These poems show their sentimental love of tea!

LET'S HAVE A CUP OF TEA!

At eight o'clock in the morning

For our breakfast we'll see

Cornflakes and buttered toast,

And let's have a cup of tea!

At one o'clock it's lunch time,

And for lunch there'll be

Sausage and mashed potatoes,

And let's have a cup of tea!

At five o'clock in the afternoon

There'll be food for you and me:

Cream cakes and sandwiches

And let's have a cup of tea!

At seven o'clock in the evening

A lovely supper we'll see:

Chips, peas and fish-fingers,

And let's have a cup of tea!

At ten o'clock at night

We'll have a piece of bread,

And I'll make a cup of tea,

And then we'll go to bed.

I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT

I'm a little teapot,

Short and stout,

Here is my handle,

Here is my spout.

When I get all steamed up

Hear me shout:

"Tip me over And pour me out!"

                   * * *

I like a nice cup of tea in the morning,

For to start the day, you see,

And at half past eleven,

Well, my idea of heaven

Is a nice cup of tea.

I like a nice cup of tea with my dinner,

And a nice cup of tea with my tea,

And when it's time for bed,

There's a lot to be said

For a nice cup of tea.

Also there are a lot of tea quotes which were said by famous people. They are:

"Eddie: The entire British empire was built on cups of tea, and if you think I'm going to war without one, mate, you're mistaken."

From "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"

"Tea tempers the spirits and harmonises the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties.

"heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are exhausted, it will calm you."

William Gladstone

"Angel came down from heaven yesterday, she stayed with me just long enough for afternoon tea..."

Jimi Hendrix "Angel

"The tea party is a spa for the soul. You leave your cares and work behind.

Busy people forget their business. Your stress melts away, your senses awaken..."

From Alexandra Stoddard

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual mo ment. Only this moment is life.

Thich Nat Hahn

"If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of under     standing truth and beauty."

Japanese Proverb

"I love tea. It's my elixir of eternal youth. Physical youth and mental youth.

Regina Helker answering to a journalist

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

Henry James "The Portrait of a Lady"

6. Summary.

Tea is the most popular drink in the world. And English people are its greatest fans, They drink more tea than any other people do.

Tea is an evergreen plant of the Camellia family. The young leaves and buds are good for making the drink. Tea usually grows in India, China, and Sri Lanka.

In nineteenth century the English delivered tea by sea from China. Because the tea could spoil on its way to England, captains used the fastest ships called clippers (clip=cut). The voyage still took about 90 days. That's why tea was very expensive. Housewives kept it in special locked boxes like treasure.

English people used to drink tea about six times a day. The first cup of tea or "cuppa" helped them to wake up early in the morning, while in bed. The second one, with milk, was drunk at breakfast-time. After lunch at about 1 o'clock - the third one. Because dinner was very late, the English had lots of "tea breaks" (tea with snacks) during the day. These breaks were also called "low tea". The most famous tea break was "five-o'clock tea". At 7 or 8 p.m. it was time for dinner and "high tea". And, just before going to bed, it was time for the last "cuppa".

7. References.

1.                Боднарчук Ж.В. Сценарії позакласних заходів.—Тернопіль: Підручники  та посібники, 2009.

2.                Glazatova A., Kurysh S. The Story of Tea. Газета “English”  #11, 2006.

3.                Khandogly L. English Tea Party. Газета “English” #8, 2007.

4.                Veliura H. Tae Time. Газета “English” #8, 2009.

5.                Tea Quotes. Газета “English” #11, 2003.

6.                How to Make the Perfect Cuppa. Digest #23, 2003.

7.                Tea. Журнал “Posnayko”  #2, 2004.

8.                John and Lis Soars. Headway Video. Activity Book. Oxford University Press, 1993.

9.                The Internet Resources.