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In While It Steeps


FOR THE LOVE OF AFTERNOON TEA

By Kausshal January 6, 2015
0


A heartfelt ode to the ceremony that has stood the test of time.dnpd

Long before Downton Abbey and Sherlock made tea time all suave and fashionable,
sipping on a cup of afternoon tea was quite the pop culture back in the day.
From royalty to the average guy on the street, everyone indulged in the quaint
clemency of a cup of tea one that would help them forget the din of the day with
each sip artfully taken in at the break of dusk.

Fast forward to 21st century and we have tea baristas extending an offer of such
clemency, in a much more urban fashion, of course.

Its art nouveau this trend – if you ask me, upholding a certain way of life that
once was. But this so-called revival simply underscores the fact that the world
is finally recognizing tea as a better choice of leisurely indulgence, far more
pertinent than coffee. Its not a cursory beverage like coffee. Teas got its own
pace and breaks your day in the nicest way possible. Isnt it just the indulgence
to chase after?

So, as I write this post sipping on my 4 oclock Jungpana Oolong, Ill take you
through the story and the conventions of afternoon tea then and now. Its an ode
to the custom that has marked an important time in the lives of everyone who has
ever loved and lived to love tea and everything it upholds.


THE HISTORY

No one is quite sure how the ceremony of afternoon tea came about, but if
anthropologists are to be believed, the ritual can be traced back to early 1800s
and accredited to Duchess of Bedford, a certain Ms Anna. It is said that back in
the day, the convention was to indulge in only 2 meals daily one in the morning
and the other in the evening. However, the Duchess found her gastronomical clock
twitching somewhere in between this resolute convention. Because of the long
stretch of time between lunch and the evening meal, she suffered from afternoon
hunger spells. Her solution? A tray of tea, some bread, butter and cake. And
once the trend caught wind, everyone got hooked to the fad overnight.

But it wasn’t until 1920s did the trend take on a more outlandish garb. Silver
tea ware, delicious h’orderves, linens and some jazz a whole fanfare developed
around afternoon tea time. It became less about tea and more about the
pageantry.

Not that anyone was complaining.


THE ETIQUETTES

Now, if one is following strict customs here, there are 3 essentials to hosting
a classic 4 oclock afternoon tea session the right tea, the right food, and the
right ambient settings.

The right tea: A Classic English Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey or any black tea of
your liking. Be sure to only use loose-leaf tea. Its the only authentic way to
go about this.

The right food: The essentials here include warm scone with a pot of clotted
cream and jam, cucumber and egg sandwiches and small cakes (not cupcakes,
because thats just blasphemy).

The right table setting: Silverware is optional, but thats no excuse for
choosing a poor porcelain cup with hello kitty images imprinted all over it.
Choose a good quality China (tea cup and saucer) and I promise you the
experience is far, far more enjoyable than you would hope to expect at the
bottom of a microwave-proof cup. Using linen napkins, table linen, china
platters and a small flower arrangement (of roses) for the table is sure to get
the anticipation of the ceremony rising. And if the table is set out on the
porch or the lawn, well then thats just as good as it can get.


THE CEREMONY

I think afternoon tea is the last good relic of an Edwardian England. Its so
detailed and elaborate but at the heart of it the ceremony is about the art of
making and sharing a cup of tea. And the mainstay of the whole ritual is that
tea be served with kindness and grace.

I remember reading about afternoon tea in the novels of Emily Bronte and Jane
Austen. And across their literary works, I have always noticed tea playing the
role of a subtle force that catalyzes the rate of conversation and inversely
impact the rate of passage of time.

But talking about the ceremony itself, preparing tea is the first important bit.
Use of elegant infusers and leaf strainer is a classy choice. Taking a bite as
you sip on tea is highly frowned upon and tapping the spoon along the rim of
your cup is just poor etiquette. But dont worry; it isnt quite set in stone,
these rules.

Indulging in a sip over a conversation and horderves is part two. And just so
you know speaking with a mouthful is considered uncouth. The finale closes in
not with the last little drop of tea ending on your palate, but when the
cumulative experience of tea, cakes and conversations expires like a breath of
air slowly let out.


AFTERNOON TEA: PRESENT DAY

As the years went by, the ritual of afternoon tea has retired to a restricted
existence. It graces, now, the hallways of swanky hotels, few contemporary
restaurants and homes of few tea purists. But thankfully its not all that
grim.For, there remain those who continue to believe in the art of tea and
cherish the idea of tea rituals. To them, the domesticity of life is best felt
in the clink of tea cups and a moment of shared laughter at afternoon tea.

In fact, an evolution of the age-old ceremony is now taking place. Its no more a
formal affair, and there are many different kinds of afternoon tea ceremonies
out there, including the at-home tea and the more popular teahouse tea. These
modern institutions are the onesupholding the venerable tea culturein their own
unique, creative ways.

Step into a tea house in Manhattan, NY and you would know what I am talking
about here. These aren’t conventional set ups, these cafes. Most are groomed
withinnovative themes, have remarkably casual atmosphere and airy communal space
arrangements. And perhaps these are the only placeswhere you can expect to be
served artisan teas from 20 different nationalities, offered with 2% soy milk,
gluten-free poutines and farm-fresh honey.

Anavant garde set up, no doubt, but these institutions are still very much
vested in the idea of spreading the joys of good tea. I tip my hat to them!


ONE UNPRETENTIOUS AFTERNOON TEA

Conventional thought holds afternoon tea as a class fare; sometimes pretentious
too. But it needn’t be all about the fanfare always.

I remember looking at my own mother preparing her 4 oclock tea with so much
zeal; she looked forward to it every day. A small aluminum kettle would be put
on, and a teaspoonful of good strong tea would be thrown into the boiling water.
I remember her taking a whiff just as she put the leaves into the kettle
something about the aroma always managed to put a smile on her face. 5 minutes
later, she’d take her cup of freshly brewed tea, some crackers on the side, and
sit down for her 15 minutes of solitude. I have seen her do this day in and day
out. She’d sip on the tea slowly and reverently as if taking on the din of world
with every slurpy sip and then carefully heaving out a breath as if the
solutions of life just manifested. Its a ritual her ritual – and one she enjoys
much to the glory of tea.

Just like her, there remain devout believers of the art and religion of
afternoon tea some sticklers and others more humble. For some, it exists in the
ballyhoo laid out for them in Michelin star restaurants while for some the
pleasure exists even in a quaint little personal ceremony at home. Either way,
its perfect.

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Author Kausshal



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