Did you know that …
… all “tea” comes from one plant, of which there are over 3,000 varieties.
… except for water, tea is the most popular beverage in the world.
… China grows more tea than any other country, but they are not the largest exporter.
… tea improves concentration, mood, and energy, as well as relaxation.
… there is no ‘orange‘ in orange pekoe tea.
… if the tea leaf shipped out of China from the northern ports, it was called ‘cha’
… if the tea leaf shipped out of China from the southern ports, it was called ‘te’.
… white tea actually has more caffeine than black tea.
… a pound of tea has more caffeine than a pound of coffee – but a cup of tea has less caffeine than a cup of coffee.
… the average tea drinker in the U.K. drinks 4.5 lbs of tea each year, while the average tea drinker in Turkey drinks 6.8 lbs.
… tea was first touted for its medicinal benefits – good for colds, dropsies and scurvies.
… in Victorian England, tea sold on average for £26/pound – while the average wage was £10/year.
… in Victorian England, some servants would take the used tea leaves and sell it to unscrupulous dealers, who would add fillers and resell the leaves.
… although we think of teapots as British, they actually originated in China in the 1500s.
… in the Middle East, haggling over prices doesn’t even begin until after tea is served.
… tearooms where the first ‘women-owned’ businesses in the U.S.
… the most famous tearoom in the world is the Willow Tea Room in Glasgow, Scotland.
… in the 19th century, the term for accepting a bribe was called “tea money“.
… in Victorian England, tea was kept locked away in ornate tea chests, with the key being held by the lady of the house.
… in Victorian England, children in orphanages were given tea with milk and sugar daily.
… the first tea to be exported from China and enjoyed by Europeans was ‘green’ tea, called “gunpowder“.
… the Portuguese were the first to enjoy drinking tea in Europe, after merchants brought it back from Asia.
… crates of Chinese porcelain was first used as ballast in the bottom of ships transporting tea.
… a China closet was where the lady of the house would display her fine imported “Chinaware”.
… the Chinese started putting handles on teacups when they realized Europeans drank their tea much hotter than they did and in larger bowls.
Ming Dynasty Yixing Teapot
… “pot holes” is the term given to the holes in the road left by English potters who would dig up the fine clay to craft their teapots.
… in the late 1800s until WWI, from London to Glasgow, Tango tea dances were all the rage.
… Prime Minister Earl Grey is credited with ending slavery in Great Britain.
… Earl Grey tea is one of the most popular ‘flavored’ teas in the world.
… Both Twinings and Jacksons of Piccadilly take credit for inventing “Earl Grey” flavored tea.
The Cup of Tea, Mary Cassatt 1881
… Afternoon Tea is credited to the 7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russell, in the 1840s.
… Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was a world-class coffee producer until the coffee blight of 1870.
… the tea bag was invented accidentally by Thomas Sullivan as a sample bag for his customers.
… iced tea was accidentally invented by Richard Blechynde on a very hot day at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 when he gave out ‘cold’ samples of his tea.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cover Photo: “Church Lady High Tea” by Janie McGee
but I LOVE fruit cake. There I said it! And this Scottish classic is one of my favorites. Why? Because it is made with sweet, thick orange marmalade, giving it a wonderful orangey flavor. And to be an ‘authentic’ Dundee cake, the marmalade should be made with Seville oranges from Spain. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Seville, you can’t help but gaze in wonder at the over 40,000 orange trees which line the streets. At times, the trees are bursting with so much fruit, the streets are just littered with these brightly-colored orbs.
How did the oranges end up in Dundee, Scotland? Because of a storm at sea! A Spanish cargo ship carrying goods and produce crashed into the rugged coastline in Dundee. Among the many goods on the ship were oranges. The oranges were ruined and couldn’t be sold, but a local merchant, James Keiller, bought the load at a discounted price. Keiller already sold jams in his shop and incorporated the oranges, fruit, pith and peel, into the recipe. Food historians say it was his mother, Janet Keiller, who then took the marmalade and used it in a fruit cake, now known as the Dundee cake.
Other historians say the Dundee cake is attributed to Mary Queen of Scots in the 1500s who didn’t care for traditional fruit cakes with all the glacéd fruits and cherries. To please the Queen, her royal baker then made a cake which only had raisins, almonds and the bitter Seville oranges. But the timelines vary too much for me. The Dundee cake is made with orange marmalade which seems to have been created 100 years after Mary Queen of Scots would have enjoyed it. Although marmalade has been around since Roman times, it was almost always made with quince and honey, as a way of preserving the fruit. The name “marmalade” actually originates from the Portuguese word “marmelo” or quince. Believed to be the first published recipe for orange marmalade was found in a cookbook written by Eliza Cholmondeley in 1677.
However this spice cake came to be, by the 19th century, the Dundee cake was served in tea rooms across Great Britain and was the dessert of choice for Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II. As with many ‘historical’ foods, an application has been filed by Dundee bakers for protected status for this spice cake with the EU. The bakers’ hope is to keep this centuries old cake from becoming a cheap imitation of the original. Let’s hope the rights are granted.