A Dish of Tea?

Prior to the dainty teacups and saucers of today's tea drinkers, the preferred vessel for tea-drinking was a small handleless bowl. In writing about his travels in the East, Samuel Purchas noted "They use much the powder of a certaine herbe called chia of which they put as much as a Walnut shell may containe, into a dish of Porcelane,and drink it with hot water" (from Purchas His Pilgrims, 1625). During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) the Chinese tea-drinkers preferred blue-and-white bowls made of a fine translucent porcelain. The dishes were usually small and held only a few sips of tea.

Many paintings of wealthy families drinking tea depict various ways of holding the little tea dishes or bowls. It seems as though there was no right or wrong position for the hand but the emphasis was on being neat and effortless. The little bowls were held by the rims or the thumb was placed under the bowl and the index and middle fingers on the rim. One way a guest could indicate they were finished drinking their tea was to turn the bowl upside down on the saucer.

There were larger bowls for tea-drinking that eventually had a handle added and evolved into the traditional tea cup we use today. It is said that the saucer was the idea of the daughter of a military man in China. She found the cups too hot to be passed around and asked a local potter to create a small dish for the cup to perch.

The handle on a tea bowl originated from the English posset cup. Posset is a heated concoction of milk, spirits and spices. A posset cup originally had a handle on each side to protect fingers from the heat transferred from the piping hot posset. Since fingertips were likely to be burned holding the handleless dishes of hot tea the addition of a handle to the tea bowl was a logical step.

Into the nineteenth century there were still handleless bowls and bowls with handles being made. Even with a handle on the cup guests at tea still may have been offered a dish of tea. The tea bowls without handles were sometimes referred to as cups.

There is a distinct etiquette for holding the traditional cup and saucer when taking tea. If the tea is being served seated around a table it is perfectly correct to leave the saucer on the table and raise the tea cup by itself. If the tea is served in a parlour with low tables it is appropriate to take the cup and saucer up together. The saucer is held in the palm of the left hand and the right hand raises the cup to the lips. The most important aspect of either form of taking tea is that the movements be smooth and elegant.

Pinkies up? The Tea Lady frowns on this as an affectation. The index finger is placed through the handle and the thumb rests on top of the handle. The remaining three fingers curve under the index finger to offer gentle support of the cup.

Recommended reading for more insights and information on tea wares: Design for Tea: Tea Wares from the Dragon Court to Afternoon Tea, Jane Pettigrew, 2003, Sutton Publishing.

Tea Bits

Every now and then there is material I want to include in my writings about tea and etiquette but somehow I am unable to find a suitable article and topic. So. We now have "Tea Bits." Just random facts, fun, and fine details of all things tea.

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world. Water is first

Tea in other languages: Cha (China), Chai (India), Tsai (Greek)

A cup of tea contains 45mg of caffeine compared to 85mg in a cup of coffee

To remove tea stains from teapots and cups simply fill the vessel with cold water and drop in 1 or 2 denture cleaning tablets(not flavored). Let fizz up and sit for at least 10 minutes. Rinse the pot and dry thoroughly.

To keep your rarely used teapots from developing a musty smell put a lump of sugar in the pot before storing it away. Make sure to rinse the pot well before making your next pot of tea.

Tea in Ireland!

For Saint Patrick's Day we shall explore the Irish and their tea traditions. Most everyone has heard of "Irish Breakfast" Tea and probably have had a cuppa or two. Irish Breakfast is a marketer's name, not an acutal type of tea. It is a robust and brisk blend mainly consisting of Assam and other India teas. An Irish company, McGrath's, carries "Original Irish Blend." They describe it as "a blend of fine Indian, African, and Indonesian teas." Irish Breakfast tea (and the other so named "breakfast" teas) is a perfect foil for milk. Milk added to an Irish Breakfast brings out a malty flavor and if one was to peer into a cup of tea prepared in this manner one would swear it was coffee.

The Irish are also know for creating a lovely porcelain called "Belleek." The village's Gaelic name, "beal leice," translates to "Flagstone Ford." John Caldwell Bloomfield inheirited the Castlecaldwell from his father in 1849. This was right after the potato famine and Bloomfield was mindful of the plight of his tennants. An amateur mineralologist, he had a geologoical survey perfromed on his land. Much to his delight, the survey revealed a wealth of "ingredients" to make pottery. Feldspar, kaolin, flint, clay, and shale were found in abundant quantities. The pieces created by Belleek Pottery are one of a kind, with each piece being hand-painted. John Caldwell Bloomfield insisted that any piece of Belleek that was not 100% perfect be destroyed. The company still adheres to this strict policy of perfection in every piece.

No tea table is complete without a linen tablecloth, doilies and dainty napkins. The Irish are also know for their exceptional linen. According to Jane Pettigrew, " Irish linen dates back almost as far as tea in China. It is thought that the manufacture of linen travelled to the northern parts of Ireland with the early Christians. The most important period in linen's development came in the seventeenth centruy, when persecuted Huguenots from France settled in Ireland and offered their skills and expertise." Irish linen will be marked with Irish Linen Guild's tradmark which can only be applied to linen made entirely in Ireland.

An Irish tea menu would be very similar to any traditional afternoon tea menu. Dainty open-faced cucumber sandwiches would be in keeping with the color green associated with St. Patrick's Day. For a lovely addition, Irish Soda Bread Scones could be served with clotted cream. Of course, the ultimate tea table would be laid with Irish linen, Belleek China, and a pot of strong Irish Breakfast tea.

Irish Soda Bread Scones (A Year of Teas at the Elmwood Inn)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon each salt and baking soda

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon caraway seed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 cup each choppped walnuts and golden raisins

1 Tablespoon each cream and sugar

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, brown sugar and caraway seeds. Cut in the butter pieces until the mixture is crumbly. Add in raisins and nuts. Whisk buttermilk and egg together, then add to flour mixture. Mix together until a soft ball of dough forms. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly, 5 or 6 times. Roll out to 1/2" thickness and cut with a floured biscuit cutter. Place on a large baking sheet, lightly greased. Brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown in a preheated 400 degree oven.

Sources:

Design for Tea: Teawares from the Dragon Court to Afternoon Tea, Jane Pettigrew, Sutton Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0-7509-3283-X

Tea Lover's Treasury, James Norwood Pratt, Cole Group, Inc., 1982, ISBN 1-56426-565-X

A Year of Teas at the Elmwood Inn, Bruce and Shelley Richardson, 1994, ISBN1-884532-03-9

Belleek Pottery: http://www.belleek.ie/

Place Settings: What Goes Where? Which Glass is Mine?

The easiest way to remember how to set a table or which glass is yours is that pieces used for solid foods are placed on the diner's left. Pieces that are used for liquids will be on the diner's right. The blade of the knife always faces inward. The napkin may also be placed on top of the plate.

Below is a basic informal place setting. The small plate at the top left is the bread and butter plate. It is optional when setting an informal table but if used it should always have an individual butter knife.


Another way to remember which is your bread and butter plate and which is your glass is to put your hands in your lap and make the "ok" sign with the fingers on each hand. The left hand fingers form a "b" so you know that your bread plate is on the left. The right hand fingers form a "d" so you know your drink is on the right.

A formal place setting is pictured below. When faced with more than one utensil always move from the outside in. Even though there is more on the table, the same rule of solids on the right/liquids on the left still holds.



Once you are seated, regardless of the formality of the place setting, the napkin on the left is placed in the lap of the diner. This may be done by the server so pause for a moment before reaching to do it yourself. The fold of the napkin is placed toward the diner's body. The napkin is never placed on the table until everyone is finished or the host has placed their napkin to the left of their place setting.

After each course or the entire meal used utensils are placed on the plate - not back on the table.

Off the Beaten Path - Lilette in New Orleans, LA

This is going to be a new segment for my blog. I have recently eaten in some really great places that are "off the beaten path." New Orleans is well-known for many things, not the least of which is food. There are many unique places to eat in the French Quarter that are well-known to tourists and locals alike. On our last visit to New Orleans I decided to visit the Garden District instead of just staying in the Quarter.

After taking the streetcar uptown and enjoying a good stretch of the legs I realized I needed some energy to finish up the rest of my touring. I found Lilette, a classic french bistrot. The wine list was amazing and loaded with French wines. I selected a Fournier Sauvingon Blanc which proved to be the perfect foil for the quintessential French rolls. The rolls were crusty and crunchy on the outside but inside were soft and fluffy. Even though I knew I was going to be eating a sandwich, I still ate two slathered with fresh, creamy butter.

There were specials on the chalkboard, to include local caught frog's legs, but I ordered from the menu. You might think it odd that I would order a BLT in a French bistrot. This was not your run of the mill BLT. The "B" was pork belly, meltingly rich with mixed baby greens for the "L" and roasted plum tomatoes for the "T." Served on toasted sourdough bread with a parsley aioli it paired perfectly with the Sauvingon Blanc. Thank goodness for a knife and fork! I was able to get a bite of everything without making a huge mess trying to eat the whole thing.

Making a decision from the dessert menu was tough but I managed to chose an incredible to die for sweet treat. A poached pear arrived with a quenelle of goat cheese creme fraiche garnished with lavender honey and pistachios. The flavor profile was sweet but not cloying and the tangy goat cheese creme fraiche provided a nice balance. The pistachios added texture and crunch. I was a happy girl and very glad that I had to take a walk when I really wanted to take a nap.

I have included a link to the Lilette website but you must go to really appreciate the uniqueness, ambiance and cuisine of this gem off the beaten bath in New Orleans.