Fine Tea
Find out more about Fine Tea
Fine Tea conjures up images of the English upper-class drinking tea from china tea cups and saucers, but what else do you know about fine tea?
When fine tea was first introduced to Europe in the early 17th century by the Dutch and the Portuguese, it was very expensive and only aristocrats and members of royal families could afford to drink it. The English did not become aware of tea until the late 1650s and when Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess, arrived in England to marry Charles II, she helped to make fine tea popular. However, tea was highly taxed, and so was too expensive for most people, and fine tea was often smuggled from France and Holland where the tax was much lower.
In 1784, William Pitt, the Prime Minister lowered the tax on fine tea from 119% 12.5%, which reduced the smuggling, fine tea became more affordable and sales more than doubled in the year that followed. Drinking fine tea became more and more fashionable and rapidly tea became the drink of choice for the population of the UK.
Nowadays, fine tea is seen as a typically British drink, and Afternoon Tea is as much an institution as a meal. Afternoon tea typically involves sandwiches, scones and a selction of cakes and pastries as well as several pots of fine tea. Taking afternoon tea in an exclusive hotel or restaurant is extremely indulgent and a highly recommended way to live like a millionaire, even if only for an hour or two.
There is a type of fine tea for every situation, and tea is much more than a drink. Whether you want to catch up with friends, or need something to revitalise you during the day, there is always a fine tea that is just perfect. Sweet tea is also given to those in shock as it can help calm them down.
To make fine tea even more accessible and easy to make, the first patents for tea bags were registered around 1908. This helped to increase sales of tea, and now tea bags account for around 90% of all tea sales. Tea bag tea is not usually of such good quality as fine loose leaf tea, and those who prefer the finer things in life will prefer loose fine tea.
Fine tea also has many health benefits, such as the ability to protect us against cancer and arthritis, and it can help to reduce the risk of stroke and diabetes. All types of tea - green teas, black teas, white teas, oolong tea and puerh teas - have well documented medicinal properties, and it seems that new health benefits are being attributed to tea all the time
The future of tea is looking bright, despite the popularity of soft drinks and coffee. Whilst the health benefits of fine tea are attracting more and more new tea drinkers, people are also drinking fine teas because they appreciate the taste. There are many different fine teas from many different countries to try. Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya produce some of the best known fine teas and there are many different types to try.
Why not see which fine teas you like, and make them in the Tea Machine ?
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