knocked on the door and the waiter entered with a tray of tea and put it on the table in Japan. There was a clink of cups and saucers and the hissing samovar fluting of a Georgian. A page carrying two Chinese couples. Dorian Gray stood up and poured the tea. The two men approached the table and slowly raised their coprivivande.
"Let's go to the theater tonight - said Lord Henry. [...]
"I would be happy to be with you [...] - said the young man.
(Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray )
Tea, one of the oldest and most consumed beverage in the world in the West losing its mystical connotations typically Oriental, has always been seen as the beverage of mundane and entertainment company. For many years he was strictly an aristocratic pleasure, reserved for the privileged classes, later becoming, not least thanks to colonialism, a drink for everyone.
But what lies behind this popular beverage and intoxicating amber, for which intense aroma and refined at sea were fought wars and revolutions, and undertook endless crops so as to change the economy of entire countries?
Kazuko Okakura, author of a famous book on this magical drink - The Book of Tea - stated that 'the tea has nothing dell'inebriante arrogant individualism of coffee or wine and affection innocence of cocoa, but a subtle taste, especially suited to be idealized '.
That must be why the tea, when he came to the fore in Europe, imported by the Dutch in 1610 (but were two Italians, the Venetian Giovanni Ramusio, and the Jesuit Matteo Ricci in 1559, the first to speak and write of tea in Europe) has always been a source of inspiration for poets and artists, who portrayed him and praised him, and of course to drink it in industrial quantities?
(Pierre Chardin)
(George Goodwin Kilburn) In life there are few hours more enjoyable time dedicated to the ceremony of afternoon tea.
(Henry James, Portrait of a Lady )
(Richard Collins)
(Joseph de Camp)
(William McGregor Paxton) "I want you to drink my te '. You will feel, the smell will come to you' all 'soul." You spoke of a 'precious Giuntoli from Kolkata ... A sharp scent wafted in the 'air ... She towards 'the drink in a cup el' offered to Andrea, with a mysterious smile. He refused 'saying "I will not drink in the cup but you" ... "Now take a nice sip ... Mary kept her lips, to contain ... And the kiss Andrea ', sucking it all the sip ...
(Gabriele d'Annunzio, Pleasure )
(Mary Cassat)
(Mary Cassat)
(Wilson Henry Irvine) In England, now considered the true home of tea, the first appearance of the much-vaunted Bevade occurred in 1645, through Holland. In 1658 a short article in the british newspaper Mercurius Politicus performing the first advertisement of tea, informing readers that the competent authorities of China had approved a new drink, called by the Chinese Teha , and that you could find a place in the City : the Coffee House 'Sultaness Head' .
Someone said 'Who drank coffee England understand why the British are avid tea drinkers' . However, it is a fact that the cafes in the eighteenth century became less and less places for the distribution of coffee and more temples dedicated to the tasting of tea, for men only, where, between a cup and the other ideas were discussed, and business and criticizing the government, to the point of pushing the then King Charles II to issue a decree to close the Coffee House, for fear of sedition. protests, however, were so vibrant to cancel the order in favor of a law, less restrictive, limiting the consumption of tea only to the privileged classes: 'pleasure taken from this drink may adversely affect workers' was the warning.
Tea, for those lucky few, then, who could afford it, we drank almost always accompanied with milk, or even with two beaten egg yolks, custom odd, considering that it was not in the East ever used. But the British, after all, no matter the ancient traditions that have always accompanied the ritual of tea, given by his fathers oriental medicinal drink and contemplative.
addition to the nobles, many intellectuals were tea drinkers: broke out a true fashion, wearing the most to seek new sensations and lighting in amber brew. The twist in
cosume of tea, however, there was In 1717 Thomas Twining (this name sound familiar?) decided to expand his business and bought a room on the side of a very busy Coffee House, opening a store that sold bulk coffee and tea. The restaurant, which still exists, was open to all, including women, and that was his fortune.
Soon women became avid tea drinkers, and, according to tradition, it was a woman (could not be otherwise!), The Duchess of Bedfort, who invented the fashion of ' Afternoon Tea: Afternoon tea sir.
In Victorian tea ladies had become a unique opportunity to entertain social relations: women began to be visited to drink tea and eat sanwiches, toast and pastries. The lady of the house, and any subsidiary, was responsible for serving tea in a more refined way possible: he had become a veritable rite, of course, not comparable to the meaning that you continue to give in the East, but certainly a certain importance in the times of the bourgeoisie.
... The 'tea time' smoking and books closed, feel the softness of the end of the evening, the fatigue charming el 'beloved pending the' shadow of the wedding and good night.
(Paul Verlaine)
(Carlo Cressin)
(Lilla Cabot Perry)
(Desh Frank)
(Frederick Frieseke)
(Boris Kustodiev)
(Pierre Auguste Renoir)
(Mary Cassat)
(Henriette Ronner)
(John Tenniel) There was a table set under a tree front of the house, the March Hare and the Hatter at tea '. And, again, 'Get some' wine, 'the March Hare said in a tone inviting. Alice looked 'around everywhere but saw no one but you'
(Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland )
(Arthur Rackham) And today, as you take tea ?
addition to the traditional, essential ritual of afternoon tea, you can use in many different ways.
An example? The
cookies Matcha green tea ! Try them, are very good ...
Ingredients: 215g flour
sugar 100g butter 150g icing
egg yolks 3 tablespoons green tea matcha 1.5
A pinch of salt Sift the flour, tea powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl beat the butter for 3-5 minutes, until a soft consistency. Add sugar and continue beating for another couple of minutes until the mixture is light and puffy. Add to this point, the mixture of flour and tea powder and egg yolks, stir slowly until all has been incorporated and have obtained a compact paste. Finally, wrap the dough with the pelicola and let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes. After this time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin, and create cookies thickness of one centimeter. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes (you just need to color the edges).
And after this historic tour, art e. .. in the world of gourmet tea, I leave to the tune of 'Tea for Two'!