Исследовательская работа "История чая и чайные традиции в Англии"
проект по английскому языку на тему

Всероссийский конкурс

исследовательских работ «Сириус»

«History of tea and tea traditions in England»

                                                                 Суворова Ирина Руслановна

                     10 лет,3 класс

                                                          МОУ «СОШ № 20 г. Йошкар-Олы»

                                                     Педагог: Гатченко Алина Валериевна,                    

                                                             учитель английского языка

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Main information

2.1. History of tea in England

2.2. The features of English tea traditions

3. The methods of the investigation

3.1. Questionnaire

3.2. The experiment of the investigation.

4. Conclusion

Literature

Supplement

1. Introduction

            My work is about history of tea and tea traditions in England. What is tea? Different people can answer in different ways. The doctor says that the tea is a cure for many diseases. An ordinary man says that tea is his daily morning drink. English is one of the nations who drink much tea in the world: they drink 120,000,000 cups of tea daily according to the research by UK Tea Council! In modern English, even there is a term of a person who is tea addicted - a tea-aholic.          

Englishmen are proud of their traditions. It is a tea-drinking nation. The phrase "English Tea" is associated with quality, aristocratism and society. Practically everyone who will be asked: "What associations do you have talking about England?" will answer, "five o’clock" or "The English breakfast". I am interested in the history of English customs and traditions. I want to increase my knowledge in this area, learn more about the history of tea and the features of English tea traditions.

The aim of the study is to learn the history of tea and the traditions of drinking tea in the England.

The main tasks of my research:
-to find and learn information about history of English tea

-to learn facts about the traditions and customs of the tea party

-to learn new English words
-to make a questionnaire and booklet

The object of the study is English tea.

The subject is a culture of tea drinking traditions.

The hypothesis is to suppose that the tradition of tea drinking important for Englishmen.

Methods of my work are research of information, analysis and questionnaire.

Practical result: to make the booklet «Rules of English tea-drinking ceremony». It can be useful for everyday life. The material also can be used at the English lessons.

2. Main information

2.1 History of tea in England

          Tea was first discovered in China in 2737 BC by the Emperor Shen Nung. The story goes that he was sitting beneath a tree drinking hot water. As his servant topped up his cup with some boiling water, a leaf from the tree dropped into the water. The Emperor was impressed with the flavor, and thus the world’s first cup of tea was brewed. 

         Tea only made its way to England in large quantities in the first years of the 17th century. Dutch and Portuguese traders were shipping tea from China and a few other Asian countries to Europe regularly by 1610.

          Tea was being sold more widely in England by 1657, in London’s existing coffee houses, but it was called Tcha, China Drink, Tay or Tee, and was generally sold as a remedy to cure all ills; from fatigue and lack of virility to overall poor health and diseases of all kinds, and it was expensive. Tea was sold in the mid-1600s for as much as £10 per pound (£22 per kilogram), which is around £2,000 in today’s money. The average British didn’t have a £4,000 a year habit at the time. Commoners and servants would be lucky to earn £50 per year back then, so tea was exclusively for the very well off and they would lock it away in tea caddies.

        Nonetheless, it was available on almost every street in London by 1659. When Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of King Charles II, introduced the custom of taking tea to the royal court in 1662 it became more than just addictive, it became fashionable. By the mid-18th century, Canton was exporting nearly 7 million tons of tea to Europe each year; nearly half of it on British owned ships.

           Of course, the Crown didn’t take long to see the growing popularity of this new luxury good as a source of income. By the 18th century tea imports were being taxed at as much as 119%. The heavy taxation of course lead to smuggling on a massive scale, but also the sale of lower quality, sometimes dangerously adulterated tea. Used tea leaves were often dried and mixed in with new leaves, and plants like liquor ice, sloe and willow were used to ‘bulk up’ the much more expensive tea leaves. This smuggling was largely eliminated after 1784, when the tax on tea was brought down to 12.5%, but adulteration remained a large problem until it was made illegal in 1875.

            The word ‘tea’ can also mean a meal. The concept of ‘afternoon tea’ is said to have originated with Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford in the early 19th century. At the time the wealthy and merchant classes might not have their evening meal until 8 p.m. Of course, few people care to go 7 or 8 hours without eating, so the idea of a formal meal in the mid to late afternoon was a popular one. The working classes soon took to calling the main meal they had in the late afternoon ‘tea’ as well.

            There are many varieties of tea, from English Breakfast tea, to Earl Grey and the tarry Lapsang Souchong, they all come from the plant Camellia Sinensis, and are simply processed in different ways.

Black tea mixtures are still the most common type drunk in the UK, and it can be a shock for visitors. Black tea, be it from Twinings, Liptons, Tetley or PG Tips, makes a darker brew, because the leaves have been allowed to oxidase before drying. This is why we usually serve it with milk, although it is not uncommon to drink it black or with lemon.

           You may still find tea made with loose-leaf tea leaves, served up in a pot, and poured into the best china cups with saucers for visitors, but behind closed doors, it is likely to be served in a mug, and made with a tea bag.

          Green tea, made by not allowing the leaves to oxidase as much, thereby producing a more delicate flavour, is also very popular, as it's gained a reputation for being healthy.

            Less popular is white tea, made from very young leaves and dried with no processing at all.

2.2. The features of English tea traditions

             British afternoon tea ceremony enjoys a long history. Unfortunately, modern busy British people have no time to spend on afternoon tea services nowadays. Typically, afternoon tea is offered between 3 and 5 p.m. Now it has become a custom. They carry out only on special occasions.

             The history of the Afternoon tea ceremony in England roots back to the year 1800. Catherine of Braganza had started having a cup of tea with a piece of bread spread with butter. Usually, she enjoyed her Tea with her Royal friends. After that, other high society women followed in her footsteps and started hosting friends and treating them with cups of tea served with butter and bread.

Afternoon tea is known as ‘low tea’ as well. Since householders have served tea on low tables in their sitting rooms, British people have recognized the ceremony as the Low Tea custom. However, in the USA, it boasts a High Tea Ceremony. It is not because they serve tea late evenings but because they usually serve tea on high tables.

            Traditionally, the participants’ afternoon tea ceremony in England, hold cups of tea that have no handles. They lift the cup very slowly balancing it by curving a finger. Wrapping a cup wholly or setting the cup on the palm is treated as uncustomary. Visitors usually use a spoon to stir tea in the cup, but they are careful not to make any sounds by tapping the inner part of the cup with the spoon as they stir the tea. Then they place the spoon on the saucer on its right side. Sip by sip, they place the cup on the saucer. British people more often serve black tea with milk and sugar. Sometimes, they serve tea with lemon slices as well.

Occasionally, a nearby stand holds food. It has many three tiers and visitors customarily serve themselves food from its top to bottom. The first tier contains scones, second sandwiches and the third, sweets. Visitors serve themselves sweets only after having the items on the first two tiers.

The English drink tea six times a day, and each time of day has its own variety of tea and tea traditions:

 - Morning, the earliest tea, drink about six o'clock in the morning, sometimes straight in bed. The habit of "early morning cup" - the early cup of tea before washing and dressing arose from the damp climate of England, famous for its morning mists. English wake up early, at 6-7 o'clock in the morning, and a cup of strong tea is just a need to wake up;

- Then the tea is served about eight, at the first light breakfast. The British prefer to drink tea which is called «English Breakfast».

- Later, at eleven or twelve, it is time to "lunch”. The British cannot have it without tea.

- The fourth time the English drink tea is in the middle of the working day, making a short break, which is called «tea break». This tradition exists in our days.

- At five o'clock in the evening is the famous «five-o'clock tea». Millions of people, from a humble servant to the Queen, drink tea flavored generously with milk or cream.

- Evening after work is time of «high tea».

            The classical tea ceremony is served with traditional meal: thin, triangular or rectangular sandwiches (finger sandwiches) with butter and cucumber, traditional British scones, dry fruits baked right before teatime. At the "high" tea table (high afternoon tea), there is always a large selection of fresh pastries, which is traditionally served in a special bookcase. Assortment of cakes typically includes fruit cake, Victorian Cake (Victoria sponge), chocolate cake, ginger bread, biscuits, baskets of fresh fruit and more.

             Today, the British do not have time to dedicate to afternoon tea ceremonies. But they still engage in these happy moments when they celebrate special events in their lives or when they happen to host guests. In most of the countries where people regularly drink cups of tea, they eagerly wait for having one. People in England also are no different.

The traditional way of making English tea.

1. Boil some fresh water into the teapot.

2. Put some hot water into the teapot to make it warm.

3. Pour it away.

4. Put tea leaves into the pot.

5. Pour the boiling water into the tea.

6. Leave for a few minute.

7. Serve.

How to Set a Table for English Tea

           Hosting an English tea party is an elegant way to entertain friends and family. Planning the party and laying out the table are half the fun and with the proper planning, your English tea party will be remembered for a long time. Using proper etiquette in setting your table will display the teas and foods you have prepared and help create an authentic atmosphere for you and your guests to enjoy.

Things you need:

• Liquid dish soap
• Soft kitchen towel
• Lunch plates
• Teacups and saucers
• Cloth napkins
• Forks
• Sharp knives
• Butter knives
• Waste bowl
• Dessert plates
• Dessert spoons and forks
• Spoons
• Serving dishes
• Sugar bowl
• Creamer

Prepare the tea set, serving dishes and silverware. Wash them with liquid dish soap and hand-dry well ahead of time using a soft towel to prevent water spots.

Place a plate on the table. Fold a cloth napkin into a rectangle or triangle and place it in the center of the plate.

Place the teacup on the saucer and position it behind and to the right of the plate, with the handle pointing toward the right.

Place your fork to the left side of the plate.

Place a sharp knife on the right side of the plate, with the blade facing in toward the plate. Then place the butter knife next to the sharp knife, blade toward the plate. Finally, place the spoon to the right of the butter knife.

Place a small bowl for waste to the left of the place setting for used tea bags and lemons.

Center a dessert plate above the main plate, toward the centre of the table. Lay the dessert spoon and fork horizontally between the dessert plate and the larger plate, with the bowl of the dessert spoon facing left and the tines of the fork facing right.

Repeat Steps 2 through 7 for as many guests as you will have at your table.

Place your teapot, serving dishes, sugar bowl and creamer in the centre of the table, where they will be accessible and can be passed around easily.

If you do not own a tea set, check with friends and family to see if you can borrow one. Add decorations, such as flowers in a vase and taper candles in candleholders that complement your table setting. Avoid flowers and candles with overwhelming scents; you want to be able to enjoy the aroma of the tea

3. The methods of the investigation

3.1. The questionnaire

          The aim of my study is to find out if the pupils and adults know about tea and the traditions of drinking tea in England.

The main tasks of the study are :

to make questions about traditions of drinking tea in England.

to make a questionnaire among pupils

to analyze the results

to make the conclusions

I’ve made a questionnaire among fifty people. It was interesting for me to find out what they know about the features of the tea drinking tradition in England. Besides, I wanted to know if they like to drink tea. (Supplements 1)

You can see the questions and the results of the questionnaire. I’ve made a conclusion that

76% of people can’t answer the questions

24% of them can answer them.

90% of people like to drink tea

10% of them don’t like tea

26% prefer tea with milk

34% like tea with lemon

30% drink black tea

10% drink green tea

Therefore, most of people like to drink tea but most people know a little about the features of the tea traditions in England.

3.2. The experimental investigation

           Tea is traditionally served with lemon or milk. It used to be drunk black without anything in it, but as people became more in a hurry they added milk to drink it more quickly. The addition of milk results in a less astringent, less bitter flavor. Not only does milk cover up the flavor of the tea, it also binds to some of the bitter chemical compounds found in tea.

How Much Milk Should You Add? There is really no set guidelines or suggestions about how much milk you should add to any particular tea. Most tea should not require a lot of milk. In general, begin with a splash or a tablespoon of milk.

There are disputes about how to pour- milk into the tea or to pour tea into the milk. British scientists do not have a consensus. Therefore, I have decided to make an experiment. It is interesting for me to know the taste of such tea.

The experiment 1. I have made tea in a classical way. I took equal parts of milk and tea. Then I took a glass and poured some tea in it .Then I added some warm milk in a glass with tea.

The experiment 2. I took another glass and poured some warm milk in first. Then I added some tea.

I tasted two variants. Тhe flavor was the same but the second variant of making  tea with milk was stronger and had better colour.

So what you should add at first and how much milk you should pour. It is a personal preference. It depends, more than anything, on your personal taste and the type of tea you brew.

The experiment 3. I learnt a lot of information about English tea ceremony and I have made a booklet «Rules of tea- drinking ceremony». These rules are:

1. Take a napkin and put on knees.

2. First of all put sugar, and then a lemon in a tea. Milk and lemon can’t be mixed.

3. Serve several snacks: spicy snack, British scones, and then candies and biscuits. Eat them only in such strict order.

4. The teaspoon can't be held in a cup, place it on a saucer.

5. Don’t bulged little finger when a spoon in hands.

Then I have made my own English tea-drinking party at home. I invited my relatives and prepared the tea set, teapot, serving dishes, sugar bowl. Then I made tea in traditional way and served sweets and biscuits .We tasted tea with lemon according to all rules of English tea traditions.

4. Conclusion

           After my researches, I learnt about history of tea and English tea traditions.  My hypothesis is right. England respects its unique traditions and does everything to keep them. Britain has always lived a complex life in which traditional values and love of the past exist side by side with desire for change. The tradition of drinking tea has become a symbol of Britain. Tea has become an integral part of life in Britain. A cup of tea is a symbol of comfort, warm links and traditions. Modern life is busier but tea traditions are important thing for Englishmen. There is also one secret: if you drink tea with your close friends or relatives, it will be more pleasant.         

          During my work I have got a lot of useful information and I have made booklet about the tea- drinking traditions in England for pupils. (Supplement 2) The booklet consists of several sections: rules of tea -drinking ceremony, how to make English tea, how to serve the table and interesting fact about tea. 

         I made my own tea ceremony at home using the information from the booklet. My family liked it very much.

Supplement 1

Questionnaire

1. Do you know about tea traditions in England?

2. Do you like to drink tea?

3. What sort of tea do you drink?

Supplement 2

«Rules of tea- drinking ceremony»

1. Take a napkin and put on knees.
2. First, put sugar, and then a lemon in a tea. Milk and lemon can't be mixed.
3. Serve several snacks: spicy snack, British scones, and then candies and biscuits. Eat them only in such strict order.
4. The teaspoon can't be held in a cup, place it on a saucer.
5. Don’t bulged little finger when a spoon in hands.

Literature

1. Ivanova E.A. The book about tea.-Smolensk: Russia, 1996, 226p.
2. Khimunina T. Konon N. Customs, traditions and festivals of Great Britain. Prosvesheniya. 1975
3. http.ru.wikipedia.org
4. englishtea.org.uk/history of tea
5. www.snapguide.com/guides/make-black-tea-with-milk
6. www.blackteaworld.com/british-tea-culture