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ENGLISH TEA A ritual of refinement This time-honoured ritual is an invitation to take a break from everyday cares, and share a restorative moment of sensory pleasure. You may think of tea as the quintessential English beverage, but it did not arrive in Britain until the late 17th century. The Portuguese, who had brisk trading operations in the Far East, had been enjoying tea for some time. When England's King Charles II married Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza, tea was part of her dowry. Soon it became the drink of royalty, and courtiers then followed suit. For aristocrats, tea was truly elevated as a symbol of privilege and leisure in the mid-1840s when one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, the Duchess of Bedford, invented the afternoon tea. She would order an afternoon snack and a pot of tea to be brought to her room to revive herself during the long interval between lunch and dinner. Soon, she began inviting friends to her chambers to share this treat, and the so-called "at home" tea was born. No English tea is complete without a delicious treat to accompany the perfect pot. Traditional teatime fare includes dainty finger sandwiches with classic fillings like cucumber, smoked salmon or egg salad, and warm scones served with clotted cream and jam. Sweet tea cakes and fruit-laced buns add a comforting touch, while delicate tarts and cakes bring a flourish of indulgence. These timeless delights are the heart of a truly satisfying afternoon tea. HOW TO BREW THE PERFECT POT OF TEA 1. Rinse out your teapot with warm water so your pot does not crack when you pour hot water into it. 2. For a proper afternoon tea, use loose tea leaves (as opposed to tea bags) because they are fresher and more flavourful. Place these into the pot (in which case you would use a strainer over the cup as you pour), or into a small metal or mesh ball called an infuser. Calculate a teaspoon of leaves for each guest, plus one more "for the pot." 3. Using a kettle, bring fresh water to a full boil. Then, wait! Do not pour boiling water into a teapot when it is scalding, as doing so will burn the leaves and ruin the flavour. 4. Cool the water ever so slightly to a temperature of 96°C for black tea or 71–82°C for green tea. (Never reboil water, as this can create a metallic taste.) 5. Steep from 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the tea type and to your taste. What could be more relaxing and utterly civilised than a proper English tea? 41 | Viking Explorer Society News