As we all know, the UK itself does not produce tea, but the UK is one of the largest tea consumers in the world, ranking in the top three, even more awesome than China, the country of origin of tea.
This shows the amount of tea in the daily drink of the British. If you have to say what kind of tea is most popular with the British, it has to be black tea.
The British are to black tea, as Brazil is to football, is an almost obsessive love, not only in terms of taste and taste, but also in terms of cultural taste, which directly gave birth to a noble and elegant afternoon tea culture.
Why did black tea, one of the six major tea families of Chinese tea, become the "national drink" of the United Kingdom?
Aunt Mei came to China for a visit and was invited to tea in Beijing. After tasting Chinese tea, praise for Chinese tea. So what is this tea that Aunt Mei tasted, and why did it get so much love and praise from Aunt Mei?
The tea that entertained Aunt Mei is the Zhengshan small species of Wuyi Mountain, and it is also the originator of black tea. In fact, the British also like to drink black tea, and British tea was also imported from China a long time ago. China's black tea is mainly divided into small black tea, gongfu black tea and black broken tea. Small black tea, also known as Lapu Mountain small seed, is the invention of tea farmers in Wuyi Mountain Tea District, Fujian Province, belongs to the full fermentation of tea, is made of the buds and leaves of tea trees as raw materials, after withering, twisting, kneading, drying and other processes, the tea leaves are black, and the tea soup is mainly red, so it is called black tea. The aroma is subtle, and the taste is mellow and sweet. So how did Chinese tea get to the UK?
Activity: BLACK TEA
Before 1650, the economic and trade rights of "Zhengshan Xiaozhong" black tea can be said to be completely monopolized by the Dutch, but the British East India Company was optimistic about the tea market in Wuyi, China, and set up a trading office in Xiamen in 1644, and began to engage with the Dutch in the tea business. From 1652 to 1654, the two kingdoms finally met each other, and the First Anglo-Dutch War broke out, and from 1665 to 1667, the Second Anglo-Dutch War broke out, and the British won again, getting rid of the Dutch and gradually monopolizing the tea trade. In 1669, the British government stipulated that tea was monopolized by the British East India Company, and since then, the British government has purchased Wuyi tea from Xiamen and imported a large number of "Zhengshan Xiaozhong" black tea into the European market.
Chinese black tea was introduced to the United Kingdom, and the custom of drinking tea was passed down in the British royal family. At the end of the 18th century, the habit of drinking tea became popular in England, because the British liked to add sugar and milk to tea, and black tea gradually dominated the tea market. Britain's tea culture developed to its peak in the Victorian era, and the British completely borrowed the goods of other countries to create a unique British black tea culture, creating an elegant and comfortable European afternoon tea lifestyle, which became the object of white-collar workers in many countries.
China is the homeland of tea, and our tea has very good innate conditions and advantages. We should continue to carry forward and promote our tea culture, so that Chinese tea can go to the world again. It is hoped that Chinese tea can occupy a higher position in the world, and Chinese tea is once again popular.
The style of black tea in Britain first flourished among the aristocracy, and later spread to the people. For the British, black tea is not only a delicious drink, but also contains beauty and spirit, and also condenses traditional culture and etiquette culture. Compared to China, the black tea culture in the UK is more social.
The UK is also the world's largest importer of black tea. The British love for black tea can be traced back to the 17th century, when it was brought to the British market from the East by the Dutch, and it was quickly accepted and popularized by the British.
The climate of the United Kingdom provides ample conditions for drinking black tea. The UK is rainy all year round, with temperatures varying by 20°C throughout the day, sometimes by 20°C, so they are more likely to relax and socialise at home or in other indoor places. So afternoon tea has become the best choice for the British.
The black tea culture in the UK has a profound influence, but most of the black tea used in the UK is not produced in the UK. When black tea first entered the UK, it was very expensive and a noble item that only the upper class could enjoy, so much so that drinking black tea became a status symbol. In the early days of the London market, there was only "Wuyi black tea" (a small black tea from Fujian, China), and it was the best way for hosts to show off their wealth.
According to relevant books, Britain imported about 1 kilogram of Wuyi black tea in 1664, and an average of 123 kilograms per year in the following 20 years. Initially, Wuyi black tea was expensive to ship and heavily taxed by the British, reaching 119% at its peak, but it was not until the 18th century that the British lowered the tea tax, thus ending the history of tea being enjoyed only by the aristocracy.
According to statistics, the average British person drinks 1,300 cups of tea per person per year, that is, about 4~5 cups of tea per person per day. The English afternoon tea is served between 3pm and 5pm, and with the rise of Britain at the end of the 19th century, the afternoon tea culture has also been promoted to the world, becoming a worldwide cultural icon. Nowadays, almost every Western restaurant will serve afternoon tea meals.