Afternoon Tea or High Tea

Before there was oil there was tea. The original “black gold” has been the social fuel of the British Empire since the 17th century. It filled the coffers of the East Indian Tea Company, the treasury of the British Empire, started wars, calmed nerves and helped generations through stressful situations. In fact, tea by far exceeds the popularity of coffee in most Middle Eastern countries. British merchants devised processing methods for “black tea”(fully fermented) and marketed tea both in England and abroad. The Tea Exchange, where millions of “tea chests” are traded annually is still in London, whereas the Coffee Exchange in New York. London is still the place to go for a perfectly serves afternoon tea, which depending on the establishment, may consist of a couple of cups of tea along will some pastries, but more often than not is a meal. First, be aware that no self-respecting tearoom will use tea bags, always loose leaves, In 1610, Dutch traders brought the first commercial shipmen...