In Turkey, black tea is served in curved glasses and offered on trays to visitors throughout the day. Russians drink both green and black teas usually from glasses. The generally take sugar cube or spoonful of jam before sipping the tea.
Tea was a Status Symbol in Britain. As an imported luxury, only the wealthy could afford to drink tea. The ability to serve and drink tea with elegance and skill marked social status and indicated good breeding and intellect.To that end, many wealthy 18th century English and Dutch families had paintings made of the family having tea.Afternoon tea, still a popular British institution, is credited to Anna,the 7th Duchess of Bedford, who complained of the long gap between a light breakfast and a late evening meal.To appease her cravings, she advised her maid to bring a pot of tea and light refreshments to her room.Anna soon began to invite friends to join her for afternoon tea and the trend spread quickly.
High tea is a very much a different thing than the Afternoon tea. High tea, though it sounds more elite, is actually a 19th century working class custom. High tea is served later (around 6:00 PM) and consists of a full dinner meal for the common people. High tea is served alongside meats, fish or eggs, cheese, bread and butter, and cake. High tea is more of a man's meal, while Afternoon tea is more of a lady's social diversion.
Most of the Americans, like the British and Indian, drink strong tea with milk. Even though tea is the most popular drink in the world (besides water), it has only recently been on the rise in the United States. Today, thousands of Americans are adding tea into their healthy diets or substituting tea for coffee and soft drinks. Iced tea is a widely consumed beverage and about 80 percent of all teas consumed in the United State are iced tea. Of late, the fashion of drinking hot black tea with milk is gaining popularity. Tea bags were also developed in the United States, albeit by accident. In 1908, a New York tea merchant sent samples of his product sealed in silk bags to restaurants and cafes throughout the city. After some time, he discovered that the restaurants were brewing his tea directly in the silk bags to save time. This method of brewing immediately caught on.
