#teaetiquette

Cup Plate

/ rkolterman / Leave a comment

What is a cup plate? During the early nineteenth century, hot tea was served in handleless cups. The tea was poured into a deep saucer to cool, and one then drank from the saucer. The cup was placed on a small cup plate to prevent the staining of furniture and linens.


The word saucer is used for the dish used beneath a tea cup but at one time it actually was used for sauces. The saucer above on the left is an example of a deep dish saucer, it does not have the cup ring in the center. Later, a cup ring was added to saucers to hold the cup in the center of the dish. On the right is the tea cup saucer that we are used to seeing today with the center ring.

In 1982, Kaleidoscope, Inc. presented a series of thirteen Nursery Rhyme cup plates hand pressed by The Fenton Art Glass Company of Williamstown, West Virginia. The literature accompanying the cup plates state they were “a limited edition of 15,000 plates and that second quality plates and the moulds were destroyed after production. Each cup plate features both the Fenton “Oval” and the Kaleidoscope, Inc. “Star” trademarks.”

Each boxed cup plate includes a card, giving a brief history of the nursery rhyme represented on the plate. I was presented with two of the plates by my dear friend Melissa. They represent “Jack and Jill’ in teal colored glass and “Humpty Dumpty” in Lollipop yellow. They are perfect escorts for my porcelain Teavana teapot and handleless cups.

Tea Additions 1 + 1 = Tea

/ rkolterman / Leave a comment

Tea Time Etiquette

In a previous post, we learned the proper way to stir a cup of tea is with the spoon moving from the 12:00 to 6:00 o’clock positions, not in a circle. Today we will discuss what additions to tea are likely to be added.  A tea served in the afternoon is usually a full bodied, unflavored black tea, which is often complemented with the addition of milk, sugar or lemon.

Let Us Begin with Milk

The first purport of milk being added to tea was in France during the 1600’s. In one of her many letters about the French court, Madame de Sevigne wrote about one of her contemporaries tea drinking habits. “Madame de la Sabliere took her tea with milk, as she told me the other day, because it was to her taste.”

Cream is never added to tea due to its heaviness, which will mask the flavor of the tea. Milk is much lighter. Etiquette declares that milk is always poured in AFTER the tea so its strength can be determined.

Apparently, there is a hot debate about milk in first or last. It has been theorized that English servants, when making their own tea, would put the milk in first to prevent their stoneware mugs from cracking from the hot water. The upper class used fine bone china and did not have to worry about cracking their drinkware thus they poured the tea first. At some point this milk in first or last became a matter of snobbish contention by upper and lower class. As to this snobbishness, the rest of us can simply furrow our brow, shrug our shoulders and say, “hmm” as we sip our tea.

Sugar

I am partial to honey as the sweetener of choice for tea but the sugar cube is always a fun way to sweeten the cup. It is usually preferred at a tea gathering for it neatness and the elegance of using the sugar tongs.

Lemon

Lemon is amenable with most black teas served for an afternoon tea. However, those who enjoy the citrus tone of an Earl Grey tea or the smokiness of a Lapsang Souchong say they are best enjoyed unadulterated. Lemon is never served in wedges but thinly sliced on a serving dish near the milk and sugar. A serving utensil should be provided, such as a lemon fork with splayed tines.

Lemon Faux Pas (a sour experience)

  • Transferring the lemon slice from the cup of tea to the saucer. You will end up with your cup resting in a puddle of tea.
  • Using the spoon to press the lemon slice after you place it in the cup.
  • Asking for BOTH milk and lemon. The lemon will curdle the milk!

Disclaimer: There are no Etiquette Police, however, before you can break the rules, you have to know them first!!!