American tea culture

American tea culture encompasses the methods of preparation and means of consumption of tea within the context of the culture of the United States.

American restaurants and workplaces typically offer machine-made

The American tea culture^[3] is a part of the history of the United States, as this beverage appeals to all classes and has adapted to the customs of the United States of America. In the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, now known as New York, tea was served with the best silver strainers, the finest porcelain cups and pots, and wooden tea caddy.^[4] Tea became a very popular drink in the colonies, and tea ceremonies were common among all classes. In Salem, Massachusetts, tea leaves were boiled to create a bitter brew, then served as a vegetable side dish with butter. By the time of the American Revolution, tea was drunk everywhere from the backwoods to the cities.^[5]

The view of tea in American culture began to shift when the British government introduced the Townshend Acts in 1767. Tea was taxed as part of these laws which made it less affordable for the American people. However, cheaper tea was still smuggled into America.

• TeaTime Magazine[11]
• World Tea News ^[12]
• T Ching ^[13]

Iced tea

Iced tea is usually prepared from

Iced tea's popularity in the United States has led to an addition to standard cutlery sets; the iced tea spoon is a standard flatware teaspoon, but with a long handle, suitable for stirring sugar into the taller glasses commonly used for iced tea.

Tea bags

Roberta Lawson and Mary McLaren were given the patent for the tea bag.

Be it known that we, Roberta C. Lawson and Mary McLaren, citizens of the united states, residing at Milwaukee, WI have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tea-Leaf Holders, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

^[14]

Thomas Sullivan is credited with inventing tea bags in 1908. Sullivan, a New York tea importer, inadvertently invented tea bags when he sent tea samples to clients in small

The customers were more interested in the brewing convenience of the novel silk bags than his bulk teas. Sullivan did not realize this until they all started to complain that the orders they received were not in the same small bags the samples had been in. Silk was too expensive for everyday disposal; therefore, he invented tea bags made of gauze.^[15] The tea bag made of paper fiber was a later American invention.

The nylon pyramidal tea bag containing broken teas and semi-leaf teas made an appearance in the marketplace for aficionados. The pyramidal shape - it is said^[who?] - allows more room for the leaf to steep. Environmentalists prefer silk to nylon because of the health and biodegradability issues.^[16]

Most tea sold in the United States is sold in bags, although

In the early 1980s, a mini-revival of demand for better quality teas from all origins occurred in the United States. Prior to this time, much of the tea available in 20th century USA was blended specifically for gallon and half-gallon sized iced tea bags, with the quality of not "creaming down" (a creamy looking color that imparts to some teas after cooling down) when iced as a needed aspect; "clear-liquoring" teas were required.^{[citation needed]}

Most iced tea blends in the USA have traditionally been made from the teas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Argentina and Malawi.^[19]

A recent rise in the demand for orthodox tea in both gallon and half-gallon iced tea bags, as well as 500 and 1,000 gram loose tea packs has caused manufacturers to reinstate orthodox manufacturing methods.^{[citation needed]} This is a departure from the more common Sri Lankan, Indonesian, Argentinian and other nations' orthodox rotorvane tea-making method which has limitations and can not produce whole leaf black tea. The rotorvane method was adopted primarily to satisfy the demand for the smaller leaf sizes that fit into small (1-2 gram) tea bag blends worldwide starting in the early 20th century.}

Varieties of teas

Currently, there is a revival of interest in the many varieties of black teas throughout the United States.^[20] Additionally, other exotic teas (such as the vast variety of African, Asian and South American teas) and different brewing styles are becoming more commonplace. Teas from all origins and elevations, made in all methods of manufacture, are popular in the US, a tea market which has traditionally been more flexible and willing to try new types of drinks than tea markets throughout the old world.

Decaffeinated tea is widely available in the United States, for those who wish to reduce the physiological effects of caffeine. There are many who are aware that the sales trend for decaf teas in the USA has shown a decreasing curve in demand at retail over the past 20 years, yet the high price of decaf remains unchanged. The reasons are twofold.

Not only is decaf tea more expensive than non-decaf tea, the processes of decaffeinating that is commonly used depletes a great deal of the flavor out of the tea.^[21] The teas with the highest caffeine content fall far below the coffees with the lowest caffeine content. In this light, and considering that most people would prefer to buy better quality teas rather than the less flavorful decaf teas, the American consumer has been buying decaf tea slightly less in recent years. For those who are caffeine intolerant, however, the invention of decaffeinated tea has been welcomed as a refreshing and tasty alternative to caffeinated beverages.

U.S. regional tea traditions

Sweet tea

is used.

In the Northern United States and the Western United States, "tea" generally means the hot beverage and iced tea is referred to by name.

Sun tea

Sun tea is frequently brewed in temperate areas by placing tea and room-temperature water together in a glass jar left outdoors in direct sunlight. Steeping times are necessarily long, two to four hours. Tea may also be brewed with no heat at all by simply immersing the tea bags or infuser in room-temperature water and allowing a period of several hours (typically overnight) for steeping. Since sun brewing occurs in a temperature range that can promote the development of bacteria, particularly

Centers for Disease Control

and the Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc. suggest storing sun-brewed tea in the refrigerator and discarding it after 24 hours.

Gallery

• 
  Tea & coffee warehouse advertisement listing teas for sale in the Boston Almanac, 1856, described as a 13-year-old business supplying "families, hotel keepers, boarding houses, ship's use, and schools"
• 
  Interior view of the Oriental Tea Company store of Boston, 1800s
• 
  In this advertisement from 1897,

  Formosa

  is shown
• 
  Sylvia Sweets Tea Room, corner of School and Main streets, Brockton, Mass., 1940–41

In popular culture

This section may contain irrelevant references to popular culture. Please remove the content or add citations to reliable and independent sources. (September 2022)

Architecture

• Chester teapot, a teapot-shaped building made in 1938, and billed as "world's largest" to represent a local pottery industry

Idioms

• "Not my cup of tea" (not one's choice or preference)^[22]
• "Tea" is used to refer to salacious or personal information or gossip in
  American South
  .

Museums and tea farms

• Charleston Tea Garden, owned by the Bigelow Tea Company
• Finger Lakes Tea Company in upstate New York
• East Texas Tea Company in Mount Vernon, Texas started tea cultivation in 2009
• Atealier (formerly East Texas Tea Company) in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
• The Great Mississippi Tea Company in Brookhaven, Mississippi
• Minto Island Tea Farm, Oregon
• Sparta Teapot Museum, a former American museum of more than 6,000 teapots, closed a few years after a funding controversy

Music

• "I'm a Little Teapot" (formally titled "The Teapot Song"), a children's song from 1939 and a related dance
• My Cup of Tea
• "Tea for Two" (song), a song from the 1925 musical No, No, Nanette

See also

• Argo Tea, Chicago based chain of tea cafés
• Bigelow Tea Company, founded in 1945 in Connecticut with a tea blended with orange and spices, family owned
• Celestial Seasonings, a pioneering American herbal tea company founded in Colorado, 1969
• English Breakfast tea
  , named by an English-American tea merchant in 1843 in New York City
• The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company
  , began in 1859 as a tea and coffee dealer in New York; also known as the giant supermarket chain "A&P"
• List of tea companies#United States
• Luzianne, a Louisiana-based tea company that introduced an iced tea blend in 1932
• Lynchburg Lemonade, a cocktail and long drink
• Salada tea, a tea company founded in Montreal, that built a headquarters in Boston in 1917
• Snapple, an American brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Plano, Texas
• Stash Tea Company, a large specialty tea company based in Oregon
• Tazo, a tea & herbal tea manufacturer and distributor founded in Portland, OR
• Tea production in the United States
• Tearoom (U.K. and U.S.)

Bibliography

• Griffiths, John (2011). Tea: A History of the Drink that Changed the World. London: Carlton Publishing. pp. 16,18,63, 78–79, 106.
• Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell (1841). Early American Cookery. Boston: The Good Housekeeper. p. 112.
• Heiss, M.L and Heiss, R.J. (2007). The Story of Tea: A cultural history and drinking guide. Berkeley, CA: 10 Speed Press. p. 80.
• Mair, Victor and Hoh, Erling (2009). The true history of tea. New York: Thames and Hudson. p. 201.
• Stern, Tracy (2007). Tea Party: 20 Themed Tea parties with recipes for every occasion, from fabulous showers to intimate gatherings. New York: Random House. pp. 12–18.

References

1. ^ Stern, Tracy "Tea Party:20 Themed Tea Parties with recipes for every occasion" (2007, Random House).
2. ^ Sagon, Candy. "Growing Popularity of Sweet Iced Tea -".
3. ^ "about american tea culture - Bon Teavant". bonteavant.com. February 14, 2024.
4. ^ [Griffiths, John "Tea: a history of the drink that changed the world" Carlton Publishing Group, 2011]
5. ^
   ISBN 9781607741725. At Google Books
   .
6. ^ Labaree, Benjamin (1964). The Boston Tea Party. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 7.
7. ^ Labaree, Benjamin (1964). The Boston Tea Party. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 20.
8. ^ (1) Adams, John (July 6, 1774). "John Adams to Abigail Adams". The Adams Papers: Digital Editions: Adams Family Correspondence, Volume 1. Massachusetts Historical Society. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014. I believe I forgot to tell you one Anecdote: When I first came to this House it was late in the Afternoon, and I had ridden 35 miles at least. "Madam" said I to Mrs. Huston, "is it lawfull for a weary Traveller to refresh himself with a Dish of Tea provided it has been honestly smuggled, or paid no Duties?"
   "No sir, said she, we have renounced all Tea in this Place. I cant make Tea, but I'le make you Coffee." Accordingly I have drank Coffee every Afternoon since, and have borne it very well. Tea must be universally renounced. I must be weaned, and the sooner, the better.
   (2) Stone, William L. (1867). "Continuation of Mrs. General Riedesel's Adventures". Mrs. General Riedesel: Letters and Journals relating to the War of Independence and the Capture of the Troops at Saratoga (Translated from the Original German). Albany: Joel Munsell. p. 147. She then became more gentle, and offered me bread and milk. I made tea for ourselves. The woman eyed us longingly, for the Americans love it very much; but they had resolved to drink it no longer, as the famous duty on the tea had occasioned the war. At Google Books. Note: Fredricka Charlotte Riedesel was the wife of General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel, commander of all German and Indian troops in General John Burgoyne's Saratoga campaign and American prisoner of war during the American Revolution.
   (3) Zuraw, Lydia (April 24, 2013). "How Coffee Influenced The Course Of History". NPR. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
   (4) DeRupo, Joseph (July 3, 2013). "American Revolution: Stars, Stripes—and Beans". NCA News. National Coffee Association. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
   (5) Luttinger, Nina; Dicum, Gregory (2006). The coffee book: anatomy of an industry from crop to the last drop. The New Press. p. 33.
   ISBN 9781595587244. At Google Books
   .
9. ^ 'Tea finally making a stir in America' The Times. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
10. ^ Campbell, Polly (April 26, 2006). "Suited to a tea." Cincinnati Enquirer.
11. ^ "TeaTime Magazine". TeaTime Magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
12. ^ "HomePage | World Tea News". www.worldteanews.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
13. ^ "T Ching | Discover Tea | Blog Home". T Ching. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
14. ^ Eschner, Kat. "Ever Wonder Who Invented the Tea Bag?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
15. ^ ^{a b} "Tea Bag History".
16. ^ Tea’s Got a Brand New Bag The New York Times, September 13, 2006.
17. ^ "Because You Asked". bigwalnuthistory.org.
18. ^ History of Tea in the USA Archived December 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
19. ^ "Tea Fact Sheet" (PDF).
20. ^ "Tea and Cancer Prevention". National Cancer Institute.
21. ^ Decaffeinated tea: Is It Safe to Drink?
22. ^ "Not my cup of tea". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved April 2, 2016.