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Saturday, May 11

Liquid wisdom

I humbly ask your pardon. It has been so long since I last wrote, but it has been quite the week.

Momma got a new part-time job, and Grandmomma and my Big Sister both got sick!

However, today Grandmomma, Momma, and I went to a Mother-Daughter Tea at our church.
Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water. Tea is an aromatic beverage created by pouring hot or boiling water over dried leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.

Drinking tea was first recorded in China in the 10th century B.C. Tea was introduced to Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the 16th century. 

The British introduced tea to India, in order to compete with the Chinese monopoly on tea. Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century, and eventually named their evening meals after it.

The term "high tea" was first used around 1825 and was served in the early evening at the dining, or kitchen, table.

The term "high tea" was used as a way to distinguish it from afternoon, or low, tea. Afternoon tea, or low tea,  was served in the garden when possible; otherwise it was usually taken inside on low tables placed near sofas or chairs.
 

Tea eventually made its way to England's North American colonies. After the Boston Tea Party on Dec. 16, 1773, coffee became the drink of choice in the newly formed United States.

It has been theorized that tea lead to the popularity of Chinese workers on U.S. railroads in the 19th century. Most American railroad workers would drink water from any source - and would frequently get waterborne illnesses such as cholera and typhoid fever.

The Chinese workers rarely got ill and quickly became popular as a source of cheap labor. Why? They almost always boiled their water for tea, instead of drinking water.


Let that be your lesson: Boiled water = healthy water.

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