Essence of the art of tea.

Taking time for yourself is a vital part of the spiritual life - slowing down, noticing your own cycles and seasons, what's precious in your life, and what may need care.

One word for this turning of attention to things of the spirit is "contemplation," a word with an Eastern perfume, opening us to images of silent gardens, empty rooms, a still mind. When the mind is open, the heart can receive messages. Openness comes from stillness. Stillness comes from taking time out from the rush of your everyday life.

High Tea

It is also necessary to distinguish between 'afternoon' tea and 'high' tea. The difference is bound up by times and forms of meals. Afternoon tea was eaten before an evening dinner--about four o'clock--and was a polite little snack.

Afternoon tea usually consisted of cakes, biscuits, bread and butter and tea. The custom began in the 18th century as a way of satisfying people's appetites between meals. Throughout the century, dinner got later and later.

High tea was eaten after a midday dinner--between five and six o'clock--and was likely to be a main meal. High tea evolved from the 18th century dinner, and eventually replaced it amongst the fashionable. (Dinner was then served as late as eight o'clock.) Another term for "High tea" is "meat tea," as the meal was generally served with meats and other dishes. A typical menu at High tea would consist of Roast pork, stand pie, salmon and salad, trifle, jellies, lemon-cheese tarts, sponge cake, walnut cake, chocolate roll, pound cake, white and brown bread, currant teacake, curd tart and cheeses. While tea was the main beverage, coffee and cocoa were sometimes served at high tea.

Nursery tea was at 4 o'clock. Cake, bread and butter and jam was the usual nursery tea. An iced sponge cake might be served if it was one of the children's birthdays. The parents would join them on this occasion also. Tea in the nursery would be the children's evening meal. They did not dine with the adults.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

The physical movements of the tea ceremony is very precise, while flowing. The motions of the tea ceremony are down to a cue. Every motion of the ceremony is known beforehand. Through practice, these mechanized motions become very fluid. The motions of the ritual are said to be the most efficient. In other words, every single motion has a reason for being done in that particular way.

The tea ceremony really illustrates the dynamics of etiquette between host and guest. Both host and guest have parts to play in the ritual. The host's job begins before the guests even arrive. Aside from general maintenance chores, the tea ware and hearth is carefully chosen, according to the season. The general mechanics of a tea ceremony are:

--The tea ceremony consists of the host first bringing the tea utensils into the room, offering the guests special sweets. The host prepares the tea, following a precise and intricate sequence of movement.

--The host puts a powdered tea in a bowl and pours on it water that has been heated over a charcoal brazier.

--The tea is whipped to a froth with a bamboo whisk and then passed from hand to hand. The bowls are valued for their heat-retaining properties and the way in which they fit the hand as well as for appearance.

--The various utensils (the tea bowl, tea caddy, water container, boxes, plates, and iron tea kettle) have been carefully selected by the tea master and are often of great age. The tea drinking is followed by a discussion and appreciation of the qualities of the utensils.

Tea drinkers have lower risk of myocardial infarction

WESTPORT, Jan 20 (Reuters Health) - The consumption of tea, but not coffee, is associated with a decreased risk of myocardial infarction, according to the results of a case-control study published in the January 15th issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Dr. Howard D. Sesso from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues there and elsewhere in Massachusetts, investigated the effects caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee and regular black tea on the risk of myocardial infarction. The subjects were 340 white men and women with first myocardial infarction and neighbourhood controls matched for age and sex.

According to the report, "[t]he odds ratio for drinking [at least] 4 cups/day of caffeinated coffee versus drinking [one or fewer] cup/week was 0.84...after adjustment for coronary risk factors." The authors add that the "[t]he odds ratio for drinking [more than] 1 cup/day of decaffeinated coffee versus nondrinkers was 1.25."

The research team notes that heavy drinkers of caffeinated coffee were also heavy smokers and that this "...strongly attenuated our results".

In the case of tea, the investigators found that "...the odds ratio for drinking [at least] 1 cup/day versus nondrinkers was 0.56."

Dr. Sesso's group believe that "...flavonoids in black tea may reduce myocardial infarction by inhibiting low density lipoprotein cholesterol oxidation, reducing platelet aggregation...or...ischemic damage." Alternatively, on the basis of their findings, they suggest that "...higher tea consumption may be a surrogate for a healthier lifestyle." They conclude that further studies are required to distinguish between these two possibilities.

Am J Epidemiol 1999;149:162-167.

-Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700