I was reading an interesting article the other day about the perceived femininity of “tea” … with which I had to agree. In this country, except for the ready-to-drink bottled iced tea products, advertising is targeted primarily to women over the age of 35. If you ask someone to describe an image of “tea drinking”, they’ll probably describe two women sitting at a table drinking from bone china tea cups and saucers, perhaps sharing a plate of cookies. Mention “tea” to most people and you’re likely to hear “when I’m not feeling well, I’ll have a cup” … “my mother used to give it to me when I had a cold” … “no thanks, I’m a coffee drinker”.
Tea is still perceived to be a ‘snobby’ or ‘aristocratic’ beverage. Tea houses also continue to be perceived as feminine ‘women-owned’ and operated establishments for the sole enjoyment of tea for women by women. Unfortunately, many men I know will not accept an invitation to a tea house, because of that perceived femininity.
Sadly, tea does have a feminine image … in this country. Around the world, however, it is completely different. In India, China and Sri Lanka, tea is a male-dominated industry. For the most part, tea plantations are owned by corporations, managed primarily by men. Although women have begun to crack the glass ceiling a bit, auction houses are still dominated by men. The highly-regarded profession of tea tasting is another male-dominated segment of the tea industry. You may see men in the fields transporting the freshly plucked leaves, but it is women who are in the fields plucking the leaf. You’d be hard pressed to see a woman manager at any of these plantations. The heavy equipment in the factories are all operated by men while the women sit at tables sorting the leaf.
Visiting a tea sorting room in China.
Again, in every other country, tea is prepared by men, shared and enjoyed by men. There is no ‘perceived femininity’. In the middle East, haggling over a purchase doesn’t even begin until the tea is served. Chaiwallahs in India are men who each day prepare and serve this spicy, rich elixir. The American Revolution began with the Sons of Liberty making a political statement by throwing crates of tea into Boston Harbor. In Japan, Samurai warriors were masters of the Chanoyu tea ceremony, brewing tea before discussing important matters of state. The “mustache cup” was invented during Victorian times so that men who sported virile, elegantly-shaped mustaches could drink their tea without the fear of the wax melting.
In her 1951 book, A Thirst for Empire: How Tea Shaped the Modern World, after surveying men and women, in this country, of all ages , author Erika Rappaport reported that 72% of them “believed tea was for women.” Sadly, that perceived femininity of tea still exists. So why is it in this country, in order to have men drink tea, the feeling is that we need to create either a ‘manly-blend’ of tea, or we need to have a marketing campaign to convince men that tea isn’t ‘for women only’. Well, it has happened.
After doing a little research to see if there were any “man-only” tea blends available, I came across two, which I found interesting. (I’m sure there are others.) One product is pretty straight forward, with the masculine name of Man Tea. Yup, a full-bodied blend, packaged for and with an advertising campaign targeted specifically to … men. There will be no confusion with this message: “Man Tea is designed for those looking to increase their physical strength and health … increasing stamina and strength, enhancing energy, calming digestion, etc.”
Another new tea with a very masculine-sounding name is Ekön, “the first ever functional tea line designed for men.” What is Ekön’s message? Providing men with the opportunity to drink loose leaf tea “without the stigma, the embarrassment, or the feeling that you’re less of a man.” With blends called “Clean Machine”, “Pound Hacker” and “Dayholic”, they’re obviously trying to appeal to the testosterone-building male.
Over the years I think many other companies have tried to target the male-tea drinker, in the hopes of building that base. The only product which appears to have gained mass appeal is the ready-to-drink iced tea market. Arnold Palmer certainly has crossed the gender barrier with his now hugely popular iced tea line. Lipton has tried over the years with lesser success with Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Don Meredith, as the spokesperson.
I can certainly expound on all the health benefits of tea (rich in antioxidants and polyphenols), and why everyone should be drinking it … regardless of gender, age, or physical limitations. But, this discussion was purely on whether there is gender inequality in “tea”. And, yes, I believe, in this country, the perception does exist. What do you think?
_____________________________________________________________________________
The government-organized Ministry of Food was resurrected from WWI to create a system of rationing. Customers were required to register at selected shops where they would receive ration books with coupons for their purchases. Prices were controlled and the shopkeeper would have just enough food and goods for those registered customers. When making a purchase, the shopkeeper would take the necessary coupon. If you did not have a ration book, you could not buy (unless, of course, you had the money to pay exorbitant prices on the black market). Although some fruits and vegetables were not rationed, they were available in very limited supplies. Children growing up during this time had never heard of, and didn’t even believe ‘bananas’ existed. It was during this time that “victory gardens” were encouraged, and are still very popular today.
On May 8, 1945, the Allies formally accepted unconditional surrender of the Nazi Germany armed forces, but it wasn’t until 1956 when the ‘national loaf’ was finally laid to rest, after years of providing healthy, nutritious bread to stave off hunger during and after the war.
My newest addition is Nordic Ware’s Crown Bundt pan. If nothing else, it’s absolutely gorgeous! This heavy, 10-cup mold is going to be perfect for so many different recipes … from my traditional (yet hardly ever eaten) Thanksgiving Jell-o mold (a story for another time) to quick breads and cakes to meatloaf … why not? I think it will make anything look spectacular.
Prepare the filling by mixing together the toasted, chopped pecans with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside while you make the batter.
Spoon 1/3 of the batter in the bottom of your prepared pan. Sprinkle half the pecan filling evenly over the batter. Spoon another 1/3 of the batter on top of the filling and then the rest of the filling on top of that. Finish with the rest of the batter.
To my surprise this recipe made more than the pan could comfortably hold. There should be at least an inch of room to the top of the pan. (We’ll see what happens when I bake it.) Be sure to tap the pan onto the counter to ensure there are no air pockets. Bake for at least 50 to 60 minutes (depending upon the size and depth of the pan).
Lordy, lordy, lordy … look at that monster! I guess I was right … too much batter! As Emeril Lagasse used to say on his tv program, “this is real cooking, folks!”
When ready mix together the glaze and pour over the top. Or, just sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. (Or both.)
For most of us, caffeine really shouldn’t be a concern. High amounts of caffeine, however, can absolutely have a negative affect on some people. If you are on medication which is affected by caffeine, or if your doctor is asking you to cut caffeine out of your diet, switch to a decaffeinated tea or a caffeine-free herbal. (Remember, caffeine is not present in herbals unless they are blended with tea leaves.) Always consult with your doctor if you have any questions about caffeine’s effects upon your health.
Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla and beaten eggs.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. You can use a big wooden spoon, or, if you are like me, you just switched out the paddle on your stand mixer to the bread one.
Add the chocolate chips and the walnuts to the batter. Mixing well. If you don’t like nuts, leave them out, and add more chocolate chips. They’re your cookies.
On parchment-lined baking sheets, drop spoonfuls of dough (or with an ice cream scoop). The size is up to you. Larger ones will take another minute or two to bake, but PUHLEEZE don’t overbake these cookies. They need to be a bit soft in the middle and gooey!
After spooning the dough onto the baking trays, dip the bottom of a drinking glass into flour and press onto each ball of dough. You want to flatten them slightly. If you are making these ahead, you can chill the trays at this point, if you like, up to four hours.
Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes … again, depending upon the size. If you want small, “adult-sized” so that you can eat three or four and not feel guilty, fine. And, if you want one big “two hander”, go for it! Just remember …. underdone is best!
The shafts were dimly lit, hot, cramped, with no ventilation. Most often the children worked either as ‘trappers’, opening and closing ventilation doors, or as ‘hurriers’, pushing tubs of coal. And with baskets strapped to their backs, or chains wrapped around their chests, armed with picks and shovels, the women worked right alongside the men, in the shafts, hauling coal.
In a large bowl or food processor (which I prefer), mix or pulse together all dried ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon zest and lavender.
Using your fingers or a fork, work butter into dry ingredients until just crumbly. If using a food processor, pulse 8 or 9 times.
Whisk together egg, lemon juice and heavy cream and add it to the mixture. With a fork, bring together quickly. Do not overmix or scones will be heavy.
Dump the mixture onto a lightly floured board. It will be a bit crumbly. Knead two or three times to bring the dough together. Again, do not overwork the dough.
Shape into a round about 1/2″ thick. Cut the desired number of scones you’d like … in the shapes you’d like. Round. Triangular. Square. It’s up to you. I decided to be creative and cut mine to resemble a flower.
Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. (Unfortunately, the angle of the photo doesn’t show how much they’ve risen.) For confectioners’ glaze, mix together four tablespoons confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon milk. When the scones are cool, drizzle with confectioners’ glaze.
How do you like my scone flower?
Be sure to put the kettle on and have your cuppa ready because you’re going to want to dive right into these … well, at least, I did!
This tradition didn’t just exist in England. It actually crossed the Atlantic into America, as so many traditions did. The future “first lady of the United States”, Mary Todd, made this cake for her betrothed, Abraham Lincoln. Upon tasting it, Lincoln proclaimed, “it was the best cake he had ever had”. This recipe eventually became a tradition in the Lincoln home and is printed in Mary Todd’s cookbook.
During the middle ages, beer and ale were the most common drinks in Britain. Because many of the rivers and waterways in the cities were polluted, water, at that time was not always safe to drink. Beer (a much less alcoholic version than we know today) was drunk with every meal, by everyone, every day. Providing the bulk of the caloric intake, beer was also believed to be nutritionally good for you.
With the death of Queen Elizabeth’s husband, the beloved Prince Albert in 1871, a local pub owner decides to create a drink in his honor. By combining Guinness’ Stout with champagne, he created the Black Velvet, a drink that is still very popular today.
The Guinness brewery grew by leaps and bounds and remained in the family for four generations. The original 4-1/2 acre property grew to where it boasted its own medical facility, fire department, railway system and canteens; and it took very good care of its workers. By the 1900s the brewery provided unparalleled benefits for its 5,000 employees, costing the brewery one-fifth of its total wages.
