Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Exactly who discovered Tea is unknown, but "according to legend, tea was first discovered by the Chinese emperor and inventor Shennong in 2737 BCE. It is said that the emperor liked his drinking water boiled before he drank it so it would be clean, so that is what his servants did. One day, on a trip to a distant region, he and his army stopped to rest. A servant began boiling water for him to drink, and a dead leaf from the wild tea bush fell into the water. It turned a brownish color, but it was unnoticed and presented to the emperor anyway. The emperor drank it and found it very refreshing, and cha (tea) came into being."**

What is known, is that tea was discovered, or at least how to create the beverage which is now so widely loved around the world, in China. It wasn't introduced to the West until about 400 years ago. Since its humble beginnings, tea has had a huge impact on prominent modern day life and societies throughout the world. With unique ceremonies becoming part of the culture of some of the modern societies in the world. Tea even has its own social etiquettes regarding its preparation and consumption. There are even specific customs associated with how, when, and where to drink it.

The term High Tea is frequently used incorrectly (especially in the US) to refer to afternoon tea because it sounds royal and regal. High tea tends to be on the heavier side and is also referred to as 'meat tea' because it is served at dinner time and usually involved some form of meat. "Traditionally, high tea was a working class meal served on a high table at the end of the workday, shortly after five PM. It was a heavy meal of meat dishes (such as steak and kidney pie), fish dishes (such as pickled salmon), baked goods (such as crumpets or, in Ireland, barm brack), vegetables (such as potatoes or onion cakes), and other heavy foods (such as baked beans and cheesy casseroles)." Many hotels and tea rooms in the United States mistakenly offer only finger sandwiches and light desserts such as cookies, cakes and pastries on fine china when they say they offer 'high tea'.

Afternoon tea, also known as 'low tea,' is what most Americans think of when they hear the term 'high tea.' "It is typically served in the mid-afternoon and it was traditionally served on low tables, hence its two names."* Afternoon tea typically includes an assortment of pastries and cake served on tables set with fancy linen and lace tablecloths and served on fine china.

"Legend has it that afternoon tea was started in the mid-1800s by the Duchess of Bedford. Around this time, kerosene lamps were introduced in wealthier homes, and eating a late dinner (around eight or nine PM) became fashionable. At the time, there were only two meals each day -- a mid-morning, breakfast-like meal and the other was an increasingly late dinner-like meal.

The story goes that the Duchess found herself with a "sinking feeling" (likely fatigue from hunger during the long wait between meals) and decided to have some friends over for assorted snacks and tea (a very fashionable drink at the time). The idea of an afternoon tea gathering spread across high society and became a favorite pastime of ladies of leisure. Later, it spread beyond the highest echelons of society and became more accessible for some other socioeconomic groups."*

Some more reading:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/high-te...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea
https://whatscookingamerica.net/histo...



Tea Challenge
Duration:
The Month of May.

Levels of Play:
Spot of Tea - Read 1 - 8 books
Cup of Tea - Read 9 - 16 books
Pot of Tea - Read 17 - 24 books
Teatotaler - Read 25 or more books

How to Play:
Option 1:
Read books that:
- Have a cup or tray of tea, a tea or garden party, etc displayed on the cover.
- Are set in country or city with high tea consumption or history that has to do with tea such as China, Japan, England, Boston, etc.
- Have the words tea, high, low in the title or series name

Option 2:
Do one of our classic spell-it-out challenges using one of the below tea names or the name of a traditional food item that would be served at high or low tea.

Option 3:
Combine option 1 and 2 together!

Different kinds of tea:
Earl Gray
Oolong
Herbal
Jasmine
Peppermint
Green
Black
White
Yellow
Rooibos
Mate
Blooming
Lemon and Ginger
Honeybush
Spearmint
Chamomile
Assam
Nilgiri
Oolong
masala
badam
Keemun
Yunnan
Genmaicha
Pu-erh
Chai

Re-reads allowed (If it has been more than 6-months since you last read it)
No Minimum pages

(*) **Spell-it-Out Rules**
Use the first letter in the book’s title, series name, author’s first/last name, character’s name, narrator’s name, or translator’s name (if reading a translation). Ignore “A,” “An,” or “The” at the start of titles.

Monthly Challenges ~ Spessartite Coin

To Earn a Spessartite Coin:
One Coin upon reaching "Teatotaler" level.

Learn about Gem coins here

This challenge was originally created by Lisarenee and the prior challenge thread is here

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☕ Tea Challenge ☕
Duration: 1 - 31 May
Levels of Play: Pot of Tea - Read 17 - 24 books

Different kinds of tea: (alphabetized)
Assam
Badam
Black
Blooming
Chai
Chamomile
Earl Gray
Genmaicha
Green
Herbal
☕ Honeybush - The House That Held Her (8 May)
Jasmine
☕ Keemun - King of Flesh and Bone (10 May)
Lemon and Ginger
Masala
Mate
☕ Nilgiri - Nocturne (15 May)
Oolong
Oolong
Peppermint
Pu-erh
Rooibos
☕ Spearmint - The Shadow of What Was Lost (9 May)
White
Yellow
Yunnan

May: Tea Time Reading Challenge
Duration: May
Level: Spot of Tea - Read 1 - 8 books

Books Read: 4/4

C- The Complete Adventures of Feluda, Vol. 1 (ফেলুদা সমগ্র ১) - May 17, 2025
H- Wicked Games by Gemma Halliday - May 31, 2025
A- Ancient Foodie Survival Guide 古代吃货生存指南 - May 10, 2025
I- Ian from Not So Nice Guy - May 22, 2025