The world doesn't just have China as its famous tea-drinking nation. The romantic country of France is also renowned for its tea culture. The two countries have significant differences in their tea cultures. Following British tea customs, one must have a cup of afternoon tea with some pastries around 4-5 PM every day.
Classic English afternoon tea consists of pastries and tea. The pastries are usually served on a three-tiered silver stand, with sandwiches, English scones, cheesecake, and fruit tarts arranged from bottom to top. The order of consumption is generally from bottom to top, from savory to sweet. It is said that this mirrors the sequence of a main course followed by dessert in a full meal.
The "tea" in afternoon tea is, of course, primarily black tea. In the UK, there is a wide variety of black teas, with specific afternoon teas including Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Ceylon, and a few others.
Drinking afternoon tea can replenish your energy in a timely manner.
In the face of the high efficiency and fast pace of modern society, office workers often have too little or too rushed a lunch. A well-balanced afternoon tea can not only chase away the afternoon drowsiness but also help restore physical strength.
Drinking afternoon tea is different from simply snacking. The calories from snacks are stored in the body, whereas the calories from afternoon tea, like other meals, are largely consumed by the body's metabolism. It can also help people stay energetic until dusk, which in turn makes dinner lighter, cultivating the perfect eating habits.
A good afternoon tea is also a guarantee for a woman's beautiful figure. A nutrition survey in the UK found that women who regularly enjoy afternoon tea are slimmer because they maintain a habit of eating smaller, more frequent meals. Furthermore, experiments have proven that afternoon tea can enhance memory and alertness. People who have the habit of drinking afternoon tea score 15% to 20% higher on average in memory and alertness tests than others.
Regular consumption can help prevent osteoporosis.
In afternoon tea, the health benefits of the "tea" itself should not be overlooked.
Black tea has a mild nature and a rich aroma, and first, it helps strengthen bones. Researchers from the University of Cambridge Medical School once conducted a survey on diet and bone density among 1,256 women aged 65-76 living nearby. The results showed that tea is rich in flavonoids, which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis in women.
Second, drinking black tea can help prevent and treat the flu, myocardial infarction, stroke, and skin diseases. Research has found that regularly gargling with or drinking black tea can prevent the flu; black tea is rich in the trace element potassium, and after brewing, 70% of the potassium dissolves into the tea water, which can enhance blood circulation in the heart and reduce the body's consumption of calcium. People who drink five cups of black tea a day have a 69% lower risk of stroke than those who don't drink black tea. Additionally, the theaflavins in black tea are more effective than green tea in preventing skin cancer.
Finally, the tannic acid contained in black tea also has a strong anti-aging function.