Now, I know this may seem like a silly thing to worry about after a nuclear attack but for those of us who can’t function without our morning cup of tea, we understand completely. Just substitute coffee for tea and maybe you can understand:
Never mind the radiation: British contingency planners worried there would be a dramatic shortage of tea in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, recently declassified documents showed Monday.
The shortfall of the staple British beverage would be “very serious” if the country were to come under attack with atomic and hydrogen bombs, said according to a memo drafted between 1954 and 1956.
“The tea position would be very serious with a loss of 75 percent of stocks and substantial delays in imports and with no system of rationing it would be wrong to consider that even one ounce (28 grams) per head per week could be ensured,” it said.
I’m sure they talked about radiation in another memo, don’t you think?
(via)
posted May 5, 2008 at 11:55 am
I lived in England for two years & have been a devotee of morning tea ever since; I travel with my own supply of black tea. I wish it were possible to get a properly brewed “cuppa” outside of my own house, but nobody, it would seem, knows how to do it. My sister recently took me to “high tea” at a fancy hotel for my birthday, and I could tell they had used water that was hot but not boiling, and had been standing.
Here’s my method: Start with freshly drawn cold water, bring to a ROLLING boil, pour over tea leaves or tea bag, preferably in a pot which you heat beforehand by swirling some hot water in it before putting in the leaves/bag. (If you use a mug, it helps to cover it.) Let steep–the time depends on the kind of tea you’re using. I always add milk to my cup before I pour the tea; this makes me a Pre-Lactarian, like the Queen. Others are Post-Lactarians or Non-Lactarians. Fortunately these differences among members of the Church of Tea have never resulted in any schisms.
posted May 5, 2008 at 12:09 pm
To Americans it sounds absolutely insane. To the British, especially in the time those plans were drawn up, it actually made sense. They all remembered the typical WW2 story that went, “We were on the veranda having tea when there was this great, whacking banging noise and I found myself flying in the air stark naked holding onto the tea service for dear life.”
They honestly could not conceive of survival without the stuff.
posted May 5, 2008 at 1:11 pm
File it under “There will always be an England . . . . “
posted May 5, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I really prefer green tea. I like high tea (when I ever get it), because of the yummy snacks that come with it.
posted May 5, 2008 at 7:02 pm
I like the scones and clotted cream
posted May 5, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Oh yes, definitely scones. You can’t have a proper tea without scones.
Some years ago friends of mine went travelling around among the British and stopped in a tea shop. The owner, recognizing them as colonials by their dreadful accents said, “You won’t be wanting to ruin my fine tea with ice, now will you?”
They, being gently reared, took pains to inform the shopkeeper that they intended no such blasphemy and he was very happy.
Ok, I’m having too much fun with this.
posted May 5, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Isn’t that pronounced “sconns”? I prefer the cucumber sandwiches.
posted May 6, 2008 at 7:28 am
I wonder if he would have minded if they had used their leftover tea for iced tea? I do that sometimes.
posted May 6, 2008 at 9:05 am
If there was an attack there would be a world wide shortage of tea.
This information shows how important tea is to the world.
Jon Stout
posted May 6, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I’ll chill tea but I won’t put ice in it. Bleck.