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American tea culture encompasses the methods of preparation and means of consumption of tea within the context of the culture of the United States. American restaurants and workplaces typically offer machine-made drip brew coffee by default, while hot tea brewed by the cup with tea bags, an American invention, is available by request. Tea has played an important role in the United States, as families tend to gather around the kitchen and tea is often served here. Although many may equate tea to grandmothers, tea drinking is popular with all ages.〔("Tea Party:20 Themed Tea Parties with recipes for every occasion. 2007 Random House" )〕 Tea parties can be celebrated for many occasions, from the very small and intimate to the large family gatherings and celebrations. Tea can be served at dawn, early morning, midday, or whenever tea is desired. In the U.S. south a regional favorite called sweet tea – which is brewed, sweetened, and chilled in advance of consumption – may be served at all meals and throughout the day as an alternate to other beverages. In the United States, about 85% of the tea consumed is served cold, or ''iced''.〔(Sweet Tea Nation: Southern zeal for beverage migrates north )〕 Iced tea is more frequently consumed during periods of hot weather or in lower latitudes, and hot tea is likewise more common in colder weather. Any confusion when one is visiting different parts of the country can easily be solved by explicitly asking for either "hot tea" or "iced tea." Afternoon tea, as a meal, is rarely served in the U.S. except in ritualized special occasions such as the tea party or an afternoon out at a high-end hotel or restaurant, which may also offer cream tea on their menu. ==History== The American Tea culture 〔()〕 is a part of the history of the United States, as this beverage appeals to all classes and has adapted to the customs of the United States of America. In the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, now known as New York, tea was served with the best silver strainers, the finest porcelain cups and pots, and wooden tea caddies.〔(John "Tea: a history of the drink that changed the world" Carlton Publishing Group, 2011 )〕 Tea became a very popular drink in the colonies, and tea ceremonies were common among all classes. In Salem, MA, tea leaves were boiled to create a bitter brew, then served as a vegetable side dish with butter. By the time of the American Revolution, tea was drunk everywhere from the backwoods to the cities.〔 At Google Books.〕 However, tea and tea taxes became a bone of contention between the American Colonies and Great Britain. This led to the 1773 Boston Tea Party, a precipitating event of the Revolution, when angry Colonists destroyed the tea cargo of three British ships by dumping them into Boston Harbor. As a consequence, tea drinking became unpatriotic. Boycotts of tea led to an increase in consumption of other beverages, such as coffee or herbal teas infused with peppermint, sage or dandelions.〔〔(1) (2) At Google Books. Note: Fredricka Charlotte Riedesel was the wife of General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel, commander of all German and Indian troops in General John Burgoyne's Saratoga campaign and American prisoner of war during the American Revolution. (3) (4) (5) At Google Books.〕 To this day, coffee remains more popular than tea in the United States; however the U.S. still consumed 7.8 gallons of tea per capita annually.〔(Pour some sugar on me ) Lawrence, Walter.〕 While coffee is by far more popular, hot brewed black tea is enjoyed both with meals and as a refreshment by much of the population. Similarly, iced tea is consumed throughout. In the Southeastern states sweet tea, sweetened with large amounts of sugar or an artificial sweetener and chilled, is the fashion. Outside the Southeast, sweet tea is sometimes found, but primarily because of cultural migration and commercialization. The American specialty tea market has quadrupled in the years from 1993–2008, now being worth $6.8 billion a year.〔('Tea finally making a stir in America' ) Times Online. Retrieved 17 February 2008.〕 Similar to the trend of better coffee and better wines, this tremendous increase was partly due to consumers who choose to trade up. Specialty tea houses and retailers also started to pop up during this period.〔Campbell, Polly (April 26, 2006). "Suited to a tea." ''Cincinnati Enquirer''.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「American tea culture」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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