Sugar in Jane Austin's time.....

Sugar in the 18 century (Jane Austin’s time) was kept

locked up because it was very expensive. It was sold

in many grades, from the highly refined, pure white

sugar that only the well off could afford, down to the

darkest of brown sugars used by the poor.

Granulated sugar had been only recently invented

and was not yet widely available. Sugar was molded

into large, cone-shaped loaves weighing several

pounds each that had to be broken up or grated

before the sugar could be used. Sugar cubes would

not be invented until 1843 – if people wanted sugar

for tea, they had to first break it into irregular lumps

with special tools called “sugar nippers,” from

which practices comes the traditional question “One

lump or two?”

English-style tea....

English-style tea places the loose leaves in a pot, then pours the brewed tea through a tea strainer into a teacup.

 Be warned:  The second cup of tea may be over brewed and bitter.

Dining With Teacups and Saucers

When sipping tea, coffee, or other liquid from a cup, lift the cup and take a gentle sip

without making any noise. The handled cup is held with your index finger through the

handle, your thumb just above it to support your grip, and your second finger below the

handle for added security. Your little finger follows the curve of your other fingers and is

not elevated in an affected manner. If the cup and saucer are more than twelve inches

away from you, lift the cup and saucer together to take a sip. Be careful not to drop the

teaspoon off the saucer. You may place the cup and saucer back on the table in between

sips. Using a clock as in the picture below, the rest and finished position of the teaspoon

is 5 o’clock on the saucer with spoon bowl facing up. The cup handle is also placed in

the 5 o’clock position.

Rest Position And Finished Position For A Teacup And Teaspoon