Thursday, June 28, 2007 

Old Tea Traditions

Tea has been consumed in China for centuries, but other cultures are rich in history of this popular beverage as well. Two of those countries, Russia and England have developed decidedly different traditions over the years.

It is said that drinking tea began in China where over 5000 years ago, leaves from the plant accidentally fell into water being boiled for drinking. Needless to say, it was found to be very refreshing and it's use became widespread. Tea was introduced to Europe through the Portuguese in the early 1500s and it didnt take long for this beverage to become popular in many countries and traditions for English tea parties and Russian tea were formed.

This drink became so popular in both countries the each developed certain traditions as well as pots, vessels and cups to drink it from. Although the introduction of tea is centuries old, the popularity of it and the traditions associated with it remain in these cultures to this day.

In the early 1600s, tea made its way to Russia. Of course, it was only the wealthy that could afford tea at first but by the end of the 1700's the price was dropping and it's popularity was spreading throughout the country.

In Russia, tea is never taken with meals. Traditionally it is taken after the meal or as a mid afternoon snack. For centuries, Russians have used a device called a Samovar to make tea. The samovar is usually put in the center of the table after dinner and everyone gathers round and takes tea which they can dilute or sweeten as they like. Russians traditionally sip tea in glasses set in silver holders and favor their tea as strong and highly sweetened some recipes even call for tang or lemonade added to tea!

Tea was introducted to England in the mid 1600's and it's popularity spread so quickly that it was soon as popular a drink as ale! In the late 1700s to well known tradition of afternoon tea was started by the Duchess of Bedford.

Prior to that, the English enjoyed only 2 meals a breakfast and a dinner. The dinner was served at the end of the day and by mid afternoon you can imagine how hungry and energy depleted many felt. So, the tradition of afternoon tea was begun where tea would be served along with little cakes and sandwiches. Of course, this proved to be immensely popular and still is today!

One of the great benefits of the afternoon tea was that it necessitated fancy pieces to for service and drinking. The main pot that heated the water was usually made of silver (still a very popular item today) and this was kept over a flame so that it would be hot at all times. In addition, small porcelain tea pots were used to pour at the table and they were refreshed with the hot water from the silver pot when needed. Of course the tradition included fancy porcelain tea cups to drink from as well. These pieces are still made and used today, and the antiques are highly collectible.

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Getting a Business Insurance Quote Online: What do You Need to Know?

The first step in getting a business insurance quote online is to determine which insurance company is likely to be the best for your particular business. Even though you're getting your business insurance quote online, it's still best to have a specific insurance company in mind.

Do you have friends, family or acquaintances that are in the same type of business you are? If so, ask them which insurance company they use. Ask them about the type of policy they have, what does it cover? Did they get their business insurance quote online or did they go to see an agent in a brick-and-mortar office? Compare and contrast.

Now that you have some idea of the direction you're heading in, it's time to fire up your computer and search for your business insurance quote online! Since you've already done some preliminary research this should be a lot less painful than you might expect.

The overall goal here should not necessarily be to simply find the cheapest coverage you can find. You need to find a balance between price and quality.

After you've gotten your business insurance quote online from the company that you picked out earlier, it's time to shop around a little bit and compare. You want to make sure that you've made the right choice to protect your business and the financial future of your family.

Prices can vary widely from company to company, but don't be lured by the incredibly cheap! Before you make a final decision, you must be aware of the financial health and stability of each individual insurance company. You can find this out through rating companies such as Standard & Poor's and A.M. Best or by reading consumer magazines.

After you've done all your research, there are still a few money-saving choices that you can make in your quest to get a business insurance quote online.

If you have a fair bit of emergency cash, it is probably best to go with a higher deductible (the amount of money you pay before your insurance policy kicks in). That way, you'll be paying less overall for your policy.

Instead of paying for individual coverages, it may actually be cheaper to buy a package policy such as a businessowner's policy. These package policies will most likely provide all the coverage you need to protect your small to medium-sized business.

When getting a business insurance quote online, it's easy to just think about the price that you're going to be paying for your policy. But you also need to plan for the future. You need to be sure and write down all the contact information, such as phone numbers and addresses that you'll need if you have to contact your insurance company in the future.

After you've gotten your business insurance quote online and purchased your policy, your chosen company will likely contact you with a list of tips and recommendations to reduce your premium for certain coverages. These can include disaster preparation, workplace safety and the like. Following these recommendations is not only smart, but they can save you a lot of money in the future.

As you can see, getting a business insurance quote online still requires a fair bit of work. But if you've ever had to go through the torture of listening to the long, boring and manipulative sales pitches of multiple agents, I think you'll agree that getting your business insurance quote online is a lot less painful!

Did you know that according to one study, a whopping 78% of business owners pay too much for insurance? Find out more helpful business insurance facts and tips or to get a business insurance quote online, visit: http://insurancepricesdirect.com/business_insurance_quotes.htm.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Thacker

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