1、1. IntroductionThis paper mainly discusses the relation between beverage cultures in Europe and characters indifferent nations.And it developes by means of comparation and examplification.In contrast to studymethods,this paper compares the tea and coffee culture in Europe rather than traditional com

2、parationsbetween Chinese tea culture and Western coffee culture,aiming at elaborating the distinct features ofdifferent nations in Europe.1.1The Brief Comparison Between Tea Culture And Coffee Culture in EuropeBeing one of the most popular three beverages in the worldwide,tea held a dominant positio

3、n inEurope.To some extent,it stimulated Europeans to trade with orientals.With the frequent commercialcontacts,Europeans craved for the ideal life of the Orient a place bestrewed with gold!For all thefrictions between the two world,tea culture became prevailing in Europe,particularly in England.In c

4、ontrast,coffee has been the primary beverage in the past close to 400 years in Europe.Actually,itis prior to tea in terms of most modern Europeans who have a strong liking for the former.1.2The Similar and Different Characters of People Among European CountriesApparently,what distinguishes the posit

5、ion of the two beverages in Europe is a culturalpsychology:tea is a cadinal symbol of classical culture while coffee is a reflection of modern and massculture.European nations have their unique feature.According to their own appetite for the two beverages,itdoes not take us in the throes of excellen

6、t experts awareness to perceive that there exist somethingcommon and strikingly different in those countries.2. Tea Culture in Europe2.1 History of Tea Culture in EuropeTea was imported to Europe during the Portuguese expansion of the 16th century, at which timeit was termed ch .In 帝 750, tea expert

7、s travelled from China to the Azores, and planted tea, along withjasmines and mallows, to give it aroma and distinction. Both green and black tea continue to grow in theislands, which are the main suppliers to continental Portugal. Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II,took the tea habit to Grea

8、t Britain around 1660, but tea was not widely consumed in Britain until the 19thcentury. In Ireland, tea had become an everyday beverage for all levels of society by the late 19thcentury, but it was first consumed as a luxury item on special occasions, such as religious festivals,wakes, and domestic

9、 work gatherings such as quiltings.The first European to successfully transplant tea to the Himalayas, Robert Fortune, was sent by theEast India Company on a mission to China to bring the tea plant back to Great Britain.Thecultural capacity of a society to think for itself and assume the status of b

10、eing an agent in thedevelopment projects and processes is linked to the consciousness that this society has of its ownhistory, its status in the present and its future trajectory (Vecchiatti & Karin, 2004).2.2 Tea Culture in UK2.2.1 Introduction and Spread of Tea in UKTea was introduced to Brita

11、in by the Dutch and there is no record of its earliest entry into Tea was arare luxury good and a social nicety for the rich. Before it became Britains number one drink, China teawas introduced in the coffeehouses of London shortly before the Stuart Restoration (1660). In 1662Catherine of Braganza o

12、f Portugal married Charles II and brought with her the preference for tea, whichhad already become common in Europe. As tea was her temperance drink of choice, it gained socialacceptance among the aristocracy as she replaced wine, ale and spirits with tea as the courtdrink.Later,it was prevailing in

13、 other sections of the European mainland. Tea, which was an upper-classdrink in Europe, became the infusion of every class in Great Britain in the course of the 18th century andhas remained so.2.2.2 Black Tea in UKTo begain with,the Britan drank green tea,owing to the smuggling and adultation of the

14、 greentea ,government banned its import.Hence there was a change in preference to black tea. Then, black teais commonly consumed in the West whereas the consumption of green tea is especially popular in Asia,mainly for its health benefits (Bushman, 1998, Cabrera et al., 2003 and Seeram et al., 2006)

15、.In Britain tea is usually black tea served with milk. It has been reported that the black tea beveragehelps digestion, gives relief from arthritis, acts as a laxative, prevents microbial infections, helps incombating stress and cancer and vitalizes the physical body, etc. It is believed that this b

16、everageenhances immunity (Dufresne & Farnworth, 2000). Much of the time in the United Kingdom, tea drinkingis not the delicate, refined cultural expression that some might imagine: a cup (or commonly a mug) oftea is something drunk often, with some people drinking six or more cups of tea a day.

17、Employersgenerally allow breaks for tea.Now, people in Britain drink tea multiple times a day. As the years passed it became a drink lessassociated with high society as people of all classes drink tea today which can be enjoyed in manydifferent flavours and ways.2.2.3 Tea as a MealTea is not only th

18、e name of the beverage, but of a late afternoon light meal at four oclock,irrespective of the beverage consumed. Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford is credited with the creationof the meal circa 1800. She thought of the idea to ward off hunger between luncheon and dinner, whichwas served later and lat

19、er. Proteins, amino acids, vitamins (mainly vitamin C), and minerals are alsopresent, being a rich medium for microbial growth ( Dias et al., 2003, Schwan, 1998 and Schwan andWheals, 2004). The tradition continues to this day.Tea todayIn 2003, DataMonitor reported that regular tea drinking in the Un

20、ited Kingdom was on the decline.2.2.4 A Code of Gentleman and Lady in Tea CultureIt is universally acknowledged that tea culture originated in the upper class in UK.During that time,afair lady often elegantly was drinking a cup of tea between luncheon and dinner with some delicate teasets and tasty

21、desserts in a room beautifully decorated or the outside of her manor,immersed in thepicturesque landscape. Similarly,a gorgeous gentleman,tasting his tea,was chatting with a noble lady ina bright sunny day. Besides,his humour and admiring behavior flew into the dynamic picturtes.Nowonder that there

22、exists an inevitable relation with the black tea and the elegant culture in UK.It is something of a truism that the culturial psychology blends in British behavior,i.e.,the character ofthem.2.3 Tea Culture in Mass EnglishThe custom of drinking tea spread into the whole UK in the 18th century.Here is

23、 a civilianrumour at that time:At half past eleven/My idea of heaven/is a nice cup of teaEvery class had strong appetite for tea,even in many literature arts involved with tea.For example,Lewis Carrol has put itin his workAlices Adventures in Wonderland,“ Takesome more tea,the March Hare said to Ali

24、ce,very earnestly.” Also,AJuasnteine everdepicted many scenes about those fair ladies drinking afternoon tea in her famous bookPride andPrejudice.And a dramatist in 19thcentury had said:” While there is tea,there is hope.a necessity from that time,a necessity of spirits.2.4 Tea Culture in Several Ot

25、her European CountriesThoughout history,European countries except UK,Ireland and Russia do not show great interest in tea owing to theirpreference for coffee or whiskey.However,tea dominantly leaped into the first place among other beverages in those ones ina period.To illustrate,France royal family

26、 ever had a liking for tea due to its medicinal effects.In comparison to English,theywere keen on green tea.For their romantic feature,they put the romatic atmosphere into top position rather than the etiquettepatterns of English.3. Coffee Culture in Europe3.1 History of Coffee Culture in EuropeThe

27、coffee established itself first in the Arab world as a popular hot drink. Since the import of coffee in 1647,theconsumption of coffee in Europe was further developed into a real cafe culture.The stimulating effect of coffee (CoffeaArabica) goes back to the request contained in the beans of the Afric

28、an coffee tree (Rubiaceae) caffeine.Since the year 1700in the English coffee houses tea was served as well. But with tea was associated, in contrast to the encouraging effect ofcoffee,more relax and calm.If often distinguishes the attitude of coffee and tea drinkers,both together is the joy mostplea

29、sure.The term cafe is first thought most of the Viennese coffee house culture in which literature and stimulatingconversation mix to a fertile way.The coffee house culture and the methods of preparation of coffee (and tea) have in manyEuropean cities, such as in Paris,London,Madrid,Berlin,Prague,Mil

30、an and Lisbon a fascinating diversity.It is reflected in itagain the special lifestyle of different nations and people.3.2 Coffee Culture in Some European CountriesCoffee is considered one of the richest sources of phenolics in the western diet contributing up to 350 mg per 7-oz cup InEurope,coffee

31、is literally widespread in several centuries.When it comes to coffee culture,the three countries Italy,Franceand Austria are the topics.3.2.1 Italian Coffee CultureItalians love their coffee.Have y ou seen the Italian version of?“JuSsut rlvikiveoirn an”y otherfranchise of the series,the famished con

32、testants are left stranded on a deserted island equipped only with the most basic ofnecessities.But have you noticed that the contestants were provided with implements to be able to make a perfectespresso( 愛思巴蘇 ).Well,for an Italian,coffee is an utter necessity.It is considered essential and without

33、 its presence allaspect of civilization will fall to pieces.Being stuck in a forsaken land mass situated across the Pacific does not change thatfact.You may take away their mobile phones,you may take away their pasta or pizza,even their privacy, but not their coffee.Within Europe, Italians consume t

34、he most of coffee. But for a cozy coffee house atmosphere most Italians are too lively.Italians enjoy their coffee in countless occasions like in bars and onbeautiful piazzas in many Italian cities, such as Milan, Trieste, Turin, Venice, Rome and Naples. The water is served with theespresso drink in

35、 advance, to cleanse the taste buds and thus to be able to enjoy the full espresso flavor. For the Italians thethroughout Europe popular cappuccino （ 卡布奇 諾）is a coffee variant more for breakfast and is rarely drunk in the afternoon.The“Lungo” is anTea has becom“ extended ” espresso with water. The“

36、Cafecoretto ”（一 0 種白蘭地 Of goa ppsimilarspirit.3.2.2 French Coffee CultureDrinking coffee is regarded as a romantic coffee consumption.In Paris there are many rules one would have to followbefore ordering a coffee. For instance, a cappuccino is drunk only with breakfast, and never during the later pa

37、rt of the day.With breakfast, you could order un cafe, which is plain coffee without milk or sugar. If you so desired, you could ask for sugar.Breakfasts in France are very light, and do not go beyond a croissant, or a cake, and coffee（ 王亞蘭 ,2008）. During the laterpart of the day, one could of cours

38、e drink coffee as they wished, but if one is ordering for a coffee after lunch or dinner, itliterally is served after lunch or dinner.3.2.2 Austrian Coffee CultureAmong the things Austria is famous for are the coffee houses or Cafes and the nationally typical atmosphere: Elderlyladies drinking their

39、 Melange with obese dogs on their laps, grumpy waiters in dinner jackets, the occasional Hungarianfiddler and the odd journalist sitting in a corner writing a letter whilst having a quick cup of Verl?ngerter. Despitecoffee-houses were unknown in Istanbul before the middle of the sixteenth century （H

40、attox, 1985）,coffee is being served inAustria with passion ever since the second Turkish siege of Vienna in the 17th century. Before leaving this model of politediscussion, however, it would be well to remind ourselves of some of the many limitations of the coffee-house model.Habermas argued that th

41、e coffee- house proposed a kind of social intercourse that, far from presupposing equality of status,disregarded status altogether （Habermas, 1992, p. 36） but this is a polite fiction, local and impermanent, as hierarchy wastranslated into new forms.The most traditional Cafes can be found in Vienna

42、and Salzburg, evil Salzburgians such as me claim that the most Viennesecafes of Austria are the ones in Mozart s city, which doubtless servas a great icebreaker to make friends with Viennese.The Austrian writer Stefan Zweig described the Viennese Coffee House as an institution of a special kind, act

43、ually asort of democratic club, open to everyone for the price of a cheap cup of coffee, where every guest can sit for hours with thislittle offering, to talk, write, play cards, receive post, and above all consume an unlimited number of newspapers and journals.3.3 Coffee Culture in UKTradtionally s

44、peaking,UK does not have coffee culture for it is a kingdom of tea.Admittedly,coffee has its glory in Englishhistory.Before the entering of tea,coffee was the primary beverage in the Royal Family of UK （ 李逸，2007） .Maybe,tea is moresuitable for English character and gradually substitute for coffee.4.

45、 The Similar and Different Characters of People in Europe4.1 The SimilaritiesEuropeans leave us an impression that they are open,hospitable and positive.After Renainssance and theEnlightment,they crave for free and the truth of life.Thus they learn to enjoy life in high exuberant spirits.4.2 The Dif

46、ferencesApart from the apparently common features,different nations has striking characters,judging from their attitude towardsthe two beverages.English characters betray from their behavior when drinking their black tea.Often do they show us a noble and elegantbehavior,creating an imagination of th

47、e life of nobleman. Europeans as they are,they have an exotictemperament-humour,exclusiveness,conservativeness and individualism.To some degree,their preference for tea is areflection of their disposition in that tea is able to create a serene atmosphere which they could appreciate in their house.Fr

48、ench is noted for their romantic.And almost everyone know their kiss as a greeting which descends from their respectfor women- a code of chivalry.Furthermore,they are sociable andtired of silence,believing in freedom.Thus,they have an affinity to passionate and enthusiastic coffee.Italian should be

49、titled as the most passionate people in Europe.Italian,the southern European, are bold,unrestrainedand affectionate.There is a saying: ”Typically,they are obsessed with coffee,so that wherever they go, they hold coffee intheir hands.Obviously,coffee has intimate connection with them in their daily l

50、ife,for coffee can render them excitement,highspirits and positive attiude towards life.Austrian is polite and sedate.And we can simply associate them with music.Indeed,it is easy to find that every Austrianloves music when a person enters into the capital-Vienna where music is flowing in the air.Fr

51、ankly speaking,Austria is aparadise for artists who often taste a cup of coffee while communiacating their artistic concepts with others.5. The Connection of Beverage Cultures and National Characters5.1 The Interaction of the TwoOn the one hand,beverage culture is a reflection of national character.

52、The aforementioned tea and coffee culture indifferent countries in the thesis have suggested that the two beverage culture are established on the basis of each nationalcharacter.For instance,the noble English have a liking for tea,while the romantic French are fond of coffee.Besides,thepassionate It

53、alian love espresso,in comparison to the sedate Austrian who favour mild coffee.On the other hand,national character affects the form and practice of beverage culture.Coffee drinking approach isvarying in different nation.To illustrate,Austrian usually put white sugar and cream into a coffee cup ahe

54、ad of hotwater,according to their drinking idealism that they are able to taste three flavors in one-off drinking.5.2 The Influential Changes in National Characters Owing to the Fusion of CultureAs the blending and fusion of culture in the worldwide,some potential changes in national characters emer

55、ge.Take anexample.Londons evolving cafe culture is developing differently. There has always been a handful of patisseries and coffeehouses trying to capture the atmosphere found in the city,which become popular among the young.Meantime,someEuropeans excluding English are gradually fond of tea,such as French preference for green tea.6. ConclusionThis paper is a tentative study of the connection between beverage cultures and national characters.Actually,there haveexist