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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 Hopalong Cassidy England have developed decidedly different traditions over Fantastic Four years.

It is said Gold Key comics 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.

Lee Dobbins is a writer for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find out more about gourmet foods and tea.

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Lenders, such as bank and credit card companies, use credit scores to evaluate the potential risk Vampirella by lending money to consumers and to mitigate losses due to bad debt. Using credit scores, lenders determine who qualifies for a loan, at what interest rate, and at what credit limits. The most widely known score in the United States is FICO (the most widely used in the mortgage industry), but there are many others, such as NextGen, VantageScore, and the CE Score.

Credit scores have been used by lenders for over 35 years. Because a score does not consider race, sex or ethnicity, it is generally considered to be the most fair and objective underwriting tool available to lenders.

As you can see, your score has a major impact on your everyday life, so it is imperative that you monitor your report and score to maintain the highest score possible. To get more tips and information to assist you in improving your credit score go to www.getmorecreditscore.com.

Carey Snow
http://www.getmorecreditscore.com

In these economically troubled times it's very important that you maintain your credit and credit score at a very high level to ensure you can obtain credit when and where you need it. Through my articles I intend to keep you current on your credit and how to constantly maintain and improve it.