<P> "The directions for the tea are: a quart of spring water just boiled, to which put a spoonful of tea, and sweeten to the palate with candy sugar . As soon as the tea and sugar are in, the steam must be kept in as much as may be, and let it lie half or quarter of an hour in the heat of the fire but not boil . The little cups must be held over the steam before the liquid be put in ." </P> <P> The earliest English equipages for making tea date to the 1660s . Small porcelain tea bowls were used by the fashionable; they were occasionally shipped with the tea itself . Tea - drinking spurred the search for a European imitation of Chinese porcelain, first successfully produced in England at the Chelsea porcelain manufactory, established around 1743 - 45 and quickly imitated . See tea set . </P> <P> Black tea overtook green tea in popularity in the 1720s when sugar and milk were added to tea, a practice that was not done in China . The growth in the import of tea parallels that of sugar in the 18th century . Between 1720 and 1750 the imports of tea to Britain through the British East India Company more than quadrupled . Fernand Braudel queried, "is it true to say the new drink replaced gin in England?" By 1766, exports from Canton stood at six million pounds on British boats, compared with 4.5 on Dutch ships, 2.4 on Swedish, 2.1 on French . Veritable "tea fleets" grew up . Tea was particularly interesting to the Atlantic world not only because it was easy to cultivate but also because of how easy it was to prepare and its ability to revive the spirits and cure mild colds . </P> <P> Thomas Twining opened the first known tea shop in 1706, which still remains at 216 Strand, London . In 1787, the company created its logo, still in use today, which is thought to be the world's oldest commercial logo that has been in continuous use since its inception . Under Associated British Foods since 1964, Stephen Twining now represents the company's tenth generation . In 2006, Twinings celebrated its 300th anniversary with a special tea and associated tea caddies . Twining's is a Royal Warrant holder (appointed by HM The Queen). </P>

Where did putting milk in tea come from