Janet Kaiser on fri 22 mar 02
IMO the primary reason is just an inescapable result of a change in
cultural and culinary habits. At one time one would watch Mother make
tea in a teapot every day of your life. It was a ritual. From the
cradle to the grave. NO ONE would ever dream of heating the water in
the teapot. But many young people have never seen tea made this way
before. Indeed, they probably think the only way to make a cuppa, is
to put a spoon of instant coffee or a tea-bag in a mug and fill up
with boiling water or zap it in the microwave... Tea from a pot? How
very quaint! Aren't teapots just for decoration?
OR MORE TO THE POINT: Aren't "teapots" for making tea... And of course
you make tea by heating water and adding to the teabag in the mug
and... Duh!!!
Hey presto! We have a whole generation who do not know the difference
between a teapot and a kettle... They bought the teapot to heat water
to make tea... They already own a kettle, but wanted a swanky
tea-making pot... Another bit of kit.
Casseroles out of the oven or basins used for steaming puddings on the
stove... Anything hot was NEVER placed onto a cold surface or put
straight into a washing up bowl... You had a trivet, wooden board or
place mat handy. So when you broke your first pot, because you had not
learned the lesson from watching Mum cook or in the domestic science
class at school, THERMAL SHOCK would be explained and you learned
never to do that again. I don't know why someone mentioned this term
was beyond the wo/man-in-the-street these days, but perhaps it is just
another example of one generation missing out on learning from their
parents/guardians/whatever?
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art / Capel Celfyddyd
Home of The International Potters' Path
8 Marine Crescent : Criccieth : GB-Wales
URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
postbox@the-coa.org.uk
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