Coffee, Saucered and Blowed

[Subdeacon Joe]

‘Why did you pour that tea into your saucer?’ asked Washington. ‘To cool it,’ said Jefferson.

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Though the practice has fallen out of habit at many modern coffee shops such as Starbucks, it wasn’t very long ago that just about every roadside eatery and hole in the wall establishment that served breakfast would present the coffee cup to patrons atop a small saucer — this is common knowledge, but have you ever given the thought as to why this is the case when no other beverage is served in these establishments with a saucer?

Though saucers were invented during the medieval times, it became popular to serve them with a cup of hot beverages during the colonial America period in an effort to allow those drinking the tea or coffee to not burn their mouth — the person being served the saucer and coffee cup would separate the two and pour small amounts of the beverage into the saucer plate.  The thin layer of steamy drink would then cool considerably faster than the beverage contained in the cup, allowing the person drinking to enjoy warm but not scalding coffee.

 

 

[J-BAR #18287]

This is how my maternal grandfather drank his coffee at breakfast, and I learned to love coffee sipping from his saucer.

 

Thanks for reviving a great memory!

 

 

[Perro Del Diablo]

I will drop an ice cube in to cool just enough not to get scolded.

[St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905]

I thought this was the way to drink coffee until I came to the city .  We would place a sugar cube in between our lips and front teeth and sip the coffee through it.  I think the older generations remember/do this.  Not so much anymore.

 

STL Suomi

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

As a teenager, I had a friend who drank coffee from a saucer.

 

As for myself, I prefer coffee as hot as possible without actually being hot enough to raise blisters.

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, St. Louis Suomi SASS #31905 said:

I thought this was the way to drink coffee until I came to the city .  We would place a sugar cube in between our lips and front teeth and sip the coffee through it.  I think the older generations remember/do this.  Not so much anymore.

 

STL Suomi

 

I've seen Russians drink their tea and coffee that way.  Some would use candied cherries the same way. 

[Nasty Newt # 7365]

The only family member I ever saw do it was very old, and I was very young.  It was a long time ago.

[Alpo]

28 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

I've seen Russians drink their tea and coffee that way.  Some would use candied cherries the same way.

I've heard of Russians doing that with strawberry jam. Never seen it, but I've heard of it.

[Utah Bob #35998]

Uncouth sez I. 

[Subdeacon Joe]

An interesting bit from the article:

 

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This custom was so widely practiced that when the US Constitution was first created and George Washington was attempting to explain to Thomas Jefferson the purpose for having two houses of Congress, he used this practice as a metaphor.

“Upon his return, Jefferson visited Washington and asked why the Convention delegates had created a Senate. ‘Why did you pour that tea into your saucer?’ asked Washington. ‘To cool it,’ said Jefferson. ‘Even so,’ responded Washington, ‘we pour legislation into the senatorial saucer to cool it.'” This exchange has been published by the US Senate.

 

[Choctaw Jack]

I learned to"saucer" hot coffee as a small child ,while sitting on my Papa's knee.One of my very earliest memories. 

[Sedalia Dave]

I remember Grandpa doing that when I was still small enough to sit on his lap.