Afternoon Tea
That mid-afternoon slump and craving for something sweet is usually remedied with putting the kettle on and reaching for some kind of snacks. But the habit of drinking tea and eating snacks at 3pm used to be a much more refined affair. In fact, it’s traced to the tradition of taking afternoon tea – a regal event that roared back to popularity in recent decades.
There is no more quintessential British ritual than the ceremony and serving of afternoon tea. It is a truly British custom with a history going back to the 19th century. The credit for this ritual is given to Anna the Duchess of Bedford who was a lady in waiting to Queen Victoria. As much as afternoon tea is loved for its cute finger sandwiches, elegant desserts and restorative drinks, it’s also an occasion in itself. The how, where and with whom you indulge is as important as what you indulge in. And we can thank one fine lady’s peckish-ness and desire for a good chit-chat for the whole affair.
History
Tea drinking has been at the height of sophistication in Britain since the 1660s, when it was popularised by King Charles II and his Portuguese wife, Princess Catherine de Braganza. But it wasn’t for everyone: hefty price tags meant tea was the preserve of the aristocracy. The concept of “afternoon tea” first appeared in the mid-19th century. During this time period, it was usual for people to take only two main meals a day – breakfast in the early mornings, and dinner at around 8 o'clock in the evening. The late dinner was due to the recent discovery of indoor gas and oil lighting, which made it easier to stay up later. Tea consumption increased dramatically due to the long gap between early breakfast and late dinner.
Anna Maria, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, who was a lifelong friend and lady in waiting to Queen Victoria, is widely credited with inventing afternoon tea in England as a late-afternoon meal. The Duchess of Bedford was said to have complained of "having that sinking feeling" during the late afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at 8 o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between breakfast and dinner. The solution for the Duchess was a light snack - a little bit of bread with butter, biscuits and cakes, to enjoy with a customary cup of Darjeeling tea, which was to be taken privately in her boudoir during the afternoon.
Anna began to send invitations to her friends and invite them up to her dressing room to share in this meal with her. When Anna came to London, she brought the occasion with her and it soon caught on among the great and the good, then skyrocketed with a royal endorsement. Lifelong friend Queen Victoria loved the idea and began to enjoy having light cake with buttercream and fresh raspberries – later known as Victoria sponge, to accompany her precious cup of tea. With the Queen’s approval, the Afternoon Tea ritual became a formal occasion on a more grandeur scale, known as “tea receptions”. These receptions could have as many as 200 guests with an open at home; invitation to visit between 4pm and 7pm, during which they could come and go as they pleased. This was the genesis of the Afternoon Tea as we know it today.
Popularity
By the late 19th century, tea prices had become more affordable, allowing the burgeoning middle class to partake in the sophisticated afternoon tea ritual. It emerged as a private social event for ladies who wanted to climb the echelons of society. From afternoon tea, several different types of tea ritual also emerged.
Different Types of Tea Rituals
Cream Tea - This is the simplest form of afternoon tea - a meal of tea, scones, and cream.
Light Tea - If you add more sweets to cream tea, you get light tea.
Strawberry Tea - The addition of fresh strawberries to a cream tea makes it a strawberry tea.
Teddy Bear Tea - Children's afternoon tea party featuring dolls and teddy bears. How adorable!
Royal Tea - Afternoon tea developed when ladies drinking alcohol at all, let alone in the afternoon, was somewhat frowned upon. But not so today and many hotels and boutique cafés now offer menus that include a glass of champagne with afternoon tea. This is also known as Champagne Tea.
High Tea - Afternoon Tea is sometimes mistakenly called High Tea, which is a very different affair, in fact the quite opposite of it. High Tea was a meal served early in the evening in working-class homes during the 18th and 19th century after a hard day at work. The main meal of the day, high tea was a hearty fare of a mug of tea, bread, vegetables, cheese and occasionally meat served on the ‘high’, or main dining table.
Low Tea - Another name for Afternoon Tea because it is most often taken at a low table, like a coffee table in the sitting room before a warm fire. It definitely couldn’t sustain a hard-working lower class labourer, but it was enough to tide over the leisure-loving ladies of the upper classes until their evening meal.
The differences between High Tea and Afternoon Tea aka Low Tea reflect the stark distinction between the working class and the highborn. Working people of the lower class did not have the time or luxury to take leisurely afternoon meals, while the non-working upper class couldn’t face a heavy meal at five o’clock when dinner was served at eight. Now that I have armed you with so much knowledge of different types of tea rituals, if you still want to call it High Tea, instead of Afternoon Tea, you might as well dress like a local peasant from the 19th Century and serve kidney pies and mugs of tea. Drop the pretty pink tutu skirt, here is your overalls! Personally, I love a pretty tutu just as much as I love a comfy overalls. There is nothing stopping us from having it both ways!
Tea Etiquettes
Don’t call it high tea!
The saucer stays on the table.
Don’t wrap your hands around the cup.
Mind where the handle points.
Don't over stir. No whirlpool, stir your tea from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock.
Do not dunk your biscuits into your tea.
Eat your food in the proper order. The correct order to enjoy the food that accompanies afternoon tea is savory to sweet: sandwiches first, then scones, and sweets last.
Never put your pinkie out!
Even though afternoon tea isn’t a regular part of the day for the majority of us, it still remains a royal tradition. Queen Elizabeth II reportedly takes afternoon tea every day which consists of dainty, crustless sandwiches, sweet treats and scones. Despite all the quaint and highbrow practices associated with the experience, the important thing to remember is that Afternoon Tea is meant to be fun. It is best not let the etiquette get too much in the way of your own personal enjoyment.
Recipe — Afternoon Tea
Serves: 2
What exactly is included in a modern day afternoon tea? It is safe to say this tea ritual has changed very little since the days of Anna, the Duchess of Bedford. Today it includes a selection of loose leaf teas, such as Assam, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Lapsang Souchong and Chamomile.
Sandwiches, cut delicately into fingers size with crusts off and thoroughly English fillings like cucumber and egg mayonnaise, are presented on a cake stand with bite-size cakes and pastries. Scones with clotted cream and jam are also served.
The order of consumption is savory to sweet - finger sandwiches, followed by scones and clotted cream and finally sweets and pastries. I am going to share the perfect cup of afternoon tea, scones, homemade clotted cream and three different types of finger sandwiches. As for sweets and pastries, go buy them! Support your local bakery and patisseries.
The Perfect Cup of Tea
Earl Grey or English Breakfast - 3 Tsp
Water - 12 oz
Boil the water. Warm the teapot with hot water, then pour it away. Add tea to the pot and then add the boiling hot water to the tea pot. Close the lid and use a tea cosy, if you have one. Steep the tea at least 5 minutes.
Milk
Sugar Cubes
Lemon Slices, optional
Warm the teacups with hot water, then pour it away. Pour a little bit of milk into each tea cup. Pour the tea and sweeten with sugar as required.
You can omit the milk and serve the tea with lemon slices if you wish.
Classic Scones + Clotted Cream
Traditional English scones are barely sweetened, because they are eaten with sweet jam and clotted cream. They are a lot lighter, flakier and tastier than their American counterpart. Then there is the clotted cream — the name speaks for itself and it is divine! Anyone who has had fresh clotted cream, understands my excitement and obsession. It’s essentially a thick cream with a nutty, rich and sweet flavor with a softened cream cheese texture.
Tea Sandwiches
It might seem of no concern but unlike regular sandwiches, you should be meticulous when putting together tea sandwiches. Afterall, presentation is very important when putting together afternoon tea. Tea sandwich or finger sandwich may take a number of different forms, but they should be easy to handle, and be capable of being eaten in two or three bites. It may be a long, narrow sandwich, a triangular half-sandwich, or a small biscuit. There are so many types of tea sandwiches and today we are sharing three classics — egg salad, prawn and cucumber, and smoked salmon.
Here is our recipes for three different types of tea sandwiches.
We love the occasional afternoon pick-me-up tea in our household! And little scrummy noms to go with my tea? You bet I shall partake in this majestic ritual. Heck right now I am chugging some good ol’ English Breakfast at work right now, albeit it’s in a mug and not a dainty little cup. I’m just a wee little peasant, what can I say? Lol anyway, if you love tea as much as we do, be sure to check out our other tea recipes — Bangladeshi Dudh Cha (Milk Tea) and Thai Cha Yen + Thai Iced Tea Dalgona.
If you recreate our recipe
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