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Afternoon tea has only been around for
less than two centuries. It is said that the Duchess of Bedford
started afternoon teas. She was said to get a sinking feeling
between luncheons at 11:00 am and dinner at 8:00 or 9:00 p.m.
So she started having a pot of hot water, bread, butter, and
cakes sent to her room. She soon invited her friends to join
her. By the 1840's, afternoon tea was a widely popular social
event in England.
High Tea is often referred to as afternoon
tea, but in actuality it is dinner. In the later Victorian Era,
the working class would return home to a table full of meats,
bread, butter, pickles, potatoes, cheese, and tea. This was
served on the dinner table, therefore its name High Tea for
high table.
Afternoon tea was usually served in a
withdrawing room or sitting room on a low table (i.e. coffee
table), thus the name Low Tea. They usually served finger sandwiches,
scones, pastries, and tea. There are three types of afternoon
tea:
- Cream Tea: Tea, Scones, Jam & Cream
- Light Tea: Tea, Scones, & Sweets
- Full Tea: Tea, Savories, Scones, & Desserts
The menu for afternoon
tea has changed from tea, bread, butter and cakes to three particular
courses served specifically in this order:
- Savories: Tiny sandwiches or appetizers
- Scones: Served with jam and Devonshire or clotted cream
- Pastries: Cakes, cookies, shortbread and sweets
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