Afternoon Tea in England: The most quintessential of English customs, Afternoon Tea in England is a light meal composed of three courses – tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and sweet pastries. Can also be referred to as High Tea.
Tea in America: The luxe three-tier affair, involving savories, scones, sweets, and of course tea. This can be a serious business in New York City, with a huge range of additions including salads, sandwiches and pastries.
High Tea in Scotland: In Scotland, high tea takes on further differentiation. A Scottish high tea is not unlike an afternoon tea but will include some hot food, such as a cheese on toast or other savory goodies.
Pictured Left to Right: England, America, Scotland.
Tea is a personal favorite so this week our posts will focus on the history, etiquette, types of tea and general information about this drink that is so much more – its’s a lifestyle.
Let’s delve into the difference between Afternoon tea and High tea – they are completely different types of meals which are used interchangeably as many mistakenly believe that there is no difference. Both of these tea traditions are steeped in British history and are a direct result of their origins.
Afternoon tea is a light meal composed of three courses – tea sandwiches and savories, scones with clotted cream and jam, and sweet pastries. These bite-sized treats are eaten with your fingers. Afternoon tea time occurs around 4pm, between lunch and dinner. The light meal is not meant to replace dinner but instead to hold you over until dinner which was usually at 8pm for the upper class. The concept of afternoon tea started in England in the 1840s when The Duchess of Bedford wanted a small bite between lunch and dinner. It started out as just tea and a small snack. but the popularity grew once she started inviting her friends over and it became a social gathering for the wealthy social class. Afternoon tea is also called ‘low tea’ since they were enjoyed on low tables with comfortable chairs and sofas in the drawing room.
High tea on the other hand was a working class family evening meal or supper. Traditionally, it consisted of hearty dishes between 5-7pm which was after the working class came home from work. Instead of small crustless finger sandwiches, a high tea menu consisted of meat dishes, potatoes, baked beans and other heavy dishes. It was not a luxurious event but meant to nourish after a long day at work. High tea was named for the high dining table where supper was eaten.
So why do people still call it high tea? Because they think it sounds fancier and establishments that serve afternoon tea sometimes call it high tea to market to people. Even in England where afternoon tea originated, you may see luxury hotels offering high tea to attract tourists.
What are the Different Types of Afternoon Tea?
Afternoon tea is made up of three courses of food with a pot of tea – tea sandwiches, scones served with clotted cream and jam, and sweet pastries.
Cream tea is a pared down version of afternoon tea with just one course — the scones.
Royal tea is a pricier version of afternoon tea due to the addition of Champagne.
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