How to Take Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is a light meal consumed by Britons and people in many other countries such as Mexico, Ireland and Africa, though the light foods served during afternoon tea vary from country to country. This ritual began with the seventh Duchess of Bedford, who had tea and pastries served in her room around 4 o'clock every afternoon.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Attend tea around four o'clock in the afternoon with a few close friends. In Britain, formal afternoon tea now occurs only on formal or special occasions, although many Britons enjoy tea and cake informally around the same time every day.

2. Drink tea served in a porcelain teapot. Pour into dainty teacups and fill your cup with milk and sugar. The tea prepared for this light meal may be black, oolong, green, Darjeeling or Earl Grey.

3. Fix tea sandwiches. Cut the bread thin, and freeze it first to make it easier to slice. Make cucumber sandwiches on white bread, ham and watercress with cream cheese or egg sandwiches. Serve scones with an assortment of jams and rich, Devonshire cream.

4. Add muffins, fruit, gingerbread, crumpets and cookies to give variety to the afternoon tea, especially if you're serving a large party. Specialties such as sponge cake, raspberry tarts, and cream-filled strawberries can be included, creatively placed on fine china.

5. Take afternoon tea at a fine London hotel like the Dorchester. Here you can enjoy finger sandwiches, pastries and a wide assortment of tea between 3 and 6 p.m., and have a glass of champagne instead of tea if you wish. Enjoy tea at the Savoy while a pianist provides atmospheric music for your afternoon meal.

Resources

• Learn more about afternoon tea at the Joy of Baking website.

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on 11/15/2008 If you like tea, you'll love noveltea, a site dedicated to celebrating the great British tradition of afternoon tea

www.noveltea.co.uk