Tea can refer to any of several different meals or mealtimes depending on a country's customs and its history of drinking tea. However in those countries where its use is common the influences are generally those of the former British Empire (now the Commonwealth of Nations).
Africa
Afternoon tea has fallen off in popularity, though it is generally available in high-end hotels, restaurants and cafés.
In Kenya, tea (or chai (origin: Hindi, Indian language), as it is known and grown locally) is served scalding hot with milk and is usually quite sweet. It is still a popular break in the afternoons, and many offices and homes still serve tea in the mid afternoons. In northern Kenya, tea time is used not so much as a snack, but a mid afternoon break time from work to rest, cool off, and drink tea. It was customary to always return home during work breaks for meals (lunch); and tea would be served at this time.
Australia and New Zealand
Many Australians and New Zealanders call the early evening meal their "tea" while others will call it "dinner"; though both words are mutually understood to mean the same thing. This largely reflects British custom.
During the working day "tea break" or just "tea" can refer to either morning tea (corresponding to elevenses and coffee break) or afternoon tea. This may be taken in a designated tea room. Colloquially, this can be referred to as a morning smoko or just smoko ; which in times past was understood to mean a cup of tea, maybe something sweet or a sandwich, and a cigarette. This term is commonly used by tradesmen and the building industry.
Canada
Due to the great variation of cultures scattered across Canada, one may find families in the same neighbourhood who observe any or none of the tea customs found in the rest of the world.
Guyana
In Guyana, "tea" can mean either the traditional mid-afternoon meal or can refer to breakfast itself. As a former colony of Britain, Guyana is steeped in English traditions. The country's love of cricket, the national game, translates into the common understanding that "tea" is an interval in the middle of afternoon play. A tea meal is also popular at luncheons and afternoon parties.
In addition, when speaking to older citizens, especially those of rural origin, it is not unusual to hear breakfast called "tea", possibly because tea is the most frequently consumed Guyanese breakfast beverage. At breakfast tea, one may eat bread, toast, roti (an Indian flatbread) or any combination thereof.
Most Guyanese refer to the most popular tea they drink as green tea, but it is actually the equivalent of a North American black tea.
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, "tea" denotes a light meal served in middle afternoon from 2pm to 6pm. This is a practice that Hong Kong people adopted from the British concept of afternoon tea during the late period of British colonial rule. Afternoon tea is common, although not a meal served daily. The food taken consists of some light meals or snacks such as sandwiches, toast, or more substantial fares served together with milk tea, coffee, Horlicks, Ovaltine, yuenyeung , lemon tea for Western style food, and Chinese tea for Chinese style food. Elaborate versions of English-style afternoon tea (see below) is often described as "high tea" by Hong Kong people.
United Kingdom
Afternoon tea
Afternoon tea is a light meal typically eaten between 3 pm and 5 pm. The custom of drinking tea originated in England when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II in 1661 and brought the practice of drinking tea in the afternoon with her from Portugal. Various places that belonged to the former British Empire also have such a meal. However, changes in social customs and working hours mean that most Britons only take afternoon tea on special or formal occasions, if at all. Many Britons will never have taken afternoon tea, as the tradition is somewhat out-dated and largely reserved for aristocrats.
Traditionally, loose tea is brewed in a teapot and served in teacups with milk and sugar. This is accompanied by sandwiches (customarily cucumber, egg and cress, fish paste, ham, and smoked salmon), scones (with clotted cream and jam, see Cream tea) and usually cakes and pastries (such as Battenberg, fruit cake or Victoria sponge). The food is often served on a tiered stand: there may be no sandwiches, but bread or scones with butter or margarine and optional jam or other spread.
A formal, proper afternoon tea nowadays is usually taken as a treat in a hotel, café or tea shop. In everyday life, many British take a much simpler refreshment consisting of tea and biscuits at teatime.
Anna Maria Russell, Duchess of Bedford, is credited as the first person to have transformed afternoon tea in England into a late afternoon meal rather than a simple refreshment.
Isabella Beeton describes afternoon teas of various kinds: the old-fashioned tea, the at-home tea, the family tea and the high tea and provides menus.
High tea
High tea (also known as meat tea ) is an early evening meal, typically eaten between 5pm and 6pm. It would substitute for both afternoon tea and the evening meal. It is now largely replaced by a later evening meal.
High tea would usually consist of cold meats, eggs or fish, cakes and sandwiches. In a family, it tends to be less formal and is an informal snack (featuring sandwiches, biscuits, pastry, fruit and the like) or else it is the main evening meal.
On farms or other working class environments, high tea would be the traditional, substantial meal eaten by the workers immediately after nightfall, and would combine afternoon tea with the main evening meal. See also The UK Tea Council Definition .
In recent years, high tea has become a term for elaborate afternoon tea, though this is American usage and mainly unrecognised in Britain. This usage is disfavored by etiquette advisors, such as Miss Manners (see United States below).
Other uses
In many parts of Scotland, Wales, the English Midlands, and Northern England, Tea is used to mean dinner of any sort. In these areas, dinner often refers to the meal elsewhere known as lunch.
United States
For most of the United States, the morning or afternoon break is not often referred to as tea as the beverage has not traditionally been a widespread choice with Americans. The term coffee break is used instead to denote a morning social gathering for a snack and short downtime where hot and cold beverages and cakes, breads and pastries are consumed.
The term "high tea" is also used in the United States to refer to afternoon tea or the "tea party," a very formal, ritualised gathering in which tea, thin sandwiches and little cakes are served on the best china. This usage is an analogical construction, the term "high" being associated with social "formality" (rather than a "high," or main, table). Etiquette experts hold the opinion that such usage is unorthodox outside commercial contexts.
This form of tea is increasingly served in high-end American hotels, often during the Christmas holidays and other tourist seasons, and a rising number of big-city teahouses, where it is usually correctly described as "afternoon tea." The tea party is still occasionally given in the U.S., either for a special occasion or in honour of a visiting celebrity or guest.
See also
- British cuisine
- Coffee break
- Cream tea (Devonshire tea)
- Tea
- Tea party
- Tea dance
- Tea sandwich
- Tea set
References
- ^ Mason, Laura; Brown, Catherine (1999) From Bath Chaps to Bara Brith. Totnes: Prospect Books
- ^ Pettigrew, Jane (2004) Afternoon Tea. Andover: Jarrold.
- ^ Fitzgibbon, Theodora (1972) A Taste of England: the West Country. London: J. M. Dent.
- ^ Beeton, Isabella (1901) Mrs Beeton's Cookery Book , new ed. London: Ward, Lock; pp. 282-83.
- ^ April 23.—Mr. and Mrs. James (Miss Fullers that was) came to meat tea, and we left directly after for the Tank Theatre". The Diary of a Nobody . George and Weedon Grossmith, with illustrations by Weedon Grossmith. 1892.
External links
- http://www.bartleby.com/95/13.html "Teas and Other Afternoon Parties", Chapter XIII of Emily Post's Etiquette (1922)
- "Noveltea: a site dedicated to afternoon tea"
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