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[[Image:Meissen-teacup pinkrose01.jpg|thumb|right|A cup of tea]] |
[[Image:Meissen-teacup pinkrose01.jpg|thumb|right|A cup of tea]] |
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[[Image:Cornishcreamtea.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Cornish [[cream tea]] in [[Boscastle]], although prepared in the Devonshire Method.]] |
[[Image:Cornishcreamtea.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Cornish [[cream tea]] in [[Boscastle]], although prepared in the Devonshire Method.]] |
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Tea is a custom in Britain as is [[coffee]] in Spain |
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'''Afternoon tea''' also known as low tea, is a light meal typically eaten between 3pm and 5pm. The custom of drinking tea originated in [[England]] when [[Catherine of Braganza|Catherine of Bragança]] married [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] in 1661 and brought the practice of drinking tea in the afternoon with her from Portugal.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} 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 will rarely take afternoon tea, if at all.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} |
'''Afternoon tea''' also known as low tea, is a light meal typically eaten between 3pm and 5pm. The custom of drinking tea originated in [[England]] when [[Catherine of Braganza|Catherine of Bragança]] married [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] in 1661 and brought the practice of drinking tea in the afternoon with her from Portugal.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} 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 will rarely take afternoon tea, if at all.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} |
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Revision as of 17:21, 3 March 2011
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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 the term's 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, 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.
In many parts of East Africa, "chai" refers to any food or drink taken first thing in the morning - "chai ya mkono" (Kiswahili, "tea in the hand") refers to having just a cup of tea for breakfast whereas someone can say they had "chai" this morning, meaning they had both tea and something to eat.
Australia and New Zealand
Many Australians and New Zealanders call the early evening meal "tea", while others refer to it as "dinner", both terms are understood to refer to the same thing. Calling a meal "tea" reflects the custom of northern England, Wales, and Scotland where "tea" refers to an evening meal.
During the working day a "tea break" or just "tea" can refer to morning/afternoon tea (corresponding to elevenses or a coffee break) or a break in the afternoon. This may be taken in a designated tea room. Colloquially, a break of this sort may also be called a smoko, particularly tradesmen and the building industry.
Brazil
In Brazil, the term "Tea" or "Tea party" isn't used; instead, the word "Café-da-tarde" (meaning "Afternoon breakfast") represents the Tea meal in Brazil, although the United Kingdom was never part of Brazil's colonisation.
Usually, on Brazil's "Afternoon Breakfast" it's very common to eat homemade cakes (usually of corn), with coffee (sometimes the coffee is mixed with milk), hot tea, bread with butter and along with biscuits. The brazilian "Afternon breakfast" is quite similar to brazilian breakfast in some regions and traditions, nevertheless, Brazilians nowadays adopt a breakfast with fruits and juices, leaving the old breakfast habits to the "Afternoon breakfast".
Canada
Despite its history as a British colony, tea is not a widely-recognised meal in Canada, although afternoon tea (sometimes referred to as "high tea") is served at many higher-end hotels, usually on weekend afternoons. Victoria, British Columbia is well-known, however, for its tradition of afternoon tea.
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. The Afternoon Tea depending on the situation or individuals, may not actually involve brewed tea at all, but locally produced or home made drinks and punches, or carbonated drinks referred to as "sweet drinks".
In addition, in the rural areas, it is common to hear breakfast being called "tea", possibly because tea is the most frequently consumed Guyanese breakfast beverage. At breakfast tea, tea is usually consumed with whatever the individual may usually have with breakfast and can include bread, toast, roti (a West Indian style, Indian flatbread), porridge, eggs, or fry-ups.
Most Guyanese refer to the most popular tea they drink as green tea, but it is actually just a 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".
United Kingdom
Afternoon tea
Tea is a custom in Britain as is coffee in Spain
Afternoon tea also known as low tea, is a light meal typically eaten between 3pm and 5pm. The custom of drinking tea originated in England when Catherine of Bragança married Charles II in 1661 and brought the practice of drinking tea in the afternoon with her from Portugal.[citation needed] 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 will rarely take afternoon tea, if at all.[citation needed]
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). In hotels and tea shops 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, or toast, muffins or crumpets.[1][2][3]
Nowadays, a formal afternoon tea 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.
While living in Woburn Abbey, 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.[4]
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.[5]
High tea
High tea (also known as meat tea[6]) is an early evening meal, typically eaten between 5pm and 6pm. It is now largely followed by a later lighter evening meal.
High tea would usually consist of cold meats, eggs or fish, cakes and sandwiches.
High tea, as it is now used, would not be regularly served and might only occur at weekends, at parties, or on special occasions.
The definition for high tea has recently undergone some changes, especially for non-UK countries. Now high tea often refers to a more traditional tea with lighter meal and dessert offerings. This is often how the term "high tea" is used outside England, that is, what in the UK is served at tea rooms.
High Tea in Asia
In most Asian countries, High Tea refers to an elaborate "late lunch" meal that occurs between lunch and dinner, usually between the hours of 2-6pm that consists of both Western and Asian dishes such as noodles, grilled meats, rice, meat curries, sushi rolls, carveries, salad and desserts.
Unlike the UK where High Tea is an early evening meal (5-6pm), in Asia High Tea usually replaces lunch, as it's taken as a "late lunch" (2-6pm) instead. High Teas are almost always served only in restaurants and hotels, and usually never in Asian homes.
On China's eastern coast, afternoon tea (下午茶) has a very broad meaning and can refer to afternoon set meals or discounted coffee-and-pastry deals at coffee shops and the like to attract customers during the workday.
In Japan, the Tea Ceremony is connected to religion, to Zen Buddhism which was a primary influence on this ceremony.
Other uses
In many parts of England, particularly the North-West and North East, and in many parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, tea is used to mean the main evening meal, replacing dinner.
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 or afternoon break from work, or social gathering for a snack and short downtime, where hot and cold beverages and cakes, breads, and pastries are sometimes 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 sometimes described as "afternoon tea." The term "tea party" is still occasionally given in the U.S., either for a special occasion or in honor of a visiting celebrity or guest.
France, Belgium and Switzerland
Similarly, in French speaking Europe one finds "le goûter"[7][8] or "le quatre heures",[9] in other words, the 4:00 afternoon snack, often prepared for children who have returned from school hungry. There are many kinds, but generally this snack could be a baguette or roll with butter and jam or chocolate shavings or spread, or chocolate cookies, accompanied by hot chocolate, milky tea or milky coffee (café au lait). Goûter for adults may consist of fruit syrups in water or sparkling water, and light biscuits (cookies) or pastries. Although it never really went away, the custom is now becoming very trendy in France as a nostalgic wave of baby boomers recall their childhood gastronomic pleasures.
It is not well-known that the custom of drinking tea arrived in France earlier than it did in England, in fact 1636, from Holland. Tea was consumed and made fashionable by the royal family but following the revolution of 1789, its popularity declined. Proximity to England was hard to ignore, however, and in the 1830s, the custom again returned to France.[10]
See also
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.
- ^ [1]
- ^ 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.
- ^ http://www.legouter.fr/
- ^ http://www.sergetheconcierge.com/2010/01/le-gouter-french-afternoon-snack-for-schoolkids-reinvented-by-grown-ups.html/
- ^ http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/quatre_heures
- ^ http://www.teagarden.com/library/tea_library_50.php
External links
- http://www.bartleby.com/95/13.html "Teas and Other Afternoon Parties", Chapter XIII of Emily Post's Etiquette (1922)
- SBS Food story on high tea: http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/4277/Featured_Foodie_Michelle_Milton