Teaophilic Treatise (Part I of IV): Past Repasts

Ah … Camellia sinensis … a.k.a., cha, chai, and tea. Aside from water, it’s the most frequently drunk beverage in the world (sorry, Coca-Cola … *smirk*). Tea is more than a mere drink, however; it’s a multi-layered cultural phenomenon that has successfully saturated the globe. That, when combined with humanity’s penchant for tradition, gives us numerous tea rituals. Your Hedonista has written on both Chinese and Taiwanese tea traditions, but what about the West?

The birth of tea took place in China – possibly as far back as 3,000 BC – with Europe not gettin’ on the “tea trade train” until the early-to-mid-16 century, primarily through Portuguese and Dutch traders. Jolly Olde England didn’t come aboard until approximately the mid-17th century, with the East India Company not cashing in on the overwhelming popularity of tea in Europe until the mid-18th century. (In 1660, King Charles II married the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza, who first introduced tea to the Royal Court.) As a result of this introduction (in more ways than one) – two British tea traditions evolved: the high tea and the afternoon tea.

Now, a nod to the difference between the British afternoon and high teas was recently noted by dear Ronaldo of Cornichon; however, your Hedonista wishes to clarify and expand upon these two significantly different tea traditions, so as to avoid the committing of any grave faux pas in confusing the two.

British Afternoon Tea – A Richly Respectable Repast: This is the traditional tea service that one typically thinks of today (and really the only one of the two that remains popular). A richly respectable repast typically served at 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m., this is a refined tea served on fine china. The edibles consist of the typical fare: cold finger sandwiches, scones, clotted/Devonshire cream (often called a “cream tea”), cookies, cakes and pastries. This tea was made popular by the wife of England’s 7th Duke: Anna, Duchess of Bedford (1783-1857). Her reason for this creation? The source of many great inventions: necessity. To be more specific, dear readers, it was pure hunger; for lunch was served around midday, but the dinner hour wasn’t until much later on in the evening (i.e., around 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m.). So basically, afternoon tea was created to “tide one over” between the lunch meal and the dinner meal. Rules of etiquette also exist, such as allowing your tea server to pour the tea, typically after first being offered the sugar (yes, one lump or two), milk, and lemon slices. Once the tea is poured, hot water is typically offered for those teaophiles who enjoy a weaker tea. Once the tea is poured, it’s time to enjoy those noshies – typically from a multi-tiered plate stand. Sound like a lot to manage for the non-ambidextrous? Fear not, my dear hedonists – for tea-tipping and crumb-creating are rites of passage and really par for the course when it comes to the British afternoon tea.

British High Tea – A Ruggedly Rural Repast: Whereas afternoon tea was originally the tea service of the Royal Court and the higher social classes, “high tea” was, well … not. So-named because the meal was typically taken at a high table (think of the brew pub tables of today), this tea service was originally conceived in the late 19th century and traditionally served around 6:00 p.m.  Rather than the “tide me over” meal, it served as the “happy hour” meal of the rural farming and working class: a hearty, workingman’s supper enjoyed with the family and made up of hot dishes, typically consisting of meats, cheeses, and eggs. (Think meat pies, baked breads and sweets.) True comfort food to break the hard labor and often drudgery of the day (just think of the atrocious working conditions of the factory workers of this time period). It’s worth noting that this tea tradition has largely fallen out of popularity (but can apparently still be found in rural regions of the British Isles). That said, the urban “Happy Hour” is arguably the evolutionary descendant of this ruggedly rural repast.

Sooo … now that you’ve become educated (or perhaps refreshed) on the ins-and-outs of the Western – particularly British – tea culture, stay tuned for your Hedonista’s review of three Pacific Northwest (i.e., Victoria & Seattle) establishments worthy of mention (and visitation)….

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.