Next to rare roast beef, "High Tea" has to be Britain's most significant contribution to international cuisine. The practice of having a "cuppa" and a snack at 4 o'clock has become a rock-solid culinary custom in Britain and its former colonies, as well as being a favorite treat among Anglophiles everywhere. Now teatime is becoming a global alternative to entertain guests when getting better acquainted is the main objective.
There are several rules that need to be followed for teatime to be considered High Tea. First is the time. Although you can serve tea at any time of the day, it is technically High Tea when it is served at exactly 4 o' clock in the afternoon. Time is essential since more food is served at High Tea - making it a possible replacement for dinner. Shops bend this rule a little bit and serve High Tea between 3 and 5 o' clock to accommodate customers that are not familiar with the proper time.
Next, a hospitable atmosphere is essential for High Tea. There should be a centrally located table to hold the teapot and trays of comestibles, along with lots of roomy, comfortable seating for people to gather for little chats. Set the tea table with a good tablecloth and cloth napkins and use paper doilies under the cups, saucers, plates, etc. Get several bouquets of seasonal flowers and arrange them in vases and bowls around the room. Then choose some lilting background music that won't drown out conversation.
The proper equipment is essential for High Tea. Invest in a quality teapot, which can be found through any shop that specializes in tea. The queen of all English teapots is known as the "Brown Betty," a little teapot that's short and stout and, well, brown. Today the ceramic Betty comes in many more colors than just brown and she has lots of cousins in other styles, but they all keep the water hot. Rounding out essentials for the tea service are teacups and saucers, teaspoons, a creamer, a sugar bowl with its own spoon, plus spreading knives for butter, jam or clotted cream, dessert plates, dessert forks and spoons. Don't stress if the tea accessories don't match up; a mis matched up set gives an air of tradition, like family heirlooms handed down through generations.
High Tea would be meaningless if you don't serve quality tea. Variety is always good as different people favor different flavors. You can serve prosaic Orange Pekoe or move up and offer the more exotic Assam Black. You can even go overboard a bit and have herbal Rose Hips Tootie-Frootie Enlightenment. The key here is to have the basics down and offer variants to mix things up a bit. Loose tea is harder to serve and will require some skills with an infuser. Teabags are more convenient and forgiving to novices.
And what about the food, you say? Think any kind of light snack or dessert, as long as it's basically finger-food. Tiny sandwiches, little cakes, petit fours, yummy nut breads, fruit tarts, cream puffs, scones and jam, anything along these lines is ideal.
All that's left is having a good time. Steer the conversation into something light and you will have a grand time sticking your pinkies up as you sip tea from dainty cups.
There are several rules that need to be followed for teatime to be considered High Tea. First is the time. Although you can serve tea at any time of the day, it is technically High Tea when it is served at exactly 4 o' clock in the afternoon. Time is essential since more food is served at High Tea - making it a possible replacement for dinner. Shops bend this rule a little bit and serve High Tea between 3 and 5 o' clock to accommodate customers that are not familiar with the proper time.
Next, a hospitable atmosphere is essential for High Tea. There should be a centrally located table to hold the teapot and trays of comestibles, along with lots of roomy, comfortable seating for people to gather for little chats. Set the tea table with a good tablecloth and cloth napkins and use paper doilies under the cups, saucers, plates, etc. Get several bouquets of seasonal flowers and arrange them in vases and bowls around the room. Then choose some lilting background music that won't drown out conversation.
The proper equipment is essential for High Tea. Invest in a quality teapot, which can be found through any shop that specializes in tea. The queen of all English teapots is known as the "Brown Betty," a little teapot that's short and stout and, well, brown. Today the ceramic Betty comes in many more colors than just brown and she has lots of cousins in other styles, but they all keep the water hot. Rounding out essentials for the tea service are teacups and saucers, teaspoons, a creamer, a sugar bowl with its own spoon, plus spreading knives for butter, jam or clotted cream, dessert plates, dessert forks and spoons. Don't stress if the tea accessories don't match up; a mis matched up set gives an air of tradition, like family heirlooms handed down through generations.
High Tea would be meaningless if you don't serve quality tea. Variety is always good as different people favor different flavors. You can serve prosaic Orange Pekoe or move up and offer the more exotic Assam Black. You can even go overboard a bit and have herbal Rose Hips Tootie-Frootie Enlightenment. The key here is to have the basics down and offer variants to mix things up a bit. Loose tea is harder to serve and will require some skills with an infuser. Teabags are more convenient and forgiving to novices.
And what about the food, you say? Think any kind of light snack or dessert, as long as it's basically finger-food. Tiny sandwiches, little cakes, petit fours, yummy nut breads, fruit tarts, cream puffs, scones and jam, anything along these lines is ideal.
All that's left is having a good time. Steer the conversation into something light and you will have a grand time sticking your pinkies up as you sip tea from dainty cups.
About the Author:
Michelle is definitely an expert publisher whose discipline is writing about simple, yet delicious, house cooking. Her articles typically stress the added benefits of crockpot like slow cooker recipes, which is certainly one of her favorites.