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History of Tea: Afternoon Tea
Legend has it that the creator of
afternoon tea was one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, Anna Maria
Stanhope (1783-1857), also known as the
Duchess of Bedford. In those days, the aristocracy was accustomed to
eating a large breakfast, a very light lunch and a late supper. But the
Duchess got hungry around four o’clock every afternoon and began to
suffer from "a sinking feeling." To make herself feel better, she
started snacking on sandwiches and a pot of tea in the later afternoon.
Soon the Duchess began inviting friends to join her in the afternoon for
tea, small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches and assorted sweets. This
proved so popular that other social hostesses picked up on it and
started inviting friends over for tea in the afternoon. Thus a pleasant
and diverting custom was born – one that is still very much alive and
well in Britain.
Tea cuisine soon grew to include tiny,
wafer-thin sandwiches, fish or liver pates, toast with jam, and scones
(Scottish) or crumpets (English). Some people referred to afternoon tea as “low
tea,” as it was served in the “low” part of the afternoon on low tables in the
parlor. Low tea featured gourmet tidbits rather than solid meals.
“High tea,” on the other hand, also
referred to as “meat tea,” was the main or high meal of the day and included
dinner-like items such as roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas and – naturally –
tea.
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