Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is a wonderful experience that is often misunderstood. It is not solely for the "ladies that lunch" bunch, nor is it only for upper-crust, aristocratic types with British accents. In recent years, the occasion has been embraced by business people who see it as a more relaxed alternative to an after-work drink at the club. It is also a welcome respite for anyone with a too-busy schedule who is seeking a moment to stop and regroup before embarking upon the evening's activities.

My personal experience having afternoon tea started with a situation that could have been inspiration for a comedy show. Some years ago, my husband and I arrived by train in Edinburgh, Scotland, on a cold, gray, rainy day. We had somehow managed to leave our umbrellas at our last stop, so we proceeded to walk unprotected from the rain to our destination in town.

Looking for a dry, warm place to rest for a moment, we stepped into a grand old hotel. In the main lobby, we spied a cozy scene of people sitting around small tables, with a blazing fireplace in the background. We walked nearer, just intending to get a closer look, when a tuxedoed gentleman asked if we would like to be seated. I was prepared to turn and leave when I heard my husband say, "Yes, we would." So, two rain-soaked, blue-jeans clad American tourists were ushered in to partake of afternoon tea at the Great Northern Hotel.

I will be forever grateful to everyone in that room who paid us scant attention as we were escorted to our table. We received our pot of steaming tea, and then our trays of sandwiches and sweets, but we were not met by any condescending glances or smirks. We settled back into our chairs and enjoyed the most delightful afternoon that could be imagined.

And we were completely smitten by the experience of afternoon tea.

Since that afternoon in Edinburgh, we have enjoyed afternoon tea in a variety of locations. Some of our favorites are:

• The Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, another of the grand old hotels known for its traditional afternoon tea. The setting on Victoria Harbor provides a stunning view in the late afternoon. Here is our menu for Afternoon Tea at The Empress:
  

• The Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island, Michigan, where tea is served in the grand foyer overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. Here is our menu for High Tea at The Grand Hotel:
  

• A British pub on Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the servers insisted on sending a bundle of scones back to our hotel room with us.

• A small tea room in Barbados, which was operated by an ex-patriate British lady. Tea was served on a second-floor outdoor balcony overlooking bustling downtown Bridgetown.

Even my father�a down-home, no-frills kind of guy� found that afternoon tea is an experience for which one can acquire a taste. When my husband and I accompanied my mom and dad on a trip to London, I suggested that we all stop by Fortnum's Fountain at Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea. A look of absolute terror swept over my father's face�afternoon tea! But I explained that this is not a ritzy, fancy spot; in fact, it is rather like a comfortable hometown cafe. With much reluctance, Dad agreed to go along; and in the end, I think even he enjoyed his tea, scones, and clotted cream.

According to The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea, credit for "inventing" afternoon tea goes to Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford. Anna reportedly "grew tired of the sinking feeling which afflicted her every afternoon round about 4 o'clock, in the long dull space of time between meals. In 1840 she plucked up courage and asked for a tray of tea, bread and butter, and cake to be brought to her room. Once she had formed the habit she found she could not break it, so spread it among her friends instead. ...

"By Edwardian times, the smart hour for afternoon tea was five o'clock or later, and what had started as a little hiatus for refreshment had become a full-blown social occasion, with hot dishes, footmen handing round the teacups, and even professional musicians."

Mary Mac's Tea Times Newsletter identifies a number of names to describe this "late day refreshment," all of which are served with a pot of tea that complements the tea foods:

• Afternoon Tea is served at approximately four o'clock and can consist of whatever the hostess chooses (sandwiches, scones, cookies, a special dessert such as a fruit tart or a rich cake). It can be formally served in the dining room or at the living room tea table. Informal teas can be enjoyed in the kitchen, garden, as a picnic, or any location of choice.

• Farmer's Tea is a combination of a Ploughman's Lunch (heavy grained bread, sharp cheese, fruit, and sausages or a meat pie), popular in British pubs, served with a sweet.

• Full Tea is a complete four-course Afternoon Tea with sandwiches, scones, sweets, and a dessert finale.

• Royal Tea adds a glass of champagne or sherry to the Full Tea.

• Light Tea is a lighter version of Afternoon Tea with a scone and a sweet.

• Cream Tea is one where heavy whipped or clotted cream is served to spread on the warm scones along with strawberry jam. (It doesn't refer to the milk you put in your tea.)

• High Tea is most often served as a Full Tea, only more of the same. It is enjoyed at approximately six o'clock and is a light supper for the family or a before-theater meal. An entree such as chicken a la king or meat pie may be served with breads, biscuits, salad, cheese, fruit, and sweets.

Confused? I hope not. The point is, whatever name is used to describe your tea experience, make it an event to enjoy. Karen Giordano of Mary Mac's Tea Times Newsletter says, "Afternoon tea is a ritual. It is a reward for a job well done, a respite from our daily stresses and obligations, and a time to pamper ourselves and ones close to us in a lovely rite of days gone by."

The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea provides the following explanation: "Afternoon tea is...a graceful event, and brings people together for a brief hour's pleasure and refreshment."

Whether you have afternoon tea at a grand hotel, a small tea room, or at home, you will generally find the following items on the menu:

• A pot of steaming tea, with milk, sugar or lemon

• One or two types of tea sandwiches

• A plate of small tea cookies or scones

• A special dessert such as a fruit tart or a rich cake

If you'd like to try serving tea at home to family members and friends, following are some recipes you might want to consider:

CUCUMBER SANDWICHES

1 3-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 medium cucumber, peeled, grated and drained
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon dairy sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Thin slices of bread

Combine cream cheese, cucumber, onion, sour cream, and salt and pepper; stir until smooth. Spread filling on one slice of bread; then top with another slice of bread. Trim off crusts and cut sandwich into desired shapes. Continue until all filling is used.

Makes 3/4 cup filling.

APRICOT PECAN SCONES

2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
l teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/3 cup dried apricots, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
Grated peel of one lemon
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 egg, beaten
Milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and rub or cut into dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly. Using a fork, mix in apricots, pecans, and lemon peel.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and egg; mix well. Add to dry ingredients and stir together with a fork until dough barely holds together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a circle 1/2-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with milk.

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 18 scones.

CLOTTED CREAM

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat until well blended.

GLAZED LEMON TEA CAKE

3 eggs
2-2/3 cups unsifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups low-fat lemon yogurt
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind

Topping

1 cup confectioners sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Separate eggs; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 10-inch Bundt cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat until well mixed. Add flour mixture, one-fourth at a time, alternately with yogurt to creamed mixture, and beat with mixer on medium speed. Continue until all ingredients have been added, beating just until blended. Beat in lemon rind. Set aside.

Using clean beaters and mixer set on high speed, beat egg whites until they are foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar to egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter and blend well. Spread batter in prepared cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes or until cake tests done using a toothpick. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes; then remove from pan and place on a wire rack.

To prepare Topping: Combine confectioners sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Spread over top and sides of warm cake. Cool completely before serving.

Serves 12 to 14.

All of the above recipes are from Mary Mac's Tea Times Newsletter, which, sadly, is no longer being published.

"Empty your kettle, then fill it with freshly-drawn water from the cold tap.

"Put the kettle on and, just before it comes to the boil, pour a generous dash of the hot water into your teapot (glazed china or earthenware for preference), swirling it round and round inside the pot before pouring it away. (Warming the pot is not a meaningless ritual, but ensures that the water stays at boiling point when it hits the tea, encouraging the proper opening of the leaves.)

"Dole out one heaped teaspoon of tea leaves for each person and one for the pot, straight into the warmed teapot. (Large-leafed teas are comparatively light for their volume, so add an extra spoon or so of these.) The kettle will have reached a galloping boil by this time, so pour the water over the tea. Take care that the water is not long boiling; overboiled water loses its oxygen and results in a bitter muddy brew of tea.

"Allow the tea to stand and brew for anything from three to six minutes, according to the leaf size (less time for small leaves, more for large ones).

"Give the tea a good stir and pour it, using a strainer to catch the leaves. If you take your tea with milk, you should add it to the cup, cold and fresh, before pouring the tea."

If you are now sufficiently intrigued by the experience of afternoon tea, you may want to know more about it. There are a number of Web sites with tea information:

If it's the tea that interests you, visit Stash Tea Company's World of Tea. You'll find information such as the history of tea and teapots; news from the tea world market, updated weekly ("Tea Scene"); and the Internet version of the Stash Tea mail-order catalog.

If it's the food that strikes your fancy, you'll find a collection of recipes in The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea, which can be ordered from the Amazon Book Store. Amazon also has more than twenty other books that are listed under the subject heading "Afternoon Teas." Another source of recipes that would be perfect to serve at your first tea can be found on-line in 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook.

If you'd like to know what some famous writers have written about tea, you'll want to check out The Complete List of Tea Quotes. When you start drinking tea, impress your friends with this quote: "Tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities...will always be the favourite beverage of the intellectual."

Or, when planning your next trip, Exceptional Tea Rooms in America will give you some ideas about where to stop for a cup of tea.

The next step is up to you. I encourage you to treat yourself to afternoon tea, but I'll warn you�it can become addictive!

12/96
G. Berg
[email protected]