Tea Party
The popularity of tea has also brought forward the traditional tea drinking of the United Kingdom. A tea party in its truest sense is said to have lots of tea and cake. There are many stories of how a tea party originated, one of the more famous is about the Duchess of Bedford who made a habit of ordering her servants to bring her a cup of tea at approximately five o’clock. This became a fad among the elite and wealthy of London and thus started the tea party.
High Tea
People are under that impression that the original high tea meant delicate finger foods and a formal affair. Actually, high tea required heavy meals, sort of like an early supper for both the wealthy and the average people in England. It was only during the initial phase of high tea that the elite indulge in it. The rest of the country followed suit when they heard that the elite were having high tea. It is called high tea because the meal is served at the main dinner table and not in the salon or the low table.
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea on the other hand, is more like a light snack. It is usually eaten with scones, sandwiches and other light food along with a cup of tea. This is the kind of tea party that most of us think a tea party should be. It has the small foods and cakes served in tiered servers and have lots of pots of tea available. In both the United States and England, afternoon tea is considered a formal event where young ladies dress their best and are on their best behavior. This is the kind of tea party that many a young girl would like to host.
Food at the Tea Party
A tea party usually involves finger foods that are delicate or light enough to satisfy your appetite but not heavy enough for you to miss dinner. One of the common foods at a tea party is light sandwiches. These sandwiches are often cut in half to make triangular forms and have their edges trimmed of crust.
Petite Soiree is what small desserts for a tea party are usually called. These desserts are usually put in small doilies or paper cups and they should not be too hard to handle, such as too sticky or may melt easily. They must also be small enough that guests will not have a hard time biting them.
Written By The Tea Lady
The Tea Lady carefully tends to The Official Website for Tea and sends an occasional Tea Newsletter to ardent and casual tea lovers around the world.
