In the past whether you took "afternoon tea" or "high tea" was a peek into your social standing. Afternoon Tea was a light elegant meal served between a light lunch and late dinner, usually between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock, and was mainly confined to the aristocracy with their leisurely lifestyle. High Tea was a more substantial meal, including meat and/or fish, and was really a early dinner which well suited the middle and lower classes after a long day at work. 'Afternoon Tea' did not exist before the 19th century. At that time lunch was eaten quite early in the day and dinner wasn't served until 8 or 9 o'clock at night. But it wasn't until Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, asked for tea and light refreshments in her room one afternoon, around 1830, that the ritual began. The Duchess enjoyed her 'taking of tea' so much that she started inviting her friends to join her.  Before long having elegant tea parties was very fashionable. Demand for tea wares grew and soon there were tea services in silver and fine bone china, trays, cake stands, servers, tea caddies, tea strainers, teapots, and tea tables. As times and lifestyles changed the popularity of the formal afternoon tea waned, but has seen a revival in recent years as people once again enjoy its elegance. A "Devon Cream Tea" or simply "Cream Tea" has recently been adopted where scones, with clotted cream and jam, are made the main attraction served alongside a steaming pot of tea. 

Although we tend to associate dainty cucumber sandwiches and scones with afternoon tea, there is no set menu and it really depends on the time of year, the setting, and personal tastes. Sandwiches and scones are standard fare but other choices can include muffins, crumpets, bread and butter, cakes, cookies (biscuits), gingerbread, pastries, fruit, and a selection of jam and jellies, preserves, lemon curd, and clotted cream. Taking center stage, of course, is the tea.  Served from a teapot, the brewing of the tea is very important. First, rinse your teapot with warm water. Next, bring a kettle of water to boil and pour it over the tea leaves, letting it steep for three to five minutes. If using loose tea the rule is one heaping teaspoon of tea for each cup of water, plus one teaspoon "for the pot". At one time it was customary to first pour a little milk into the teacup. It was thought that the fine porcelain cup may crack if the hot tea was poured directly into the empty cup. Sugar was then offered in cube form, with tongs, or else granulated.  Normally the host or hostess pours the tea and serves the food. Guests can either be seated around a table or else in armchairs with an end table nearby for them to place their cup and saucer, teaspoon, plate, napkin, knife and fork.

There is a wonderful assortment of fine teas available today. The three main types are: Black, Oolong or Red, and Green Tea.  Assam, Ceylon, China Caravan, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Keemun, Kenya, Lapsang Souchong, Nilgiri, Orange Pekoe, Rose Pouchong, Russian, and Yunnan are Black Teas.  Formosa/China Oolong and Formosa/China Pouchong are Oolong or Red Teas, and Gunpowder and Jasmine are Green Teas.  Tea is sold either in tea bags or loose tea leaves.  At one time loose tea with its large leaves had a superior flavor as tea bags were made with broken tea leaves and siftings that produced a stronger darker tea.  The introduction of fine quality tea bags has changed that and now the choice between loose tea leaves or tea bags is based more on personal preference. Tea caddies can be used to store both tea leaves and bags.  A small container, once lockable to prevent servants from stealing the expensive tea leaves, it keeps tea leaves fresh for up to 2 years and tea bags for approximately 6 months. 

To make proper tea sandwiches, the bread must be very thin. If you are slicing the bread yourself, partially freeze the bread first to make slicing easier. You can flatten the bread further by using a rolling pin.  Favorites include thinly peeled and sliced cucumber on lightly buttered white bread, egg sandwiches, and thinly sliced baked ham with watercress and cream cheese. After making the sandwiches, cut the crusts off and cut into triangles, squares, or else rounds (use a round cookie cutter). To serve, place the sandwiches on a iceberg lettuce-lined platter (lettuce has a high water content which will keep the sandwiches moist), or use a hollowed-out loaf of bread, also lined with the lettuce.

The scones should be cut into rounds and served with Devonshire Cream (rich cream) and jams (raspberry, strawberry, apricot, etc.) in a doily-lined platter or basket. You can buy the Devonshire Cream at some specialty grocery stores or softly whipped heavy cream makes a good substitute. Alternatively, you could serve lemon curd (can be bought at specialty stores or made yourself). For something a little different, at your next afternoon tea party, you might try reading tea leaves.  You can either hire a professional reader of tea leaves or simply try your hand at reading the leaves.