Most people know of tea in the form of tea leaves, tea bags, tea parties (not to be confused with the famous 1773 event in Boston), Teavana (now owned by Starbucks) and perhaps most famously, “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.”
But tea is also a meal in England, and a rather important one at that! Wikipedia has more background about how tea was first formalized as a meal, and the different types of teas available:
Tea (in reference to food, rather than the drink) has long been used as an umbrella term for several different meals. Isabella Beeton, whose books on Home economics were widely read in the 19th century, describes afternoon teas of various kinds, and provides menus for the old-fashioned tea, the at-home tea, the family tea and the high tea.
Wikipedia: Tea (meal)
The most common type of tea is afternoon tea, also referred to in some countries as “high tea”. (though this isn’t how it was originally served; see the Wikipedia link above for more details or this link) Typically, an afternoon tea would include (in addition to tea) scones, finger sandwiches and jams/marmalades. It also makes for a good, light breakfast!
Tea sandwiches are easy to make, and you can’t go wrong with them!
- For every two slices of bread, spread both slices evenly and thinly with butter.
- Cover one side of the sandwich with sliced cucumber in one to two layers.
- Add a thin layer of fresh mint.
- Season with lemon juice, salt and/or pepper.
- Put the slices together, cut off the crusts and slice the sandwich diagonally two times to create four triangle finger sandwiches.
Cucumber and Mint Tea Sandwich Recipe
Scones also go well with tea, or can be dipped in coffee or tea to add some flavor. I’m personally not a huge fan of dunking scones or biscuits in tea (because it can make the biscuit/scone soggy) but I can understand why it would be appealing.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and ginger). Cut in vegan margarine, adding a bit at a time until mixed. Add pumpkin and combine well.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough a few times, pushing it into a large circle, a few inches thick.
- Cut into 12 or so triangular pieces. Imagine you are cutting a pizza so that you get even, triangular slices.
- Bake at 425 F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until done.
Serve warm with a bit of vegan butter and jam, or wait until the scones are cooled and enjoy dipped in a hot cup of coffee.
Easy Vegan Pumpkin Scones
Tea sandwiches can also have salmon, chicken or other savory delicacies for a little more “meat” to your tea preparation.
- For every two slices of bread, spread both slices of bread evenly with cream cheese.
- Cover one side of the sandwich with slices of salmon.
- Season with lemon juice and spices/herbs.
- Put the slices together, cut off the crusts and slice the sandwich diagonally two times to create four triangle finger sandwiches.
Lemon curd is a traditional accompaniment to tea, and there are lots of different ways of preparing it if you don’t want to purchase it off the shelf. One particular method is below:
Preparing Lemon Zest
- Grate the lemon zest off of two of the lemons.
- Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to strip off just the yellow part of the zest, leaving the bitter white parts behind. Pulse these strips in a food processor until they are very finely minced.
- Cut the zested lemons in half and squeeze out and strain the juice. Measure the juice. You need 1/2 cup to make the lemon curd. If necessary, add the juice from an additional lemon. Tip: Save the seeds and the white parts of the lemon peels to make citrus pectin for future jams and jellies.
Preparing Lemon Curd
- Add an inch or two of water to the bottom part of a double boiler, or improvise a double boiler by placing a heat-proof bowl over the top of a pot (put an inch or two of water in the pot). Bring the water to a boil over medium heat.
- In the heat-proof bowl or top part of the double boiler, whisk together the 2 eggs plus the third egg yolk. Add the sugar and the butter (in small chunks), along with the lemon juice and zest.
- Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved and the butter completely melted. Switch from a whisk to a spoon and stir, very frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sterilize the jars.
- From the moment the curd begins to thicken until the end you're on duty: stir nonstop until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If you're not sure, a backup test is to put 1/2 teaspoon of the curd on a cool plate. Within a minute it should set up to a thick consistency somewhere between a custard and a pudding.
Tips: The stirring constantly is important: if you don't you will end up with small pieces of scrambled egg in your lemon curd. Also, if you've never made fruit curds before, it's helpful to know that the curd won't be fully thickened to the soft pudding consistency you want while it's still hot.
- Spoon the curd into the sterilized jars leaving between 1/4 and 1/2-inch head space. Secure the lids.
Lemon Curd Recipe
If you’re looking to try out an afternoon tea in the US, I know that the Dickens Fair in San Francisco typically has an afternoon tea room every year, together with other vendors who serve tea in a more informal setting. I’ve tried it twice, and it really is very good, plus you get a teapot! You do have to get there early though as it tends to fill up quickly.
The Russian Tea Room in New York City is also famous for its afternoon tea, although I haven’t had an opportunity to try it as yet. If you know of a tea room or other place that serves afternoon tea, feel free to mention it in the comments!