Teas to Serve at an Afternoon Tea or a High Tea Party

The concept of afternoon tea and high tea party originated inEngland and later spread out to its erstwhile English speaking colonies especially the U S A. Its interpretation was changed according to the local traditions and customs.

In UK, the idea of the two teas originated in mid-1800 when the rich, elite and fashionable people, led by the Duchess of Bedford, took to eating meals only twice a day. It meant breakfast and dinner only—no lunch in between. Even the dinner was taken as late as 8 or 9 PM.

According to the story, the Duchess started experiencing a “sinking feeling” due to a lack of sufficient food in the long intervening period between the two meals.

She, therefore, hit upon the idea of taking tea with assorted snacks along with her peers in the afternoon from 2-4 o’clock. Since it was primarily a ladies’ party, the tea and snacks were served over low tables. Hence, the afternoon tea was also called low tea. The name ‘low’ tea led to another name ‘high tea’ in the evening.

The concept of the two teas was changed in the U S A according to its social modes and customs. For example, the Americans turned the idea of afternoon tea into a formal, ritualized occasion. Afternoon tea parties are generally held in high end environs such as star hotels.

It is obvious from above that there is a lot of confusion about what exactly these two tea parties are or should ideally be.

Going by the historical perspective, if afternoon tea parties are primarily meant for the elite and fashionable people comprising primarily the ladies, the tea offered should be lightly brewed.

It means that the tea should not have high caffeine content. One reason for this is that the people are very health conscious.

Since different guests have their own individual tastes and preferences, it is advisable that the tea pots should be filled with all major teas—green, black, white and oolong.

A few additional tea pots containing herbal and flavoured teas such as vanilla, mint and melon etc. may also be added on the table.

High tea is normally taken in the evening when the folks come back home exhausted after day-long tiring work. They expect a rather strong and relaxing beverage.

High tea can be prepared by seeping the tea leaves in hot water a bit longer. The caffeine content may also be slightly higher, but who cares?

The choice of tea leaves depends upon personal preferences. If the number of guests is high, all the important teas like black tea and green tea should be offered in the tea pots.