Fancy a cup of Tea?

Betty’s Tea Rooms Photo by Harry Wood

I remember coming back to my friends’ house after a long afternoon walking the wet streets of London, feeling as if I was about to catch a major cold. She said, "Don’t worry, I’ll put the kettle on. A cup of tea is all you need." I have drunk herbal tea for 20 years, but I had never had a proper cup of English tea before. She added milk and sugar and it made all the difference. It was so soothing and really invigorated me. It was then that I understood the allure of a good cuppa. It restores you. The word "cuppa" emanates from the fondness of Brits towards tea – you would never have to ask a cup of what?

Tea is still the drink of choice for Brits for good reason. It warms you on a chilly day, it’s good for your health as it contains antioxidants and may even reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. The custom of drinking afternoon tea began with Anna, the 7^th Duchess of Bedford in the 19^th century. Before this it was the custom to only eat two meals a day – breakfast and their dinner around noon. Eventually, dinner was moved to late evening, which left the Duchess with a sinking feeling around 4 o’clock. She asked for a pot of tea along with sandwiches and cakes, which is now referred to as teatime.

Milky Tea Photo by Brett TaylorLike many things in Britain, class enters into the discussion of tea. While tea is the light afternoon meal we Americans think of, for other classes tea is the evening meal served around 5 or 6pm after coming home from work. Instead of saying, "What’s for dinner? as we would in America, they would say, "What’s for tea?" Americans tend to call tea time, "High Tea" thinking it is the delicate tea that is served to the upper classes around 4pm, when in actuality, "High Tea" refers to the working class tea served at a dinner table with high chairs. Afternoon tea is served on low tables, which explains the two names.

British tea is usually Black tea, which is served with milk and possibly sugar. The cream in "Cream tea" actually refers to clotted cream, which is served on scones, usually with strawberry jam. Tearooms can still be found around Great Britain and are part of the great British Tradition. Perhaps the most famous is Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms in the fashionable spa town of Harrogate which opened in 1919.