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Saturday, October 6, 2007

Afternoon Tea vs. High Tea

Author: Bamboo Tea House
Original Source: Tea as a Way of Life - High Tea

was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner.

The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter, and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her. This pause for tea became a fashionable social event in which the whole of England indulged. During the 1880's the upper-class and society women were changing into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon teas.

is served around six o'clock and is in reality a hearty evening meal. It was started in England as a ploughman's or workingman's supper of strong tea served with ham, roast beef, leg of lamb, bread and butter, pastries, custard and cakes. Many think that High Tea is the elegant tea and confuse it with the afternoon tea.

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