No one is quite sure when afternoon tea was introduced into England, but the ceremony became widespread by the 1840s. Credit is given to Anna, seventh Duchess of Bedford, who, because of the long hours between lunch and the evening meal, suffered from after noon "sinking spells," She remedied them with a tray of tea, bread and butter, and cake. Unable to give up her delightful new habit, she began sharing it with friends, Tea soon progressed from a simple "drink with jam and bread" into a full blown social event among the English aristocracy.
History, however, places afternoon tea in France more than a century earlier. Madame de Sevigne (1626-1696) referred to "five o'clock tea" in a letter to a friend and mentioned her surprise that some people take milk in their tea.
An afternoon tea is a delightful and inexpensive way to entertain a small or large group. Success and enjoyment require three elements: an honest feeling of friendliness; the offering of hospitality; and the tradition of honouring the guest.
Invitations
Invitations may be extended and accepted by telephone, face-to-face, or by mailing them at least a week in advance. Depending on the geographic location, perhaps two weeks or longer in advance is not unreasonable. Invitations may be informal or engraved, handwritten in calligraphy, or by a calligraphy computer program.
Invite a close friend or two also as "pourers" and set up a schedule of when each will be "on duty" dispensing tea. No one should pour for more than fifteen or twenty minutes. It is an honor to be asked to pour tea. The pourer is considered the guardian of the teapot, 'which implies sterling social graces and profound trust.
Tea Time
Traditional teatime is four o'clock; however any time between two and five o'clock is appropriate for certain areas.
Guest of Honour
When you extend the invitation, let your guests know whom you are honouring. Dialogue: "Mary, I am hosting a tea In honour of Judy Jones, and I would be pleased if you could attend." When there is a guest of honour, it is your duty as host to stand with that person near the entrance of the room and introduce each arriving guest to the guest of honour. When the tea is over, guide your guest of honour back to the room entrance to say good-bye to your guests. NOTE: Etiquette used to dictate that no one depart a function until the guest of honour had left the primacies. The exception was when the guest of honour was also a house guest. In today's social gatherings, you will find this rule practically nonexistent.
The protocol of the guest of honour departing first, however, is still practiced at diplomatic and official functions. At the White House, the guest of honor departs, then others are free to leave. This protocol is practiced universally at events where world leaders are in attendance.
Equipment
If it is not a large formal tea, a silver tray and tea service are not necessary. A china tea set, consisting of a teapot, a creamer for the milk, a sugar bowl, a pitcher of hot water (for those who prefer weak tea), and a plate for lemon slices arranged on a wooden or tin tray are fine. The tea tray and china tea set are placed at one end of the table. On the right, set out the necessary number of cups and saucers and teaspoons to accommodate your guests. Plates, flatware, and tea napkins are placed on the left. Platters of refreshments can include tea sandwiches m fancy shapes, various kinds of cucumber sandwiches, cakes, pastries, and biscuits.
Flatware
Flatware is defined as flat table utensils knives, forks, spoons, plates, platters, and so forth. Flatware is necessary at teas in the following situations
When serving cake that is very soft and sticky or filled with cream, forks must be laid on the tea table.
If jam or cream is to be eaten on scones or bread, there must be knives or butter spreaders.
If there are dishes with jam and cream where everyone takes a portion, each dish should have its own serving spoon. One should never use one's own utensils to dip into the jam or cream dish.
When seated at a table in a private home or in a tearoom, there should be at each place set ting a knife or butter spreader on the right side of the plate and a fork on the left side. A teaspoon may be placed on the saucer holding the cup or to the right of the knife.
Teacups
The teacups you use today for your tea have handles, but this was not always the style. Chinese tea bowls influenced the first European teacups. These dainty little bowls did not have handles or saucers.
At first, the English made teacups without handles in the traditional Chinese style. Not until the mid-1750s was a handle added to the cup to prevent ladies from burning their fingers. This improvement was copied from a posset cup, which was also used for hot beverages.
(A posset is a hot drink made of milk with wine, ale, or spirits.)
The saucer was once a small dish for sauce, which is how it comes by its name. Later it moved to its present position under the cup, which is now regarded as incomplete without it. In late Victorian and Edwardian days, tea drinkers poured their tea into their saucers to cool before sipping, and it was perfectly acceptable. This is what writers of the period mean by "a dish of tea." Today, this would be considered improper, and one would appear cloddish about tea drinking.
How to Hold Cups and Saucers
Place the saucer holding the cup in the palm of your left hand and move it forward to rest on the four fingers, which are slightly spread apart. Steady the saucer with your thumb resting on the rim.
A left-handed person simply reverses the procedure.
A handled cup is held with the index finger through the handle, the thumb just above it to support the grip, and the second finger below the handle for added security. The next two fingers naturally follow the curve of the other fingers. It is an affectation to raise the little finger, even slightly.
The crooked, extended pinkie dates back to the eleventh-century Crusades and the courtly etiquette of knighthood. Since ancient Rome, a cultured person ate with three fingers, a commoner with five. Thus, the birth of the raised pinkie as a sign of elitism. This three-fingers etiquette rule is still correct when picking up food with the fingers and handling various pieces of flatware. Etiquette books, however, do not offer instructions on extending a crooked pinkie. This affectation is, no doubt, descended from a misinterpretation of the three-fingers versus five-fingers dictates of dining etiquette in the eleventh century.
Faux Pas
Cradling the cup in one's fingers when it has a handle.
Swirling the liquid around in the cup as if it were wine in a glass.
The Gaiwan
The gaiwan (Chinese covered cup) is held, when not drinking from it, very much like a teacup and saucer are held. Place the saucer hold ing the cup in the palm of your right hand and move it forward to rest on the four fingers, which are slightly spread apart. Steady the cup with your thumb resting on the rim. A left-handed person simply reverses the procedure.
To drink from the gaiwan, use the thumb and index finger of your left hand to hold the lid by its knob, and let the other three fingers follow the curve of the gaiwan, Tilt the lid slightly away from your lips so that it serves as a filter holding back the leaves as you drink the liquid. The cup is never removed from the saucer.
Faux Pas
Striking the lid against the cup.
It is considered poor form in most cultures to make unnecessary noises with the accoutrements one uses while eating or drinking.
A scene in the award-winning film The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, empha sizes this point with great style. Several Chinese empresses have gathered in a room at the palace and are drinking tea from gaiwans.
Stirring a Cup of Tea
Stirring a cup of tea is done gently and noiselessly by moving the teaspoon in a small arch back and forth in the center of the cup. Do not allow the teaspoon to touch the sides or rim of the cup. Remove the spoon and place it on the saucer behind the cup, with the handle of the spoon pointing in the same direction as the handle of the cup. Visualise the face of a clock on the saucer and properly place the handle of the cup and the han dle of the spoon at four on the clock.
Faux Pas
Leaving a spoon upright in the cup.
Placing the spoon on the saucer in front of the cup.
Making unnecessary noise by touching the sides of the cup with the spoon while stirring.
Letting the spoon drop, after stirring the tea, with a clank onto the saucer.
Tea Spills in one's Saucer
In high end establishments or someone's home, tea spills may be remedied by requesting a clean saucer. In a very casual setting, it is accept able to fold a paper napkin and slip it under the cup to soak up the liquid. Remove the unsightly soggy napkin from the saucer and place it on another dish if one is available.
You can prevent saucer spills by filling the teacup only three-quarters full.
Napkins
The word napkin derives from the old French naperon, meaning "little tablecloth."
The first napkins were the size of today's bath towels. This size was practical because one ate the multi-course meal entirely with the fingers. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used them to cleanse the hands during a meal, which could last many hours. At many such meals, it was proper to provide a fresh napkin with each course to keep diners from offending each other, since it was believed they would get sick watching each other wipe their mouths on filthy napkins.
Today, in all dining situations, the napkin is properly picked up and unfolded on the lap, not above the table level. A large dinner napkin is folded in half with the fold facing the body, while a luncheon or tea napkin may be opened completely. In upscale restaurants, the wait staff are trained to place the napkin on your lap, often with too much of a flourish to suit me. Pause for a moment to make sure you and the wait staff do not reach for the napkin simultaneously.
If you need to leave the table temporarily, place your napkin on your chair, not on the table. Push your chair back under the table if the setting is appropriate.
In silver service restaurants, the wait staff will refold the napkin and place it on the table to the left side of your plate or on the arm of your chair, a practice I thoroughly abhor, even though they are trained to handle the napkin is little as possible. Return the napkin to your lap when
The host or hostess picks up his or her napkin to signal the close of the tea. He or she makes certain all of the guests have finished before making this move.
At the end of the tea, the napkin is not refolded but picked up by the center and placed loosely to the left of the plate.
Faux Pas
Placing a used napkin back on the table before the meal is over.
Tea Infuser/Filter, Tea Strainer, Mote Spoon, and Caddy Spoon
Tea infusers / filters are used to contain the leaves and permit easy removal of the used tea leaves. Some teapots are fitted with infusion baskets, also called filters. Be sure to give the leaves inside room to expand in the water when using the stainless-steel wire-mesh infusers, called "tea balls." It is advisable to employ two tea balls in making a six-cup pot. Avoid cute infusion devices made of pot metal. These often impart an unpleas ant metallic taint and are, besides, inefficient.
Tea filters work best because they allow a lot of water to circulate without releasing the leaves into the brew.
Tea strainers are designed to be held above or to rest on top of the cup to catch leaves that escape from the teapot when the tea is poured. I still use one, even though I don't need to since the leaves are contained in my tea filter. It's the ritual of holding that little silver object over the cup, and the pouring of tea into it, that forces me to slow down and enjoy the whole process.
A mote spoon or mote skimmer is usually made of silver with holes in the bowl. It is used to transfer tea leaves from the caddy to the teapot and also to skim off any stray leaves, or "motes," that may have escaped into the cup. The sharp point on the end is used to unblock the teapot spout if it gets clogged with tea leaves.
Caddy spoons have short handles so they will fit in the tea caddy. They are used to convey the tea from the tea caddy to the teapot.
Pouring Tea Properly
Tea pouring involves the most stylised and personal element of the afternoon tea ceremony simply because of the intimate interaction between pourer and guest.
Tea is always served by the host/hostess or a friend, never by servants. Tea is never poured out, then passed several cups at a time, the way coffee may be, because it cools very quickly. Instead, it is always taken by the guest directly from the hands of the pourer.
Holding the teacup and saucer in his/her left hand, the pourer begins by asking each guest the following, "Do you prefer strong or weak tea?"
Strong Tea Requests
Pour the cup three-fourths full to prevent the tea spilling into the saucer. Then ask, "With milk, sugar, or lemon?" Add the requested ingredients and place a spoon on the saucer if it is not already there. (See "Milk, Sugar, and Lemon" section, which follows.)
Weak Tea Requests
Pour the cup about one-half full, leaving space for the addition of hot water. Add the hot water and then ask, "With milk, sugar, or lemon?" Add the requested ingredients and place a spoon on the saucer if it is not already there. (See "Milk, Sugar, and Lemon" section, which follows.)
Sugar and Lemon Requests
Add the sugar first, otherwise the citric acid of the lemon prevents it from dissolving.
When the Guest Responds Plain
No addition of milk, sugar, or lemon IS required. It is not necessary to place a spoon on the saucer.
The Tea Strainer
The person pouring the tea, if necessary, holds a tea strainer in one hand while lifting the teapot and pouring with the other hand.
Milk, Sugar and Lemon
The habit of putting milk in tea reportedly started in France. Madame de Sevigne described how Madame de la Sabliere launched the fashion: "Madame de la Sabliere took her tea with milk, as she told me the other day, because it was to her taste."
It is a given that milk complements full- bodied India and Ceylon teas and that cream masks the taste of any tea. This settled, let's launch right into a hotly debated issue.
Milk is poured after the tea. You may have heard or read that milk precedes the tea into the cup; but please, please, dear tea lovers, don't be guilty of this faux pas (another reason for banishment to the Tea Drinkers' Hall of Shame).
Don't put the milk in before the tea because then you cannot judge the strength of the tea by its color. Also, you need not hear some snobbish, chilly remark such as, "Oh, she's the milk-in-first type of person."
Where did this old milk-first tale come from? Samuel Twining has theorised that milk first prevented early china from cracking in reaction to boiling water. That theory appears rather shaky today since boiling water is not poured directly into the cup. Boiling water is poured over tea leaves in a teapot. The leaves steep at least three minutes, producing a liquid of a temperature much reduced from the boiling stage.
Sugar
Sugar cubes are preferable, not only for the ritual of using elegant sugar tongs, but for their neatness. There's nothing messier than spilled sugar granules. Allow the cube(s) to rest briefly (to dissolve) and then stir gently and noiselessly.
Lemon
Lemon is agreeable with most black teas. Lovers of fragrant Earl Grey and smoky Lapsang Souchong, however, say they are best enjoyed unadulterated.
Lemon is offered thinly sliced (never in wedges!) and placed on a dish near the milk and sugar. A lemon fork (with splayed tines) or a similar serving utensil is provided. The tea pourer or the tea drinker can then put a slice directly into the poured cup of tea.
Should you desire another cup of tea, the pourer will remove the slice of lemon from your cup and pour your tea. The tea pourer or you may add a fresh lemon slice. You may also be offered a fresh cup, depending on availability.
Lemon Faux Pas
Putting the lemon slice in the cup before pouring the tea. Tea is always poured in the cup first.
Placing a lemon slice on the edge of the saucer in anticipation of adding it to the cup later.
Transferring the lemon slice from the cup of tea to the saucer. You will end up with your cup resting in a puddle of tea.
Removing the cloves from the lemon slice before placing in the teacup. The cloves are placed in the lemon slices to add flavor.
Using the spoon to press the lemon slice after you place it in the cup. Untouched, the oil from the peel and the juice from the fruit will provide the desired essence.
Tea Pouring Faux Pas
Filling the cup with tea almost to the rim.
Eating Scones with Tea
Use a knife to cut the scone into two halves. Put jam on each side (there is no need to add butter first), then spread clotted cream on top carefully. Eat the top and bottom halves separately (do not try to make them into a sandwich). Some people prefer to add the jam on top of the cream, although this can be more difficult.
