Tea With Your Sugar and Cream?

Tea means a great many things to people all over the world. For some, it is an ancient remedy consumed with care and sacred ceremony. For others, it is a drop of warmth and comfort on a cold day. For still others, it is a piece of history and a sociality--a fixer of all problems.

Tea time is a United Kingdom tradition that is speculated to have been started by the 7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russell, in the late 1840s. During this time, it was typical for there to be long periods of time in the afternoon between meals, which is where the consumption of tea and snacks (which the Duchess arguably made socially acceptable) served as a pick-me-up. High tea, usually served between five and six o'clock, was primarily for the upper class whereas low or afternoon tea, served around four o'clock, was for the middle to lower classes.

My own experience with tea time came with all the usual--scones, jam, clotted cream, finger sandwiches, and, of course, delicious tea. However, it also came with an air of importance and centuries-long tradition. While (whilst?) buttering my scone, I noticed the air of unhurried relaxation in the tea parlor and felt my shoulders relax. I may have even lifted my pinky as I took my first sip.