As we travel the world, we have all kinds of experiences. Some are learning experiences, such as visits to museums or cultural events. Some are entertainment. Sometimes we just need to run errands, like getting groceries. But some experiences - like an afternoon tea - are just fun.
When I was a little girl, I played "tea party" with my mom and my grandmother, both of whom had wonderful little tea sets. Below are 2 of my mom's miniature tea sets.
Playing tea party was fun in part because it was a way to pretend we were "fancy ladies". In England, the first afternoon tea is attributed to Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, in the 1840's. It seems while the high society men were in their clubs, busy discussing the issues of the day Anna needed a bit of a snack to tide her over until the 8pm meal. By the 1860's, society ladies in England were gathering to discuss "tea business", namely a wide variety of topics they could not discuss in mixed company. Queen Elizabeth II was said to have afternoon tea daily; served in bone Wedgwood China, always Earl Gray, hot (like a certain star captain we know), with two small sandwiches, plain and fruit scones (alternate flavors each day, with clotted cream & jam, and small cakes.
My first exposure to this tradition was at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan in 2013. 2014 found us in Stratford, Ontario, in Canada, where we enjoyed afternoon tea. In 2022, Paul & I thought it might be fun to go to a "High Tea" in London (that is what we called it); we booked the afternoon tea at the Cafe Royal on Regent Street. In 2023, we had High Tea/Afternoon Tea in 5 cities: January, at the Tea Rooms 1892 in the Block Arcade in Melbourne, Australia. In February, we enjoyed tea in Hamilton, NZ with our good friends in their home. In May & June, we experienced High Tea at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji. In October, in Sapporo, Japan, we had Afternoon Tea at the New Otani Inn. No high tea in 2024, but last week, in January, 2025, we enjoyed Afternoon Tea at the Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All of these experiences were in Commonwealth countries, except the Grand Hotel in Michigan, U.S.A, and the New Otani Inn in Sapporo, Japan.
What makes afternoon tea, known in some countries as high tea, so special?
The setting
An effort is made to make the setting for the tea special. In London, the tea was served in a gilded room full of mirrors, with a live jazz pianist. The Cafe was located in a fancy hotel on Regent Street.
Suva's version was at the Grand Pacific Hotel, a Colonial-style hotel on the ocean, near the center of Fiji government.
In Melbourne, we were in a tea room that dates back to 1892, in the Block Arcade.
The Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island features their tea in the oversized lobby next to the giant porch located on a huge, rolling lawn, on the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan. The hotel was most famously portrayed in the period romance move, Somewhere in Time and oozes charm.
In Stratford, Ontario, the town itself is the setting of an annual Shakespeare festival. The tea room was tucked near one of the theatres.
Our afternoon tea in Hamilton, NZ, was at the home of dear friends. Open, airy, friendly and casual as things tend to be in NZ.
Sapporo's location was the New Otani Inn, a hotel with a retro vibe.
But the location that probably stole the show was the Majestic Hotel Orchid Conservatory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One couldn't help but be awed by the beautiful setting in this intimate room that only seats 15 people.
The food, presentation, and theme
When Paul & I were discussing this post, he laughed at my little girl tea-party vibe & said, "I go for the food!" Afternoon tea always has certain types of food: scones with clotted cream & jam, small crustless sandwiches (usually at least one is cucumber and often one is egg salad); savory treats and small decadent sweets. Each one a small bite. Paul enjoys the variety of eating so many different bites.
Usually the food is displayed on tiered plates. The only exception was the tea at the Grand Hotel which, in over-stated American style, spread everything out over a huge table.
There is often a small menu placed at each setting. If not, the waiter - typically formally dressed - explains the menu.
Often the locale offers variations that feature local cuisine. In Malaysia, we had curry puffs & shrimp. In Sapporo, we had bean paste. In NZ, we had the pride & joy of Cheryl's English Mum's tea - asparagus rolls.
But sometimes, the entire spread is very traditional English tea fare. The food in Melbourne, for example, was very traditional.
Sometimes, there is a theme. The theme in Sapporo was Halloween, and it was carried out masterfully.
But the best overall theme was in London. A tribute to Van Gogh, there were tiny Van Gogh paintings in chocolate and on a small cheesecake.
The tea
Every tea we attended offered a choice of multiple teas, served in teapots, steeping, then in bone China tea cups. The only exceptions were in the non-Commonwealth countries. In the U.S. version, the pottery was big and heavy. In Japan, there was a choice of teas, but only one tea was served per person. In Melbourne & London, we each selected two teas. In KL, there were 4 - one for each participant - but it was refilled on demand and we could share the teas. The gilded cups in Melbourne were the prettiest, but we thought the KL teas tasted the best and were the most interesting: we chose Green Jasmine, Mango Strawberry, Rose with Vanilla, and Blueberry.
In London & Melbourne, there was complimentary champagne.
The company
I suppose what makes the afternoon tea so delightful is sharing it with someone else! In Mackinac, I shared the tea with my Aunt Donna and our friend, Beth. In Stratford, we had a large group - the family of my dear friends, Sue & Randy, plus Paul & me. In London, Melbourne, Sapporo, & Fiji, Paul & I shared the experience just between us. But also in Fiji, we shared a second afternoon tea with the Takavesi family who had befriended us there. In NZ, our tea was hosted and shared by our dear friends, Cheryl & Brendan, and several of Cheryl's friends who had agreed to sing with me on a uke video. In KL, we shared the afternoon with new friends Steve & Jenny Vance.
Going through the little tea rituals is a slow, steady, relaxing vibe. It is perfect for enjoying the company of whoever you are with. It is easy to pass several hours in chit-chat without realizing how the time as passed.
So, is it Afternoon Tea or High Tea?
We had always called it High Tea. But a couple of weeks ago, when I booked in Kuala Lumpur, the staff corrected me when I wrote "High Tea" in the booking message. "It's Afternoon Tea," she said. It turns out, in the UK and most of the Commonwealth, it is called , "Afternoon Tea." Perusing the websites of the places we went, I now see that is what all of them, except one, called it. The exception is Melbourne, where the extremely traditional tea house calls it "High Tea." Apparently in the 1800's, high tea was the evening meal for laborers, who could not take a break for afternoon tea. It was served at a "high" table (meaning the height of a regular dining table rather than the low tables afternoon tea were served on in parlours). This working class phrase somehow morphed over to Australia to mean the afternoon tea. Interestingly, New Zealand is the only place we've been where "tea" is a synonym for "dinner" or "supper" - the evening meal. Someone might say "Can you come to my place for tea?" and it means they are inviting you to dinner. But the Zealong Tea Estate (which we visited in Hamilton, NZ, but did not have High Tea) calls their "new" offering with tiered plates, "High Tea." So unless you are dining with the Queen, I think you are safe calling it either "Afternoon Tea" or "High Tea." Just don't be surprised if you are corrected, depending on where you happen to be.
There are a lot of songs written about sharing tea, but the classic "Tea for Two" from the musical "No, No, Nanette" is the most frequently recorded and best known of them. You can see some great renditions by Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, a piano version by Nat King Cole, and a great duet by Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore that includes the first verse and not just the chorus. Written in 1924 by Vincent Youmans & Irving Ceasar, the lyrics are so achingly traditionally reflective of gender roles that I found it difficult to sing as written. So Paul suggested I re-write the lyrics. So I did. I sing the original lyrics first, then you can hear my version the second time I sing it. The song sounds simple, but the chords are deceptively hard.
Comments