If our neighbors across the Channel drink tea throughout the day, from abroad, we mainly remember “tea-time” or “afternoon tea”. Served at 5 p.m. (“It’s tea o’clock!”), it is ablack tea accompanied by a pastry. Whether you are alone, with family or friends, in the office or at home, we tell you why to adopt - even more often - tea time, this delicious British habit.
1/ Tea time is historic
It is the rich past of the immense British empire (on which “the sun never set”) that explains the British craze for tea. Their powerful East India Company, which orchestrated trade between the Kingdom and its colonies, was the one through which tea leaves arrived in Europe. In the 18th century, teabecame a symbol of the British aristocracy (who quickly adopted it!), before it became popular among all English people. Then, by mimicry, it was the aristocracy who were introduced to the taste of tea, before the tea rooms, at the end of the 19th century, contributed even more to making the tea known. “tea time” (English tea time).
2/ Tea time is cultural
From the Queen of England to the working class, it is the whole of British society that has made English tea time a meeting place. “Tea and tea time continue to play an absolutely fundamental role for whole sections of British society.”, reports Courrier International. The weekly also reports that the BBC's decision to “remove free biscuits and the use of kettles during staff meetings” had “sparked an outcry”. During the 1950s, 1960s and even 1970s, British administrations, businesses and hospitals hired the services of “tea ladies”, responsible for preparing and distributing tea. They have since been replaced by cafeterias...
3/ Tea time is friendly
Of course, we can drinkteaalone, at 5 p.m.,in front of his computer at the office, but in general, it is a moment that we share. You can invite relatives, friends, neighbors. Without it being as cumbersome to organize and prepare as a lunch or dinner, which will require spending more time in the kitchen. Better, if we like the idea of having nothing to do, we can go and take the tea timand in a tea room, or in a chic hotel. Moreover, certain London establishments have made it their specialty!
4/ The simplicity of tea time
Preparing black tea is not very complicated. Simply boil water, before letting the tea leaves steep for the time mentioned on the box (3 to 4 minutes on average). For a tea time faithful to the English tradition, we will opt for a black tea, often produced in former colonies such as India or Sri Lanka: organic Earl gray tea, flavored with bergamot,organic Ceylon tea with a round and chocolatey aroma, or the organic Darjeeling tea, which grows on a slope of the Himalayas. To help you select the right teas, Kusmi offers a tea time box including 5 gourmet miniatures and a tea tongs (optional).
5/ Tea time is delicious.
Can we have biscuits with tea? Of course, what's the point of having tea if you can't soak anything in it?! But, what to eat with tea? We saved the best for last: we tell you which are the best biscuits and pastries to eat with tea. In the British tradition, we serve scones. Small breads of Scottish origin that are eaten with jam. But it can be toast, muffins, crumpets (small pancakes) or other cakes such as Battenberg cake (made with sponge cake and almond paste), shortbreads (shortbread covered with chocolate and caramel) or a Victoria sponge, so renamed because it was the queen's favorite cake. Want to play Frenchie? Accompany your tea with macaroons, financiers or madeleines. Finally, there is always the savory option: the British love small triangle sandwiches with cucumber, eggs or watercress.
And for a calorie-free tea time, head to our teas and infusions with gourmet notes. The most greedy? Our organic infusion with biscuity notes : Sweet Break.
