I’ve had a couple of fancy meals in my life, however one meal specifically all the time appears fancier than the remainder. Truthfully I don’t assume I’ve ever had an incredible fancy breakfast, however I’ve had a couple of fancy lunches and dinners. Nonetheless, the meal that’s all the time fancy it doesn’t matter what is excessive tea. I’ve had excessive tea in small cafes and I’ve had excessive tea in tremendous fancy inns, and each time it’s felt elegant and fancy. It’s actually the one meal the place I really feel like I’ve stepped into an episode of Downton Abbey.
For these unfamiliar with this meal, it usually takes place within the late morning or early afternoon. As you may need guessed, the drink that goes with this meal is tea, nonetheless I’ve seen a couple of afternoon teas that provide fruity alcoholic drinks as nicely. The meals is sort of all the time delivered on a tall tower of plates and virtually all the time consists of meals you eat together with your palms (I’ll get extra into that in a minute). Dessert can be virtually all the time included together with your tower of plates, so all the things comes without delay.
Normally the concept of this meal is to sip tea, nibble on small handheld meals and discuss with your pals. I feel initially it was extra of a social gathering than a meal, nonetheless in the present day individuals additionally actually go for the meals as nicely. I additionally think about that previously this was a “easy” meal by the requirements of these having it. In different phrases it was a easy meal for fancy individuals, however most individuals would nonetheless take into account the meals fancy.
Whereas there are a lot of totally different interpretations of this meal, more often than not there are specific belongings you all the time discover obtainable in your tower of plates. Simply an FYI, most locations don’t allow you to order what you need, at most they may have a vegetarian and meat choice however largely you simply eat what they provide you. Fortuitously it’s not only one meals, there’s typically a spread. The parts are additionally virtually all the time small, so in case you don’t like one thing you don’t have a lot of it to eat.
In all probability the commonest, and in my view vital staple of this meal is scones with jam and cream (most frequently clotted cream). I’ve by no means had a day tea that didn’t embrace this, that is additionally typically the merchandise the place you may get a couple of sort of scone. As a rule you get the cream and jam individually and also you’re anticipating to place it in your scone your self. Let me warn you, relying on the place you’re the order of the way you unfold your cream and jam might be essential. Ask your server in case you have any questions.
The following commonest a part of this meal is the sandwiches. It’s not unusual to get a couple of totally different sandwiches in your tower. It’s additionally not unusual for the crusts to be lower off your sandwiches. Whereas you may get any sort of sandwich, cucumber sandwiches are the commonest. It’s one other merchandise that I can’t ever bear in mind not getting in my excessive tea meal.
Typically you’ll additionally get small meat tarts or quiches as nicely. Apart from the cucumber sandwiches, that is actually the time for the chef to shine. I’ve been fortunate sufficient to strive some nice native meals on this portion of my excessive tea meal, and better of all it’s only a chunk so I can all the time pattern a couple of dish.
The highest of the tower is the place you discover your desserts. The one factor I’ve discovered constant about this a part of the excessive tea meal is that the desserts will likely be tremendous fancy and small. This once more appeals to my love of tasting new meals, since they’re typically just one or two bites.
I like a superb excessive tea. It may be very costly contemplating how a lot meals you get, but it surely’s all the time an journey. It’s additionally not all the time essential to go to the most costly excessive tea place. A few of the greatest excessive teas I’ve had are at small cafes that actually care about what they’re presenting on the plate. I’ll be trustworthy, even the worst excessive tea I’ve had was nonetheless fairly good.
