Is it correct to say High Tea or Afternoon Tea?
Many people erroneously refer to Afternoon Tea as High Tea. This is worthy of correcting on every single occasion! High Tea originated in England as a workingmans supper consisting of strong black tea served with a substantial meal, usually around 6 oclock. Whereas Afternoon Tea, introduced by Anna, Duchess of Bedford, consists of delicate finger foods, scones and pastries usually served around 4 oclock as an elegant social pastime. Why is using loose tea better than the convenient little tea bag? The main difference lies in the size of the leaf. It is the whole or large parts of the leaf which contain essential oils and nutrients, giving tea its true flavor and providing the wide range of health benefits. The fannings (tiny broken pieces) remaining from the sifting process to separate the various leaf sizes are packaged into tea bags. They contain little to nothing of the wonderful qualities of tea and are lacking in the true flavor. However, many companies are now realizing the diffe
