By Donna Wichelman
In my Gilded Age Historical Romance, A Song of Deliverance, my Irish-born protagonist, Anna Sullivan, hosts the Victorian tradition of Afternoon Tea for several prominent ladies of Georgetown to garner their support for a community fundraiser. But how did this tradition of taking Afternoon Tea start?
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| Victorian Woman Taking Tea: iStock Photo Stock photo ID:455164257 |
Drinking tea didn't become a popular pastime in England until King Charles II brought it into fashion in the 1660s with his marriage to Portugal's Princess Catherine of Braganza. It had to be green without milk or
sugar and drunk with blue and white handleless porcelain from China. The proper
way to make it was in the traditional Chinese method of pouring hot water over
the leaves from a red-brown stoneware pot.
Taking Tea was primarily a practice of the
wealthier class due to its expense and the need to acquire all the accompanying
paraphernalia, including a tea service. The most proper way to serve tea required
Chinese porcelain, because the Europeans hadn’t yet discovered how to make
porcelain. Less expensive options were pewter, Dutch Delftware, or faïence, a fine
tin-glazed pottery.
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| Blue and White Porcelain Tea Cups Compliments of Pixabay |
In addition, tea had to be stored in a tea caddy
with compartments for different varieties of tea, a crystal blending bowl, and
a lock. When serving tea, the mistress would use the paraphernalia to perform a
ritual of blending the tea at a table and would often add liqueurs, such as orange
brandy, to accompany the offering.
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| Victorian Tea Caddy, Ebay |
The tradition of the English Afternoon Tea that we
know today didn’t emerge until 1840, when Anna Russell, the seventh Duchess of
Bedford, a Lady in Waiting of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, introduced the
concept. The Duchess often felt hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon and
couldn’t wait for the evening meal at eight o’clock, so she would ask for a
tray of tea, bread, butter, and cake.
But soon, Anna’s
habit became a regular ritual, and she invited friends to join her in her room,
adding finger sandwiches and various sweets. By the late nineteenth century,
the concept caught on among the upper classes of both England and America, and
society women adopted the trend, wearing their most fashionable gowns, gloves,
and hats in the drawing rooms of their social circles.
Eventually, the tradition became so popular by the late 1800s that upscale inns, hotels and tea rooms offered afternoon tea. One such hotel is the Ritz in London, where they would stage their afternoon tea at the Palm Court with its soft lighting and luxurious chairs.
By the turn of the century, tea became more affordable, and the middle class joined in the tradition. Music became a part of afternoon tea events in the 1920s, and one could be seen enjoying a late afternoon of dance and merriment along with their tea.
Many
political movements have been discussed over tea. The Revolutionary War started,
in part, because of the high taxes imposed on tea. Many conversations about
women’s suffrage in England and the United States took place over Afternoon Tea.
And Americans wanting to socialize during Prohibition did so over a cup of tea.
All over the world, historic hotels, resorts, and inns still serve Afternoon Tea. In the United States, a resurgence of traditional afternoon tea has taken place since the 1990s. Traditional fare includes but is not limited to cucumber sandwiches, egg sandwiches, watercress sandwiches, smoked salmon sandwiches, scones with lemon curd or strawberry jam and clotted cream, Madeira cake, marble cake, and brandy snaps. Americans have also added items like little quiches, chicken, walnut, and cranberry sandwiches, scones with dried fruits, truffles, and brownie bites.
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| Traditional Scones: Compliments of Pixabay Image by GX6 from Pixabay |
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| Donna and Jim Having a Twentieth Anniversary Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia: Donna's Gallery 2004 |
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| Donna and Friends at the Brown Palace Taking Afternoon Tea in Denver: Donna's Gallery 2008 |
However, if you are a Gen Zer and you’re rolling your eyes at the stuffy
traditions of your ancestors, never fear. According
to a recent article by Kristy Alpert, published on October 8, 2024 in Food and
Wine Magazine, Gen Zers have rediscovered the art of taking afternoon tea. But
they've added their own unique flair, reimagining the types of food and varieties of tea offered in a more casual atmosphere than their predecessors.
