How many times can you say the word tea and mean different things? I wish I could remember the exact way that I explained ‘tea’ to my American friends, because we laughed so hard we nearly choked on our scones. You could hear the Polish waiter laughing really loudly in the background, and sometimes he would chip in with with his own comments. I don’t suppose the video came out, because I’m pretty sure it consists of cackling and helpless laughter. Now is that any way to behave in the National Gallery?
Here is an attempt at a short typology of tea.
- Tea – cup of, pot of usually black tea of the English Breakfast, Earl Grey variety NOT
- Tea – working class evening meal of meat and two veg variety. Dinner is at lunchtime.
- Cream tea (native to Devon or Cornwall) – pot of tea served with 2 warm home-made scones, a good dollop of clotted cream and lots of home-made jam.
- Afternoon tea – as above with small cakes and mini sandwiches.
- High tea – fish and potatoes, bread and butter with small cakes.
- Welsh tea – tea, bara brith, and welsh cakes. Possibly other things I don’t remember now.
A fine example of Afternoon Tea at the National Gallery
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