How Is High Tea Different from Afternoon Tea?

Outside of the United Kingdom, many people refer to afternoon tea as 'high tea.' Although the idea that high
tea is a meal of foods like scones and finger sandwiches is common, it is not actually correct in a traditional
or historical sense.

What Is Afternoon Tea?

Afternoon tea, also known as 'low tea,' is what most people think of when they hear 'high tea.' It involves
things like manners, lace, and dainty foods. It is typically served in the mid-afternoon and it was
traditionally served on low tables, hence its two names.

An afternoon tea menu is light and focuses on scones, finger sandwiches. Marmalade, lemon curds, and
herbed butter may also be included. Favorite teas for afternoon tea include black teas like Earl Grey and
Assam as well as herbal teas like chamomile and mint.

Historically, afternoon tea was a ladies' social occasion, and it is more often enjoyed by women than men to
this day.

What Is High Tea?

Traditionally, high tea was a working-class meal served on a high table at the end of the workday, shortly
after 5 p.m. 

High tea was a heavy meal of:

 Meat dishes such as steak and kidney pie

 Fish dishes such as pickled salmon
 Baked goods such as crumpets or, in Ireland, barmbrack
 Vegetables such as potatoes or onion cakes
 Other heavy foods such as baked beans and cheesy casseroles

High tea was much more of a working-class family meal than it was an elite social gathering.

Types of Afternoon Tea

Although many Americans think of afternoon tea as having a set menu, there are many variations on this
tea-centric meal.

 The simplest form of afternoon tea is cream tea -- a meal of tea, scones, and cream.
 Add fresh strawberries to cream tea and you have strawberry tea.
 If you add more sweets to cream tea, you get light tea.
 Add savory foods, like finger sandwiches to light tea and you get full tea, which is the elaborate
meal most Americans think of when they hear the phrase 'afternoon tea.'

Some hotels and tea rooms also offer other variations on afternoon tea, such as champagne tea (afternoon
tea served with a glass of champagne) and teddy bear tea (a children's afternoon tea party featuring dolls and
teddy bears). In Bath, England, Sally Lunns are a popular addition to afternoon tea.
What food do you serve at a high tea?
Start with savoury afternoon tea recipes including finger sandwiches, delicate shrimp and salmon open
sandwiches and posh scotch quail's eggs. After a sophisticated palate cleanser, make a batch of scones to
serve with clotted cream, jam and lemon curd (or why not serve crumpets instead)

What are the menu items found in high tea?

REFERENCES
Ratcliffe, J. (2021, April 7). Best ever afternoon tea recipes. Olivemagazine.
https://www.olivemagazine.com/guides/best-ever/best-ever-afternoon-tea-recipes/#:%7E:text=Start
%20with%20savoury%20afternoon%20tea,why%20not%20serve%20crumpets%20instead).