Ask The Expert: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Afternoon Tea (2024)

Since moving to England at the age of two, Elle Lau fell in love with the English culture of sipping tea and nibbling on pillow-y scones served on fine bone china with a dish of clotted cream. The founder of Blooms Tea, who shuttles between Hong Kong and London, is known for selling European porcelain and antiques, and bridging the gap between East and West through art and design.

We speak to her to find out more about the finer details of afternoon tea.

Hi Elle! What's the difference between afternoon tea and high tea?

Afternoon tea is typically served in the mid-afternoon and it was traditionally served on low tables, hence its two names. It involves things like manners, lace, and dainty foods. Historically, afternoon tea was considered to be a ladies' social occasion, and it is more often enjoyed by women than men to this day.

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 is a more substantial meal that includes more hearty savoury foods such as meaty pies, fishes such as pickled salmon, baked vegetables and cheesy casseroles.

The middle plate held sweets like petit* fours, marzipan, and cakes. The bottom tier was the serving station for simple and crustless sandwiches. Cake stands were also introduced during the late Victorian era to showcase their perfectly formed Victorian sponge cakes!

Favourite teas include black teas like Earl Grey and Assam as well as herbal teas like chamomile and mint.

How do I throw the perfect afternoon tea party?

For a good tea set you need to have balanced flavours. Juxtaposing heavier food like meats with lighter seafood. Classic afternoon tea finger sandwiches include egg salad, cucumber, smoked salmon and roast beef.

Scones can be either plain, sweet or savoury. Sweet fruit scones need to be very subtle to accommodate cream and jam. Ideally, your sweets menu will include a variety of flavours, such as seasonal fruit (or, in the cooler months, preserves), cream, vanilla and/or chocolate.

How would you pair the food with tea?

Black tea has a full and robust flavour, therefore the foods that go best with it should ideally be the same as you don’t want one flavour to dominate the other. Teas such as Ceylon and Darjeeling, which have smooth and citrusy flavour, perfectly enhance sweet desserts such as a cheesecake. Green tea has a subtle vegetative flavour to it, making it the perfect companion to mild flavoured foods such as seafood or chicken.

Is there a table etiquette to observe during afternoon tea rituals?

Over the years there seems to have been many quirks of etiquette whilst taking tea. Once sitting, your purse must be placed on your lap or behind you, against the back of the chair, out of view. Unfold your napkin and if you are leaving to ‘powder your nose’ and returning, place your napkin on your chair.

There is one designated tea pourer on the table and they will serve each guest throughout the afternoon. Serving the highest-ranking person or most senior member first.

Is there a right way to have your cup of tea?

Always tea first, then milk if needed. Stir from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock back and forth, not in a circular motion. Once you finish stirring, place the tea spoon at the front of the saucer. The spoon should always be placed on the saucer at all times. Eat from bottom of the tea stand upwards. You can use your fingers. When eating sandwiches, start from the lightest fillings first such as salmon or cheeses, then move onto heavier meats such as beef etc. For the scones, you should pick it up and twist it with your hands to break it into smaller pieces. Think of it like bread in a restaurant, you never cut it with a knife. Applying clotted cream then jam is the Devon way to do it and applying jam followed by clotted cream is the Cornish way of eating scones. Both are correct.

Tell us something fun you know about the history of afternoon tea.

Tea was first drank in China during the Han dynasty. During 1660s Queen Catherine bought Tea to England. She loved drinking it in her bedroom parlor.

Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh duch*ess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The duch*ess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The duch*ess asked for a tray of sandwiches, cakes and tea to be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. During the 1880s, upper-class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o’clock.

Same Same But Different: The Different Types of Chicken Rice Around Asia

Unlike the age-old puzzle — which came first, the chicken or the egg, there is no such quarrel over the chicken and the rice when it comes to which was first discovered by humans for consumption. Let's explore the various renditions of chicken rice across Asia!

Iconic Dishes: Love Letters and Other Sweet Snacks for Your Sweetheart

Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, and what better way to a loved one’s heart than to offer and share sweet treats.

The Code of Curry: Rishi Naleendra Shows Us the Curries of Sri Lanka

At Kotuwa, a well-loved Bib Gourmand spot in Singapore, Rishi Naleendra provides an edible crash course on Sri Lanka's famed curry dishes and more.

The MICHELIN Guide Way to Eat and Stay During Fashion Month

From New York to Paris, here are the starry boîtes and hotels that are as captivating as the collections.

Ask The Expert: How To Make And Serve Cheese Fondue

Chef Stephane Istel of Bib Gourmand restaurant, Bar-Roque Grill, shares his tips and tricks for an easy cheesy fondue.

Ask The Expert: How To Buy And Enjoy Caviar

Everything you should know about buying the decadent salted sturgeon roe that graces many dishes in Michelin-starred restaurants.

Ask The Expert: How To Make Fresh Pasta By Hand

Professional sfoglina Simonetta Capotondo gives a detailed guide to the art of fresh pasta made completely by hand.

Ask The Expert: Swedish Cooking Techniques

Tristin Farmer, executive chef of Restaurant Zén, the Singapore outpost of three-Michelin-starred Frantzén in Sweden, highlights the Swedish influences in his cuisine.

Ask The Expert: How To Pick And Choose Durians

We get a durian seller to dish out six essential tips to get the most out of this year’s durian season, which has started in earnest.

Ask The Experts: Master Sommelier VS Master Of Wine

Ce La Vi’s head sommelier Mathias Camilleri and wine educator Fongyee Walker shed light on the differences between the two wine qualifications.

Ask The Experts: Tips For Selecting The Best Fish Sauce

Fish sauce has been riding on the trend of healthy eating for its natural, umami-packed content. Here're some tips on picking the top of the crop.

Ask the Expert: How to Carve A Suckling Pig

Usher in the Year of the Earth Pig this Chinese New Year by chopping up your very own suckling pig.

Ask The Expert: How To Choose Pu’er Tea

Tea sommelier Ann Sit from tea specialty establishment f*ck Ming Tong in Hong Kong offers tips for choosing quality pu'er tea.

Ask The Experts: Japanese Secrets For Cooking Perfect Rice

Singapore’s only certified Japanese rice sommelier dishes out tips for cooking rice the right way.

Ask The Expert: A Beginner’s Guide To Chinese Gong Fu Tea

Tea master Yang Yan Qi of Tian Fu Tea Room shows how you can conduct the traditional Chinese tea ceremony beautifully and easily for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year.

Ask The Expert: What Is Hangzhou Cuisine?

Chef Wang Yong of Jin Sha in Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou At West Lake sheds light on classic Hangzhou cuisine.

Ask The Expert: A Beginner’s Guide To Port

Anthony Charmetant of the newly-minted one-Michelin-starred Ma Cuisine makes port appreciation approachable for everyone.