High on high tea

THE POSH ritual of afternoon high tea might have been a concoction of the British royal court, but anyone can brew a cup at 4pm in the comfort of his own backyard – and make it spiffy, too. Twining tea ambassador Mark Nicholls showed us how during a recent visit to Bangkok. We felt all lah-de-dah.

It was Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, who originated the practice of afternoon tea in the 18th century. It was basically a bit of a chin-wag over a light meal (supper wasn’t due until hours later), but everyone watched carefully how everyone else behaved. 

The amusement caught on and evolved, with finger-sized sandwiches and other bite-sized savouries eventually becoming the standard nosh, ringed around the base of a cake stand. Just above that are the scones, hot or cold, and everything is crowned with cakes or macaroons. 

Jam and clotted cream lurk to one side with tiny spoons for scooping them up. Whipped cream is allowable, but clotted cream is much more delicious and traditional. 

The idea is to tuck into the snacks on the bottom of the tray and work your way up, sort of high-society mountaineering. Grab a scone (politely, of course), slice it in half and apply jam. 

Someone should be making the tea by now, ideally using 250ml of water for every tea bag or every teaspoon of loose leaves. You may refill the pot with hot water if it contains loose leaves, but not so for tea bags since they’re designed for single use. 

The water has to be boiled to at least 85 degrees. Brew the tea for at least three minutes for the best colour, taste and nutritional value. Warm the empty cup first before fill

 ing it with tea to maintain the right temperature throughout the process. 

Once the tea, cream and sugar are in the cup, don’t stir with a clatter – stroke the liquid as gently and quietly as possible. Hold your saucer with the cup just below chest level, with the spoon resting opposite the handle. Raise the cup (pinkie pointed, unless it makes you feel like a twit), take a sip and place it back down.

Once the cup’s empty, you can leave the spoon on the saucer to indicate that you wouldn’t mind a refill, or place the spoon inside the cup, meaning you’ve had enough. The host ought to keep an eye on both the spoon placement and the tea level. Give the nice people a refill when their cups are half-empty in order to maintain the porcelain’s temperature – and to keep the conversation flowing as well. 

 

BREW  MASTERS

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