Tea (meal)
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| This article is part of the Meals series |
| Common meals... |
| Elevenses |
| Brunch |
| Lunch |
| Tea |
| Dinner |
| Supper |
| Dessert |
| See also... |
Tea (a meal, as opposed to the beverage), has different meanings according to country.
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North America
The term high tea is sometimes used in North America to refer to a very formal, ritualised gathering (usually of ladies) in which tea and little cakes are served on the best china. This usage comes from understanding the term "high" to mean "formal". (Judith Martin replies that the correct interpretation is, "It's high time we had something to eat.")
This form of high tea is occasionally served in high-end American hotels, often during the holiday season.
UK and Ireland
Afternoon Tea
In Britain, the North American gathering described above is called Afternoon Tea (or just tea) and generally would take place some time between 2.30 and 4.30 pm.
High Tea
High Tea is a term used mainly in the United Kingdom and Ireland to describe an early evening meal, typically around 7.00 pm. Although, it does not necessarily include tea, it has the following formal structure:
- Main course – This is usually either a light fish or meat course.
- Tea and cakes
The cakes may either be full sized and cut into slices, or smaller individual cakes, or muffins, toast or other savoury breads.
In a family, it tends to be less formal and often it is essentially either a regularised snack, usually featuring sandwiches, cookies, pastry, fruit, and the like (in Spain, this is called a merienda), or else it is supper.
The term "High Tea" comes from the meal being eaten at the "high" (main) table, rather than the smaller table common in living rooms.
On farms in the United Kingdom, high tea is the traditional and very substantial meal enjoyed by the workers immediately after dark, and combines afternoon tea with the main evening meal.
Tea
By contrast, Tea is the afternoon/evening meal, called that even if the diners are drinking beer, cider, or juice. It traditionally takes place at sometime around 6pm (though these days, it often takes place as late as 9pm).
In Scotland, Northern England, New Zealand, and sometimes in Australia, tea as a meal is synonymous with dinner in Standard English. Under such usage, the midday meal is usually termed dinner, rather than lunch. The prominence of this usage in Australia and New Zealand is almost certainly due to the influence of Scottish people for whom dinner is a meal eaten at midday and tea is the evening meal, the proportion of Scottish settlers being much greater in New Zealand than in Australia. Note that in modern New Zealand, the midday meal is still termed lunch. Hence New Zealanders commonly describe the three main meals as breakfast, lunch and tea.
In cricket, the second of the two intervals during a match lasting a full day or more is known as the tea interval. Light refreshments such as sandwiches, cakes, fruit, pasta, tea and juice are served to the players.
