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Afternoon Tea | Traditional Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual From England, United Kingdom | TasteAtlas
Afternoon Tea | Traditional Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual From England, United Kingdom | TasteAtlas
Afternoon Tea | Traditional Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual From England, United Kingdom | TasteAtlas
Afternoon Tea | Traditional Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual From England, United Kingdom | TasteAtlas
Afternoon Tea | Traditional Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual From England, United Kingdom | TasteAtlas
Afternoon Tea | Traditional Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual From England, United Kingdom | TasteAtlas

Afternoon tea

(Five o'clock tea, Low tea)

Afternoon tea is an old British tradition of having tea between 3 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon, accompanied by sweet or savory tidbits of food. There are three types of afternoon tea: cream tea, paired with scones, jam, and cream; light tea, paired with scones and sweets; and full tea, paired with savories, scones, sweets, and a dessert.


It is said that the tradition was invented by Anna Maria Stanhope, the Duchess of Bedford, in the 19th century. She suffered from a "sinking feeling" in the afternoon, so she started having a pot of tea and a light snack privately in her boudoir.


Later on, she began inviting her friends to join her, and shortly after, all of the fashionable society at the time was drinking tea and snacking on sandwiches in the middle of the afternoon. There are some rules concerning the traditional afternoon tea; it should be served with milk after the tea is in the cup, the tea should be sipped, not slurped, and the teaspoon should never be left in the cup, especially while drinking tea.  Read more

Today, afternoon tea is an occasional luxury or a birthday treat in a fancy hotel, and it is less associated with high society, since people in the United Kingdom tend to consume it multiple times a day, in numerous ways and flavors. Don't confuse afternoon tea with high tea because high tea is not as fancy and includes meat, fish, eggs, breads, and desserts.


It's served in the early evening (after the working class comes home from work) at a high table (hence the name) such as dining tables or high counters. In Scotland, high tea usually includes hot food such as cheese on toast.

Afternoon tea-infographic

Pairing tips

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Da hong pao

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Rougui

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Recipe variations

  • 4.1

    Traditional Scottish Griddle Scones

    READY IN 25min

    This recipe represents a traditional Scottish griddle scone, made with an assortment of essential ingredients and baked on a traditional griddle (also known as girdle, but a frying pan or a skillet will suffice). This results in soft, light, and delicious scones with a buttery texture on the inside. 

  • 4.1

    Scottish Oat Scones with Raisins

    READY IN 22min

    This take on the traditional Scottish scone is based on its original base ingredient, oats, and is enriched with raisins. 

  • 4.1

    Hot Cross Buns

    READY IN 1h 40min

    This recipe shows how to make the traditional, most classic hot cross buns. You can use the mixed peel and grated orange zest or leave them out. If you’d like to make any modifications, check out the cooking tips for some instructions and inspiration. 

  • 4.5

    Traditional Bakewell Tart

    READY IN 1h 30min

    This recipe is by chef Darren McGrady, former personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II, and shows the traditional preparation of Bakewell tart. 

  • 4.1

    Mary Berry's Bakewell Tart with Feathered Icing

    READY IN 4h 35min

    This recipe is by Mary Berry, a famous British food writer, chef, baker, and TV personality, and shows how to prepare the classic variation of Bakewell tart with feathered icing. Store any leftover jam in a sterilized and airtight container in the refrigerator; it will keep for up to 6 months.

  • 4.4

    Cherry Bakewell

    READY IN 4h 12min

    This is the tweaked recipe for cherry Bakewell, which, unlike the traditional version, has a feathered icing that's not flavored. The recipe makes six individual tarts, but if you'd like, you can make one large 8 or 9-inch (20-23 cm) tart using the same ingredients and amounts.

  • 4.5

    Traditional Battenberg Cake

    READY IN 3h 30min

    This is the traditional recipe for the Battenberg cake — two differently colored pound cakes, apricot jam, and marzipan. The recipe is very detailed and even gives instructions on how to make a makeshift Battenberg cake pan. You can use ready-made marzipan or make one by following the instructions in our "cooking tips" section.  

  • 4.1

    Scottish Tattie (Potato) Scones

    READY IN 1h 35min

    A popular Scottish breakfast staple, tattie scones are made with potato dough. This recipe gives instructions on making tattie scones with a dough made with potatoes, butter, flour, eggs, and salt and leavened with baking powder.

  • 3.9

    Dundee Cake

    READY IN 4h 45min

    This recipe adapted from Larousse Gastronomique does not follow the traditional recipe when it comes to ingredients. Besides sultanas, there are also raisins, as well as a mixture of various candied fruit peel. Almonds are also added to the batter and are not only used for decoration. Since the cake needs time to mature, you should bake it two to four weeks before you would like to serve it.

  • 3.9

    Winston Churchill's Dundee Cake

    READY IN 2h 40min

    The favorite desert of Winston Churchill, the former British prime minister, was Dundee cake. This recipe adapted from Churchill's Cookbook calls for glace cherries and a mixture of dried fruit but omits the traditional candied peel and the top is not decorated with almonds

  • 3.4

    Bara Brith

    READY IN 14h

    The following recipe is adapted from Wales.com, an informational website the Welsh government runs. In this variant, self-rising flour is used, and the batter is not left to rise but baked immediately once made. It is a version of bara brith that is not bread-like as it's traditionally supposed to be but cake-like. The dried fruit should soak in tea overnight, so take note of that, and the baked loaf is coated with a honey glaze.

     

  • n/a

    Traditional Bara Brith

    READY IN 1h 15min

    This recipe is for a more traditional bara brith, meaning it's made with yeast. It is adapted from the book Welsh Fare by S. Minwel Tibbott, published in 1976 by the Welsh Folk Museum. Remember, it is a yeast-leavened bread, so it needs time to prove. You can bake the dough in a large loaf tin or divide it between several smaller tins.

  • 4.1

    Jam Pennies

    READY IN 10min

    Jam pennies are a simple treat, you don't even need a recipe, but here is how they're traditionally prepared. The measurements are also not needed, it's that easy to make.

Afternoon tea Authentic recipe

PREP 10min
COOK 10min
RESTING  5min
READY IN 25min

This recipe represents a traditional Scottish griddle scone, made with an assortment of essential ingredients and baked on a traditional griddle (also known as girdle, but a frying pan or a skillet will suffice). This results in soft, light, and delicious scones with a buttery texture on the inside. 

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