Tea drinking and afternoon tea

[catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 21993

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Milz" <absinthe at m...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., catherine at c... wrote:
> 
> > Perhaps in the American edition they drink coffee?
> >
> 
> Nope, the US editions don't replace coffee for tea. 
>  
> > As to tea - afternoon tea.  Well, it isn't that common anymore.  
> Some 
> > people in the UK refer to their meals as dinner and tea.  What is 
> > more normal (I think - it's what I say anyway, and so does JKR) 
is 
> > lunch and dinner, with afternoon tea in between if there is 
> > time/inclination.  Perhaps one of the reasons they don't have 
> > afternoon tea in the books is because most of the time it is term 
> > time and they don't have the time for the extra meal.  One 
exception 
> > is Christmas day - they have Christmas dinner at lunchtime, 
because 
> > it is the main meal of the day, then later on, instead of dinner, 
> > they have a kind of "high tea" which is a more substantial 
version 
> of 
> > afternoon tea.  This turns everything around - dinner is dinner 
when 
> > it is the most substantial meal of the day - hence them calling 
> their 
> > evening meal on Christmas day tea, because it is much lighter.
> > 
> 
> LOL, I've seen rather well-intentioned hotels here in the US who 
have 
> COMPLETELY confused "High Tea" with "Afternoon Tea" (including the 
> local Ritz! tsk tsk), holding their version of "High Tea" at 4 
> o'clock and serving the little sandwiches and cakes. My guess is 
the 
> name, "High Tea", implies a grander, more austere and more elegant 
> affair than "Afternoon Tea", so more socially-conscious people will 
be 
> apt to attend them. 
> 
> Milz

Actually, it's just the reverse.  "Afternoon tea" is the kind of 
thing served in the Ritz, Claridges etc.  It is an institution.  Tea 
(or perhaps champagne) is served with very dainty sandwiches, such as 
cucumber with the crust cut off the bread, and small morsels of cake -
 strawberries and cream, or strawberry tarts can often feature during 
the summer months.  It is supposed to be very elegant, dainty and 
light.

"High tea" is more of a meal replacement.  As "afternoon tea" is a 
meal which is sandwiched between lunch and dinner (or supper, as some 
people call it to really confuse the issue) it is meant to be 
light.  "High tea" is normally served when there has been a more 
substantial lunch (or dinner, see above) and when a large meal is not 
expected late evening, and therefore will consist of more filling 
food.  As I grew up in a farming community, high tea was very rustic -
 lots of pork pies, pickles, mature cheeses, cold meats - that kind 
of thing, with home made cakes and tarts to follow.  Needless to say, 
serving champagne with this kind of meal is not very common!

I have just realised that I have wondered completely off-topic, so I 
apologise unreservedly.

Catherine