Celebrate International Tea Day in style on the 21st May
As our nation’s most loved beverage, it’s no wonder that International Tea Day has become a firm fixture in the calendar.
There is nothing more classically British than afternoon tea, which makes International Tea Day, May 21, a wildly popular occasion. This love of tea dates back centuries and this fondness seems to only get stronger with time! International Tea Day aims to raise awareness of the long history and the deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world.. So, grab your cuppa and settle in for a read on how to celebrate this truly brilliant day.
The story of tea
Tea is often thought of as being a quintessentially British drink, and we have been drinking it for over 350 years. But in fact, the history of tea goes much further back. The story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea.
It is impossible to know whether there is any truth in this story. But tea drinking certainly became established in China many centuries before it had even been heard of in the west. Containers for tea have been found in tombs dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) but it was under the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD), that tea became firmly established as the national drink of China.
It became such a favourite that during the late eighth century a writer called Lu Yu wrote the first book entirely about tea, the Ch’a Ching, or Tea Classic. It was shortly after this that tea was first introduced to Japan, by Japanese Buddhist monks who had travelled to China to study. Tea drinking has become a vital part of Japanese culture, as seen in the development of the Tea Ceremony, which may be rooted in the rituals described in the Ch’a Ching. You can read more about the history of tea and its introduction to Europe and the UK here.
Time for Afternoon Tea?
Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess 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 Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter (sometime earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread) and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her. And there the tradition started.
Here are our recommended afternoon treats to go with your cup of tea which you can buy from us😊
Strawberry Jam 340g – £4.10
Make a statement with some of these homemade treats to accompany your afternoon tea…
Egg & Spring Onion Mayo Sandwiches
Time: 5 mins
Serves 8
Suitable for Vegetarians
A delicious twist on the egg mayo sandwich.
Ingredients
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, cooled
- 1-2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 4-6 slices white bread
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- Salt & pepper, to season
- Cress, to serve
Method
Peel and mash the eggs with a fork. Add the chopped spring onions and mix with mayonnaise and some seasoning.
Spread the bread with butter and make the sandwiches. Scatter with cress.
Lemony Cucumber & Prawn Sandwiches
Time: 10 mins
Makes 12
Easy
These are a great addiction to your afternoon tea stand.
Ingredients
- 6 slices wholemeal bread
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 6 large cooked prawns, halved for topping
Method
Lightly spread 6 slices of wholemeal bread with butter. Cover with a layer of thinly sliced cucumber, then use a 5-6cm round cutter to stamp out 12 circles (or cut into squares).
Mix together 4 tbsp mayonnaise with the zest of 1 lemon. Top each circle with 1 halved large cooked prawn and a dollop of the lemony mayonnaise.
Caramelised Onion & Roast Beef Tea Sandwiches
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 1 hr
Makes 36
Sweet, caramelised onions and hearty roast beef are a perfect pairing in these delectable tea sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, diced
- 4 tbsp horseradish
- 230g cream cheese, room temperature
- Salt & black pepper
- 18 thin slices wholemeal bread
- 230g roast beef, thinly sliced
Method
In a large frying pan, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions, and stir to coat; cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue cooking, stirring every 20 minutes, until onions are amber coloured and completely caramelised, just over 1 hour. Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl to cool.
In a small bowl, mix horseradish and cream cheese; season with salt and pepper. Spread two slices of bread with a thin layer of horseradish cream cheese; cover one with a layer of onions, and top with roast beef and another bread slice. Trim off crusts and cut into four small squares. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cover with damp kitchen towel until ready to serve.
Falafel Scotch Eggs
Prep time: 40 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Serves 8
Combine two winning dishes in this picnic-friendly recipe of eggs coated in spiced, herbed chickpeas.
Ingredients
- 9 large eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rolling
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 400g can chickpeas, drained
- 1/2 small pack coriander, leaves only
- 200g wholemeal breadcrumb
- 5 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 25g panko or dried breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying
Method
Put 8 of the eggs in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil, cook for 5 mins, then quickly lift out of the pan and plunge in a big bowl of cold water to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel.
While the eggs cool, put the oil, onions and garlic in a frying pan. Fry very gently until really soft and just starting to turn golden. Add the spices and fry for a few mins more. Tip into a food processor and whizz to a paste, then add the chickpeas and coriander leaves, and pulse until finely chopped but not pasty. Stir in the wholemeal breadcrumbs, flour and final egg, beaten first with a fork, with a good amount of seasoning.
Divide the mixture into 8. Take a portion at a time and flatten between your hands (rub your hands with a little more oil if it’s sticking to your fingers too much). Roll 1 of your peeled eggs in a little flour, shake to remove the excess, then wrap the falafel mixture around it, moulding it to completely cover the egg and squishing it together at the joins to seal. Repeat to cover all the eggs. Tip the panko or dried breadcrumbs onto a plate and mix in the sesame seeds. Roll each egg in it to coat. Can be made 1 day ahead, loosely covered with cling film and chilled.
Get a large, deep saucepan and half-fill it with oil, or use a deep-fat fryer. Heat until a bit of bread browns in about 30 secs. Add a couple of eggs at a time and fry, turning, until really golden and crisp, about 2 mins. Lift onto kitchen paper to drain while you cook the rest of the eggs in batches. Season with a little more salt and eat warm or cold.
Apple Crumble & Custard Cupcakes
Prep time: 50 mins
Cook time: 55 mins + overnight chilling
Makes 12
These extra-special cupcakes taste just like traditional crumble and custard – top with cream icing and apple-shaped biscuits.
Recipe Source BBC Good Food, find the recipe here
Chocolate Caramel Cake
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Serves 12
This rich cake makes an impressive centrepiece for any summer tea party.
Source: BBC Good Food, find the recipe here
