Fika in England
Tea, more than a beverage and refreshing drink, but what does it mean to us today? For many a ‘cup of tea’ is a one cup tea bag brewed in a mug, but for some it is a reminder of leisurely afternoon tea, something which in England we seem to have adopted and adapted. With its culinary cousins of high tea, nursery tea, tennis teas, cricket teas, tea parties, and the cream tea, teatime, is an evocative and nostalgic meal to be lingered over, a social meal, and one which encourages conversation.
Afternoon tea is a meal and occasion for all age groups, a time to bring people together and share in tradition and food culture. It works well at home and there are ‘rules’ and etiquette which should be followed, for example, it is an occasion to use the ‘best china’ cups and saucers, (not mugs), a tablecloth and napkins. The food, elegant and easy to eat with tea knives and pastry forks – sandwiches, crustless and traditionally with fillings of cucumber, egg and cress, or smoked salmon, scones with cream and jam, and in the winter hot buttered toast, and crumpets. Then there are homemade cakes and pastries, a classic Victoria sandwich with its filling of raspberry jam, a frosted layer cake, gingerbread, or a rich fruit cake for example, Dundee cake encrusted with almonds, or Genoa cake bursting with glace cherries, candied peel, and dried fruit.
Devon, a county in the southwest of England, is strongly associated with its dairy produce and rich clotted cream central to the cream tea – a special meal, and a treat, but quite simple, a scone or split (yeasted bun) with clotted cream and jam all home-made. Its origins can be traced to the home, it is food from the country farmhouse and cottage, staple foodstuffs which are now part of the luxury hotel afternoon tea experience. Homemade jam, usually strawberry, raspberry, or blackcurrant, provide a sweet contrast to the rich cream, and the scone made with baking powder, or soft buns made with yeast. These are sometimes known as splits, or Chudleighs, plainer and softer than scones they are the perfect partner to the cream and jam which allow the flavours of the clotted cream and jam to be appreciated rather than fruited sweet scones, but do not serve them hot – why would you want to melt the clotted cream?
For some visitors, a cream tea is associated with place, and summer holidays in the country or by the seaside and featured postcard images from the early twentieth century. In Devon, in local dialect, a frawsy describes a treat or special meal such as a cream tea. Today we are offered a wide array of teas but longer ago it was probably a stronger Assam or Ceylon blend, for example the popular Mazawatte tea.
We read of fruit teas with cream, and lobster teas, however a ‘Devonshire tea’ implies that there will be clotted cream! There is culinary rivalry between the counties of Devon and Cornwall as to whether it should be cream or jam first on the scones or splits! A cream tea is a celebration of local food and traditions, of Devonshire hospitality and its evolving food story.
Thank you kindly to Paul Cleave for this write-up and the pictures🙏
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