Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Tea Time!

As I may have already mentioned, I didn't expect much from British food, especially tea time. Not expecting much can be a fantastic thing though, as it sets you up to be really pleasantly surprised. And surprised I was when I partook in my first afternoon tea.


So the tea part is pretty standard. Very good black tea, sugar, and milk. Then comes the excitement:

Cucumber sandwiches; fruitcake; and scones with butter, jam, and the piece de resistance, the clotted cream. Now I know that the name "clotted cream" sounds horrible and you might be considering upchucking, but wait, not so soon. Clotted cream was sent from heaven to make people happy and probably to give them heart attacks. Scones with butter, jam, and clotted cream was one of the most purely delectable things I have ever placed in my mouth. Then some tea and cucumber sandwiches to clear the palate . . . divine! The fruit cake could be cut out of the equation if you ask me, but apparently the tea house didn't ask me, so I ate part of it.


So in case you haven't picked up on it by now, I was quite taken by the British tradition of afternoon tea. I do however hope that the Germans do not sell clotted cream because I don't think it should be an addition to my daily diet or my waistline.


Me in the midst of it all!



The famed cucumber sandwiches -- simple, elegant, delicious.



3 comments:

DCC said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
skhl said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!!!
hugs and kisses!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday one month late. Guess who? I live where they have a 4th of July "goat," ignore that, I meant "boat" parade. Love and hugs. Anonymous