2006-09-03 11:51:01 · 13 answers · asked by denetria d 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
High or Low
Traditionally, the upper classes served a "low" or "afternoon" tea around 4:00 pm just before the fashionable promenade in Hyde Park, at which one might find small, crust less sandwiches, biscuits, and cake. Middle and lower classes had a "high" tea later in the day, at 5:00 or 6:00. It is a more substantial meal, essentially it's dinner. A typical menu at high tea would consist of roast pork, stand pie, salmon and salad, trifle, jellies, lemon-cheese tarts, sponge cake, walnut cake, chocolate roll, pound cake, white and brown bread, currant teacake, curd tart and cheeses. The names derive from the height of the tables on which the meals are served. Low tea was served not at a dinner table but on tables, which in the United States would be called "coffee tables," in the withdrawing room. High tea was served on the dinner table.
2006-09-03 12:00:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
High tea was served at about 5 pm in posh hotels such as the Ritz in London. It was a posh ritual of the Upper classes in victorian times.You have tea (in a tea pot), and danity sandwiches like cucumber (the pips in English cucumbers are much smaller than in the USA .),little cream cakes and scones. With white table clothes, napkins and a great deal of fuss.
No such thing now, these days we have cream teas. Its for all classes served however and where ever you like. No such thing as low tea. The common people called their dinner 'tea' (I still do!)so its all a bit confusing. And a bit dull!
2006-09-05 14:03:55 · answer #2 · answered by Nicola H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not sure you've quite got the hang of "tea" in UK. HIgh Tea is what they used to call an early evening (usually Sunday) meal after a big roast lunch earlier. Sarnies, cakes, that sort of thing. No such thing as low tea
2006-09-03 18:57:53 · answer #3 · answered by Ranteater 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No such thing these days!
High tea was usually a special slap up tea time event on Sundays. When all the family got together. It merely meant a larger spread of food than other tea times.
Low tea??? Never heard of it! Unless it refers to normal tea times when you didn't quite have as much as Sundays!
And I'm from reasonable middle class English stock, born in 1945, where everything was fairly twee, when I was growing up!
I guess this has to be an American questioner... since myths abound about our culture there. Funny really, since yours are ours, if somewhat distorted;-)
And you speak our language and have distorted that, as well!
And this is where prejudice often sets in between us.
You use certain English words quite out of context, and take their meanings as offensive... when we use them correctly, according to our language.
And high and low tea assumptions, suggests, you are still thinking that we live in the middle ages!
Trust me, only pretentious and inverted snobs, pretend to any kind of class these days... the sort that dragged themselves up from council house estates and boast about it, then look down on those who live in them today!
And since I now live in a council flat due to losing my own house over a divorce, I can speak on this first hand... I chose my childhood friends from council estates, and they rose to better things... and loved being feted at my tables, until my fortunes regressed and now, they avoid my estate like the plague... and this, I call 'inverted snobbery' and can and do, rise above it... it's in the breeding see;-)
2006-09-03 19:13:11 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
High tea means meat, potato and veggies, using good china, generally when an important person is staying for dinner and low tea means something not so filling, like salad, sandwiches etc.when the family or friends are visiting, on everyday china. And yes the phrase is still used in the UK.
2006-09-03 19:00:20 · answer #5 · answered by wondering 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there is no such thing as low tea, and there never was. High tea died out probably well over a hundred years ago.
2006-09-03 18:56:39 · answer #6 · answered by heathen_mum 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
High tea is like our supper and low tea is tea time tea
2006-09-03 19:38:11 · answer #7 · answered by gangico 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
high tea is made of mushrooms and low tea is drank down a hole
2006-09-03 18:57:49 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
there aint no low tea, or really no high tea anymore, do you mean high and low tide????
2006-09-03 18:54:30 · answer #9 · answered by Kelly D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
high tea...having tea at my mates 6th floor flat....low tea...having tea at my 3rd floor flat..lol
2006-09-03 19:40:25 · answer #10 · answered by hondanut 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋