High tea, low tea, what’s the difference?

Published 1:07 pm Tuesday, April 24, 2007

The English under Queen Victoria developed two tradition for afternoon tea.

High tea, served around 6:00 p.m., was a full meal that included meat and vegetable dishes. A tradition of the middle- and working-classes, high tea was served at a regular “high” dining-room table. Sometimes it was called “meat tea.”

Aristocratic Victorian families usually took low tea about 4:00 in the afternoon. The meal consisted of elegant tidbits served from a low table, rather like a coffee table. Dishes included finger sandwiches, sweets and scones, and the emphasis was on elegant presentation and good conversation.