http://s11/middle/72046333gbc959dd7e32a&690Tea （茶餐）和 Afternoon tea（下午茶）的区别（英文阅读）" TITLE="【英语文化】High Tea （茶餐）和 Afternoon tea（下午茶）的区别（英文阅读）" />



The Difference Between High Tea and Afternoon tea

If you've heard people say they are having "high tea" in some exclusive, swanky, hotel lobby, you can smile to yourself, knowing that "high tea" is seldom served to tourists with fancy lodging. In an effort to be part of the British aristocracy, the person claiming to have "high tea" is perpetrating one of the most common errors of tea-terminology.

"High tea" doesn't refer to the "fancy" fixings, the elegant silver, the pure-white table linens, or the posh surroundings of a high-class salon. A "high tea" is actually the main meal of the day, served between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. The "high" in the phrase comes from the time of the day, meaning "late" or "high" in the afternoon.

For a long time, the lower and middle classes could afford only one meal per day. In order to make it through to the next day, the main meal would be taken after work and would consist of anything from the remnants of lunch to the very basic food staples of the time: a slice of bread, a hunk of cheese, a piece of sausage, all which were eaten while drinking their evening tea. However, as the country advanced, the common people got wealthier, and evening meals began to be supplemented with heavier foods like roast beef, fish, eggs, vegetables, and potatoes.

Sometimes referred to as a "meat tea," or a "ham tea," the term "high tea" has been replaced with the modern equivalent of dinner. Another synonym for "high tea" is "full tea."

In contrast, "low tea," or “afternoon tea” is served earlier in the afternoon, usually between 4:00 and 5:00. A tradition originally started by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, this tradition began when Anna needed a little sustenance to tide her over to the big meal of the day.

Small tidbits were served with tea, and Anna invited friends to share conversation over these small snacks before the affair of the evening meal.

In reality, people who have beautiful "teas" with silver services and fancy pastries and cakes nowadays, are partaking of the "low tea," or "light tea" that began so many years ago in Anna's time.

While the refreshments are pretty, they are "light," and the emphasis of the "afternoon tea" is on the presentation of the tea, (the brewing, the pouring, and the serving) and the conversation of the guests.