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Tea Traditions: Afternoon Tea

At Samovar Tea Lounge, our tea and food menu draws from tea cultures around the world, from Morocco, to Japan, to China, to India. One of our most popular dishes is the English Tea Service, inspired by the traditional “afternoon tea.”

The 19th-century Duchess of Bedford is credited with inventing afternoon tea. At the time, folks in London ate two main meals: breakfast, and dinner. Dinner was served around 8-9 pm, and like many others, the Duchess found that she became hungry around 3 pm. She started enjoying a pot of tea and small finger sandwiches or cakes in the afternoon to take the edge off her hunger.

Soon friends began joining her for tea, and the ritual exploded across the country, with people gathering in the afternoon to socialize over tea. (Afternoon tea is different than “high tea,” which is a heavier meal served later in the day.)

Today, tea continues to be a catalyst for community and connection. Your tea ritual may look different, but whether you’re meeting with friends over a pot of English breakfast black tea and a Cherry Oat Scone, or our Ryokucha green tea and Smoked Salmon Egg Bowl, the tradition of tea continues to remind us to slow down and savor friendship.

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