While the Bangladeshi culture is obsessed with dipping their biscuits and toasts in 'cha' - milk tea, while relishing their evening snacks and watching their favourite soap opera, the Britons and the royals do it differently. They'd rather enjoy a piece of scone covered in jam with raw tea and a pinch of sugar.

How it all came to be…

A brief lesson on history teaches us that tea drinking in general was popularised by King Charles and his wife in 1660. However, the concept of afternoon tea, as we know it today, was introduced by a certain lady of nobility, Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford.

One fine day the Duchess felt quite hungry during the oddest hours of four o 'clock to five o clock, in the afternoon and didn't know what to do except for summoning her chef in despair. The chef de cuisine in turn prepared a tray of tea for her with delicacies in accompaniment like bread, butter and cake. And the Duchess loved this presentation so much that she made it a ritual for the rest of her life.

She also invited her friends for a soiree during these hours and offered them afternoon tea after which it became quite the culture. And eventually, the custom became so popular that it goes on even now.

The content of the royal tea

According to experts, the royal tea must be served in a three-tiered cake stand filled with other scrumptious items such as different varieties of cakes, sandwiches and scones. As side offerings, there should be endless list of butters, jams, creams and sweet pastries.

Mimicking a royal member (pointers)
- Amongst all the sweet and savoury items, we must start with the savoury first and then work our way onto the sweets.

- It is always the cucumber sandwich first before the cakes and pastries.

We must at all-time avoid talking with our mouths full and avoid taking large bites since that is considered unpleasant.

- It is bad etiquette to hold a teacup at the base, it is for us to remember that the handle is there for a reason.

BDST: 2055 HRS, JULY 1, 2022
MSK