The order of enjoying English afternoon tea is from bottom to top, from salty to sweet. Authentic afternoon tea has three layers, from bottom to top, including sandwiches, English Si Kang, cakes and fruit towers. The order of eating is from bottom to top, from salty to sweet. First taste salty sandwiches, then drink fragrant black tea, finally taste cakes and fruit towers, and finally finish with almond cakes.

The Origin of English Afternoon Tea

China tea was introduced to Britain in the17th century, and Britain began to have the habit of drinking tea. However, the word "English afternoon tea" officially appeared in the 1940s of the19th century, that is, the Victorian era, so English afternoon tea was also called "Victorian afternoon tea", which was just a unique lifestyle of British aristocrats at that time.

English afternoon tea was initiated by Annamaria, Duchess of Bedford, England. At that time, lunch time was much earlier, while dinner usually started after 8 pm. Mrs. Bedford often gets bored at four or five o'clock in the afternoon, thinking that it will be a while before she can have a formal and complicated dinner. She feels a little hungry, so she asks the maid to prepare some bread, cream and tea for afternoon tea.

Mrs Bedford enjoyed drinking tea very much. Later, she often invited several intimate friends to have tea, eat exquisite snacks and enjoy a relaxing afternoon. Unexpectedly, this became a fashion in the aristocratic social circle at that time, and ladies and gentlemen rushed to follow suit. Later, it spread all over Europe and became one of the characteristics of European catering culture. This is the origin of Victorian (English) afternoon tea.