This afternoon, in the drizzle, Nong Tianyi, Wang Ziwei and Nong Tianqin drank black tea together.

Nong Tianyi had tasted and experienced it in Hankou Foreign Bank, and he gestured that an orthodox English afternoon tea should be eaten like this.

Nong Tianqin was very strange, so she asked: "Brother, tell me quickly, how can the Englishman with a high nose and blue eyes eat?" ”

In order to understand the English afternoon tea, Nong Tianyi also specially explored, and he opened the conversation: the concept of "afternoon tea" of the British royal family originated in England in 1840. This was because there was a duchess who was hungry before dinner time in the afternoon. The ritual slowly became more elaborate, and she invited her friends to enjoy it, and soon everyone in high society was having "afternoon tea" from 3 to 5 p.m.

Nong Tianyi said with a smile, the colder it is, the more a person wants to drink a warm afternoon tea? That's the story about afternoon tea.

Wang Ziwei asked, "What time should it start?" ”

Nong Tianyi answered: The most orthodox time for afternoon tea is four o'clock in the afternoon. In the old estates, the English aristocracy lived a life of a rich breakfast, little lunch, and dinner at 8 o'clock, so they usually needed to eat some dessert at 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon every day to satisfy their hunger.

Traditionally, the desserts used by the nobles for afternoon tea were placed on a table as high as the armchairs, a little lower than the main dining table.

It is usually enjoyed at the high table in the dining room, and has since become popular among the general public, as dinner usually starts as early as 8 o'clock, and is a pre-dinner snack to replenish energy after a tiring day.

Wang Ziwei continued to ask: "How many layers are there in that device?" What's on each floor? ”

Nong Tianyi said with a smile, this is exquisite. The authentic English afternoon tea is served on a three-tiered porcelain pastry plate, with sandwiches on the first floor, traditional English pastries on the second floor, and cakes and fruit tarts on the third floor.

This is the specific order, from the top down, or from the bottom to the top?

Nong Tianyi took a sip of tea and said: In the order, from light to heavy, it is generally eaten from the bottom to the top. In terms of taste, from salty to sweet, the refreshments are eaten in the order of "sandwiches→ scones→ pastries".

There is also a way to eat. Scones are eaten with a knife cut in half, coated with jam and clotted cream, and eaten with your hands instead of a knife and fork. Apply the jam first, then the cream, and then the next bite.

And then there's how to drink. Wang Ziwei asked, "Is that the tea added first or the milk poured first?" ”

When adding milk to tea, remember to pour the tea before adding milk. The reason is that it is more appropriate to judge how much milk to put according to the strength of the tea.

They thought it made sense, so they let out an "oh".

Next is the tea selection. Nong Tianqin asked, "Then what kind of tea should I choose?" ”

Afternoon tea is generally made with pure tea, such as Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Ceylon tea, etc. However, with the popularity of afternoon tea, flower tea and milk tea are also often used as afternoon tea.

Etiquette also has a bright hall, Nong Tianyi asked and answered himself, how to put the napkin? How to be particular about holding a teacup?

After the tea drinker sits down, the napkin is placed on his lap, and if he gets up temporarily, the napkin can be placed on the chair at will.

When stirring with a teaspoon, make sure that the teaspoon moves back and forth on the side of the cup and does not stir up a whirlpool. There is also a cup and saucer that are a pair and must not be separated.

There is also a way to wear clothes, Nong Tianyi asked himself, what should men and women wear to participate?

It depends on the occasion, in general, women should wear feminine clothes, shoes should be classic ballet flats or elegant low heels, and men should wear shirts.

When Nong Tianqin heard this, he said strangely, "This English afternoon tea is really troublesome to drink." ”

Nong Tian replied that trouble is trouble, but drinking an elegant afternoon tea like the Queen of England is a kind of enjoyment that ordinary British people look forward to.

Nong Tianyi smiled and said to the two of them that Queen Elizabeth II is the most loyal fan of afternoon tea, and this eating habit of eating small and frequent meals has become one of the secrets of her staying in shape. If you have a busy afternoon, you might as well follow the example of the Queen of England, drink afternoon tea elegantly, chat with your girlfriends about gossip, and slim down and beautify your body, why not?

Nong Tianyi continued: English afternoon tea, the golden brewing rules that need to be mastered.

Nong Tianqin was very interested, and hurriedly said, "Brother, then you hurry up." ”

Nong Tianyi took a sip of black tea and said with a smile, the first thing is to choose tea: English afternoon tea usually uses more classic black tea, such as Darjeeling black tea, Ceylon Highland black tea, Earl Grey tea, etc.

The second is the warm pot and warm cup: let the tea set itself have a certain temperature, so as to ensure that the boiling water is not instantly cooled down when poured into the teapot.

Optimal ratio: 6 grams of tea leaves with 450 ml of fresh boiling water, brew for 3 minutes.

Then there is filtration: use a tea drain to filter out the tea residue before drinking, and only drink the first brew.

Add milk without sugar: Pour the milk at room temperature into the teacup first, and then pour in the black tea, the milk can reduce the temperature of the tea and neutralize the bitter taste of the tea. The reason why milk was added first was also because the porcelain at that time was very precious, but the production process was not as sophisticated as it is now, and I was worried that the hot tea would cause the teacup to break.

Nong Tian smiled and said: If the tea set is good, you can ask your lips.

The two of them had a good time.

Nong Tianyi said with great experience that no matter whether you experience a perfect English afternoon tea or not, a set of exquisite afternoon tea sets is indispensable. The number of tea sets needs to be determined according to the number of tea drinkers, but teapots, teacups, milk cups, personal snack plates, snack stands, silver tea spoons, cream knives, cake forks...... These things are all indispensable. Especially the tea cup, it must be open, the mouth is large, the bottom of the cup is small, which is more conducive to the emanation of the fragrance of black tea, and the arc of the open mouth is more suitable for the lips, increasing the comfort, you must know that the lower lip is the second most sensitive part of the human body, which can bring a better tea drinking experience.

The traditional English afternoon tea, this is because the Victorian aristocracy's afternoon tea was served at a low table in the living room, starting at 4 p.m. and continuing until dinner, because it is a supplement before the main meal, so the tea is also more delicate and light.

The so-called common people's last meal of the day, usually from 6 p.m., is served at an ordinary table, in a simpler form, but the amount of refreshments is more abundant.

Wang Ziwei became interested: "Then how to experience the traditional British afternoon tea?" ”

Nong Tianyi said: From the bottom up, from salty to sweet.

Today, in the face of this three-tier dim sum shelf, of course, you can choose your favorite dim sum to your heart's content. But if you want to experience a traditional English afternoon tea, you still have to follow the rule of eating from the bottom up: from salty to sweet, from light to heavy, in the progressive taste, the taste buds are gradually awakened. And the sandwiches and croissants on the bottom layer are really like the main course of an afternoon tea dinner, where you can refuel a little before savoring the delicate desserts.

Knowing a little etiquette can create a sense of ritual. English afternoon tea is a popular fashion from aristocratic social circles, and it lasts from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., so it takes so long to pass the time, which naturally derives all kinds of complicated etiquette and details.

Venue selection: It must be the most beautiful and luxurious room in the house.

Table setting: embroidered or lace tablecloth, flower arrangement, bone china tea set, silver teaspoon...... No one is missing.

Nong Tian demonstrated while talking: for example, holding the cup: elegantly pinch the handle of the cup with your index finger and thumb, and directly hold the teacup, not the teacup tray; Stirred teaspoons, do not stand upright in the teacup.

Meals: Snacks taken from the snack stand should not be placed directly in the mouth, but placed in a special snack plate before eating.

To taste in small bites, you should first cut it from the middle with a knife, and when you cut 3/4 of the way, peel it with your hands, apply the jam first, then the cream, the amount should not be too large, and then apply the next bite after eating.

So, with a three-tiered dim sum rack, is it English afternoon tea? Not necessarily.

The three-tiered dim sum stand is a classic symbol of traditional English afternoon tea. If you want to know if the afternoon tea in front of you is authentic, you need to see if the dim sum is arranged according to certain specifications: from the bottom to the top, the first layer is filled with a variety of savory sandwiches and croissants; The second layer is English scones, cream and jam are indispensable; The third layer is a variety of sweet handmade biscuits, petit fours and fruit tarts.

Nong Tianyi finally said that there are two things that must not be missing, one is the gherkin sandwich, in the Victorian era, fresh gherkins can only be cultivated in the greenhouse, so cucumbers belong to the nobility, which is very in line with the spirit of afternoon tea with the most precious food to entertain guests; The other is scones, the most traditional British pastry, which looks hard but tastes very fluffy.

Wang Ziwei said, "It's really cumbersome, and you have to experience it yourself." Nong Tianqin hurriedly said, "That's it, that's it." ”

Nong Tianyi looked at the two of them and said, "If you have the opportunity to go to Hankou to experience it, it won't be done."

They said, "Then we'll wait." ”