I mentioned cream teas a couple of days ago, and was asked to provide more details. It seems that the concept of the cream tea hasn’t travelled to America, which is surprising as it contains a lot of fat and sugar, which are what I consider to be two of the main ingredients in American food. Looking at the Wiki entry for clotted cream it seems it would be classed as butter in the USA, which would really confuse things.
The cream tea as we know it dates back to the 1850s, according to the Cream Tea Society. Other sources cite dates of 1931 and even 1964. The latter date is cited by the OED, and I can’t say they’ve exactly covered themselves in glory in this case. I’m sure I’ve seen references to them in the 1920s and 30s (whilst reading classic crime novels and I will make a note when I next see a reference – I haven’t made one before because I didn’t realise I would ever need the information.
There are even references going back to the 10th century.
My mother, who worked in a farm tea shop at weekends in the dim and distant past, remembered making cream teas well before 1964.
The normal cream tea consists of scones, strawberry jam, clotted cream and tea. There is a traditional Cornish version which uses Cornish splits, but I’ve never actually seen one. In the south west I’ve often had it with plain scones, though in the rest of the country it’s usually a fruit scone.
I’ve also had other jam, and in fact I do like apricot jam with my cream tea.
There’s no such latitude with the cream. Cornish Clotted Cream is a protected product and can only be made in Cornwall from milk produced in Cornwall.
As for the tea to accompany it, I noted that at TESCO you can pay extra and have it with coffee. I’m not sure why, but my view of coffee is not a positive one. Any beverage that is improved by passing through the digestive tract of a weasel is not really one for me.
That just leaves one area to cover – cream first with jam on top (Devon style) or jam first with cream on top (Cornish style). Debrett’s says jam first and cream on top.
It’s like the milk in first debate – there is no right answer.
Note that they serve it with jam on top. In reality the jam provided with the cream tea has no chunks of fruit in it, so doesn’t look quite so attractive.
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I loved cream in tea. Unfortunately, I cannot have dairy anymore. Fortunately, there are plenty of other good things about. I do miss the creamed tea though!
Sorry to hear that. Though there are other things to eat they never seem quite as attractive as the forbidden food do they?
I’ve learned to adjust… 🙂
I can drink milk and eat cheese in moderation. If I overdo it my IBS cuts in and teaches me a lesson. I would miss cheese if I ever had to cut out dairy
For me it is the inherent growth factors in milk and eggs. I tend to grow tumors.
I’ve never heard of that, but it sounds a very good reason for avoiding milk and eggs.
Some of my favorite memories of traveling through the Somerset are cream teas. We were told the more handmade the sign in front of the house, the better the clotted cream. True!
Cream Tea Society? I think I found my tribe!
That sounds a good way of measuring the quality of cream teas. We may have to write it into the society constitution. 🙂
Last week, work was promoting health and wellbeing, so I popped along to the fitness suite at the sport centre to be weighed and measured for muscles vs. various types of body fat. It would appear that I need to lose 9kg (don’t ask me how much that is in numbers I understand, partly because they might be bigger) from my tummy. Not sure how I can order my body to take it from there instead of say the arms or face but I guess I need to cut down on cream and jam.
I’m not really the man for advice on health and weight loss, but I agree that metric measurements do seem smaller. 🙂
However, I do envy you just having a few kg to shift.
Well, thank you!
🙂
A couple of thoughts.
If I make it, it is jam first then cream. If someone is making them for me I don’t care as I will eat them regardless.
There are three ways of pronouncing the word “Scone” in the UK, in the USA they pronounce it “Biscuit” So if they look at you as though you are a cent short of a dime that is the reason why.
Yes, I glossed over the abomination that is “biscuits and gravy”. 🙂
I expect somewhere in this big country there are cream teas, but they are not common, and I have never seen one advertised. Thanks for the explanation. Sounds luscious and my mouth was watering as I read this. Also, we Americans, despite our growing waistlines, do eat vegetables and fruit. From time to time. Some of us even have gardens 😉
You now have all the information you need to make your own – I will look forward to seeing the photographs!
🙂
Oh, my! The pressure is on!
Only gentle pressure. 🙂
Now we are in striking distance of the two counties a bit of research might be in order 🙂
You and Jackie would be a welcome addition to the Cream Tea Research Group. 🙂
🙂 We’ll begin making our contributions as the opportunity arises
I look forward to it. 🙂
No cream teas in the US? Explains a lot. Is it necessary to explain High Teas to our American cousins, and if so where do I sign up?
Do you mean “explain” or “demonstrate”? 🙂
And the best thing about it is that the whole meal comes in at less then 200 calories.
I’m going to have to recheck my arithmetic… 🙂
You’re hilarious. And clotted cream with scones? The best.
Thank you. 🙂
I love having cream teas, especially with really crusty, yellow clotted cream. heaven!
Yes, they are hard to beat. 🙂