[tigerlily]

Coming from America, were morning coffee is the norm, I would like to know more about how to do teatime.

What time do you do tea?
What types of tea are acceptable?
Do you make a pot or do you stick tea bags in each person's mug? Or do I have to use china?
What does one eat with tea? Does it need to be sweet? Or does it need to be those little sandwiches with no crust and an unidentifiable substance inside?
How is it done at an office, compared to at home on Sunday?
Compare and contrast English teatime with Kiwi teatime.

Can you tell that I am a former school teacher?

[jo b]

Wow
tigerlilly are you a virgo by any chance!!:)

I just stick a teabag in my mug and take it from there. I have to say the I have more than just one cuppa in a morning more like 3-4 taken anytime am not just at set times.

Jo

[marcia]

In our house 'teatime' is about 5.30 pm and not a 'pg tip' in sight, this is feeding time at the ZOO.

I have the kettle on at the drop of the hat for a cuppa, must admit I like to have a couple of dunky biccy's at the same time, probably why we go through so many. I make it in a cup if it's just for me but more than one and I do it in a teapot.
We do use mugs, but I like mine in fine bone china mugs,it does taste better (these are my special ones they don't get given out to anyone else, bought for me by my boys!) My Grandma always used bone china cups and saucers though, and had maderia cake with a smearing of icing on top!!!!!!!!!!!!! YuMMMMMM :)

[selchie]

When we were in NZ, my tea-drinking OH couldn't find a decent brand of tea. She nearly gagged on Dilma's (sp?) product, which seemed de rigeur in the restaurants & supermarket. It made Farmer Brother's taste downright delish. I hope that something better shows up before we move there, or we'll have to bring in a few kilos of Republic of Tea's Earl Gray.

Isn't teatime generally a light afternoon repast to tide you over from lunch to dinner? I recall in England that dinner (at the pubs & restaurants) usually occurred after 7:00, which played hell with my dining clock.

Cream Tea - ooh, yummy! It seemed to be served around 2:00 or 3:00, and consisted of tea, scones, jam and Devonshire cream. Definitely not low fat.

Otherwise, I've heard that sandwiches might be eaten with tea sometime during the afternoon.

[clg]

From what I have seen of teas here is that they tend to be fairly informal, though I am sure there are formal ones. Most of mine have been at work. We trade off brining things in and these range from doughnuts to muffins, crackers, various sugary things and cheese. Have to say though that among the people I know coffee is much more popular than tea about 2/3 coffee drinkers and 1/3 tea while we have 'tea'.

[Do B Brief]

If your talking to a Brit then Tea Time is your evening meal gathered around the table about 5.30-7.00 at the latest :yes

If your talking about a cuppa tea time then any time is good. A pot, a cup who cares as long as it's a decent brew :cheers

My wife has found Choysa Green to be the best brand for a nice cuppa after doing the rounds with the other tea bags that taste like cats pee.

But saying that, 10am is the standard morning tea or teab break etc. Have a biscuit and if you're like me, dip it in yer brew :nice1

[Moorf]

Twinings' Earl Grey or Breakfast :nice1 (yep, you can get it in NZ) - okay dunked, but better in a pot! Gotta have something to dunk - preferably something that will break off mid-dunk so you can slurp the goo out at the end of the cuppa :D or something like a Tim Tam that you can use as a straw (eh Jubjub!!).

[gil]

Tigerlily, you're bringing the schoolmarm out in me now! (Not that I've ever actually been a teacher!!:laugh ). All the above are correct, and here's my take on it all:

Morning tea-break depends what time you start work, but usually 10.30 in my experience. This is tea or coffee, but still referred to as "tea break".
Afternoon tea in UK between 3.00-4.30 pm (called "le five o'clock" in France where it is not so common!). In the olden days (or at the Ritz nowadays if you can afford it) it consisted of cucumber sandwiches and fancy cakes with tea to drink (not breakfast tea though).
"Teatime" is the main meal for most Brits at about 6 (plus or minus an hour), called Dinner by some and Supper by yet others. Most people I know don't drink tea with this one.
Tea as a beverage is drunk throughout the day, sometimes with, sometimes without food.
When I was little, I was always told that it was rude to dip (dunk) biscuits in your tea or coffee. No-one I know has ever let this stop them. I am so looking forward to using Tam-Tams as a straw.:D

Hope you're enjoying all this tea information!!
Gil

[Moorf]

When I was little, I was always told that it was rude to dip (dunk) biscuits in your tea or coffee.



Oh yes!! It was a treat to be allowed to dunk - but dunking chocolate biccies (or even choc coated!!) was strictly forbidden!! Hence why I now dunk anything I can (and stay up late even if I'm tired :D ). :laugh

[jubjub]

I am so looking forward to using Tam-Tams as a straw.:D



You can pppppractice with a ppppppenguin

Apparently cadbury fingers work well too...

[K&CS]

Best thing to dunk in tea is kit-kats without a doubt, but I will dunk almost anything in tea in their absense! Just to confuse matters more, where I come from, your lunch is your dinner and dinner is tea. Clear as mud?

Kate

[marcia]

Guess what i found at Tesco's today???

Arnott's Tim Tam chewy caramel biscuits. :laugh

I picked them up and Ayrton said 'what are they mum' i replied choccy biccies all the way from New Zealand' he thought that was really strange!!

Anyway will try them later with a nice hot cuppa to dunk them in - will let you know my verdict!

[katandbob]

Mmmm I have some tesco vouchers.....I'll do some research into the taste of tea-time NZ style. (usually Drk Choc Digestives for dunkin) :laugh
On my Job interview, I was told that my bosses expect cuppas on a regular basis....& they weren't kiddin....if I leave it too long I get little hints such as "Boy its as dry as the Sahara in ere" (I get through 2L milk in 2/3 days and theres 5 people in the office!) :cheers

[Simon & Emily]

Do you think you guys all scared Tigerlilly off? :laugh :laugh :laugh

Dinner in our house can be either lunch time (12 noon - 2:00pm) or tea-time (early evening, or if you're like me and sometimes don't eat with the children it's not unknown to start cooking at 10:30 or 11 at night :no ).

Then you can also have tea as a light snack at anytime between 2:00pm - 6:00pm, depending on what other meals are planned/ life has thrown at you.

As for the stuff you drink, I don't personally partake in either tea or coffee, but as far as eveyone else I know, any time is a good time for a hot brew.

Emily

[jubjub]

I had heard they now do tim tams in Tesco, from a kiwi living in London!

the caramel ones are nice, but the original ones take some beating..

[tigerlily]

Sorry- no I was not scared off, just in a totally different time zone. I'm on the west coast of the USA, so that makes me closer to NZ time than UK time. Also, I'm not a virgo, but I've been married to one for 8 years, so I can expect that a bit might have rubbed off on me.

I'm happy to know that there is so much confusion when it comes to tea time. To celebrate I've just had a nice cup of my "British Breakfast" tea with my lunch.

I think I read in the now totally outdated book "How to Get Lost and Found in New Zealand" about the couple who wrote it being totally overwhelmed with the cookie aisle at the market. Americans are used to be overwhelmed by all the choices at the supermarket to this really tells me that Kiwis take their snacks seriously.

[selchie]

Just to confuse matters more, where I come from, your lunch is your dinner and dinner is tea. Clear as mud?
The way I learned it, "dinner" is the big meal of the day, whether it is at lunchtime, suppertime or teatime. Farmers tend to eat heartily around noon, and "city folks" tend to have dinner in the evening. Leastways they used to.

[Avalon]

The best "Afternoon Tea" ive ever had is from Raffles in Singapore. Not exactly an "english" afternoon tea - but the principle is the same. The tea itself is actually pretty good, served as oftena s you like, and the coffee is excellent. Served in China Tea cups. The food is a buffet (unless you go to the bar, then its on a 3 tier cake stand as is traditional. The food consists of lots of different pastries, finger sandwiches and cakes - but where it differs hugely from "English Afternoon Tea" is that much of the food is asian (the Curry Puffs are to die for!)

Dublin is a great city for English style afternnon tea - I had my firts experience of one in a grand hotel on St Stevens Green. And the oriental Cafe version isnt bad either.

Here - I drink coffee (its so good!). I have yet to find anywhere that does Afternoon Tea" here. I want to take a friend to one - shes German and the whole thing is a mystery to her!

Coffee breaks or tea breaks at work seem frequent and long - and certainly at Telecom it wasnt unusual for people to pop along to a cafe for meetings (or to winge about the boss in private!)

My mum hates the Tea here - but that was before we found PG tips. Dad has sent out loads of yourkshire tea (PG is only available in bags and he wont touch them). Breakfast Tea just doesnt do it - but for those who also do not like Breakfast Tea - if you change to Ceylon its more like "Bog Standard UK TEA" (if you know what I mean).

Me - I now dring Decaf Long Blacks with Pouring cream or for a treat - a Flat White. If I could eat cake - Id have a gloriusly squidgy chocolate cake to go with it!

[tigerlily]

Curry Puffs are real? I've clearly been living a sheltered life!

[Avalon]

Curry Puffs are real? I've clearly been living a sheltered life!

Think pastry with a curry filling! Tiny things - but then the secret to Afternoon Tea is finger food - so everything has to small and dainty! (Like me :laugh )

[marcia]

Well the jury has been out over night, :exit (digesting the tim tams :laugh )

and a unanimous (sp) verdict had been reached (there were two of us Me and Kev - haven't let the kids have any yet!)

TIM TAMS ARE GREAT :raebanana

They are a bit like penguins, but much nicer.
Now I don't normally dunk choccy biccies, (hob nobs and rick tea's usually) but on the advice of others here I took the plunge,

and they were yummy. :clap

[Moorf]

But did you make them into straws?? !! :)

[Singel]

Ok, after all the British and American style, here come the Dutch style.
When we were in Holland, we went to my in-laws' house every Sunday for tea from 3pm to 5pm.

This is the Dutch way of having tea ............

My MIL will have red wine.
My FIL will have brandy.
My OH will have beer.
My OH's sister will have white wine.
My OH's brother-in-law will have beer
My OH's nephew and nieces will have cokes.
I will have a nice cup of either Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea (alcohol is not my cup of tea :laugh )

Now, we are in NZ, my hubby drinks tea instead of beer during our tea time..........

[bluenickie13]

Do I care what time I drink my tea??? I do not!!! as and when, the more i drink, the less my head hurts... tell me dear reader.. DO THEY SELL TETLEY(in NZ), as it is the ONLY tea in the world that is worthy!

[Avalon]

I have actually seen tetley here - so you should be OK! (Note - they dont sell Decaf - though I get the impression you would rather chop your head off than drink decaf tea?????)

Im afraid I havent got a price for you - its not on my list - I was looking for decaff for my Mum.

[Alex]

Have a look on

http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/

These guys have turned drinking tea and dunking biscuits into something of a pasttime...errrmm more like obsession! :D

Here's one: Do you reuse the tea bag or are they strictly single use?!

[Avalon]

Strictly Single Use!

[Alex]

Strictly Single Use!
Yay, definately! The chaps in the book say the opposite and given the crushing the weight of some of their arguments I didn't dare argue!

[bluenickie13]

Phhhhhhheeeeeeeewwwwwwweeeeeee! Ok so that's it... aint no stoppin us now! were on the move, I have THE most essential ingredience.. O/H, son, Broadband, sky and now me Tetley.. Submitting EOI this month.
Thank you