There are few British cultural traditions from which I gain any pleasure or in which I have any interest at all, however, one that I am more than happy to indulge in is possibly one of the most traditional and truly British of them all…cream tea!
The fundamental content of a British tea couldn’t be simpler. A cup of tea, a scone, clotted cream and strawberry jam! Obviously there are variations on this classic combination including using whipped cream as a simple and cheap substitute to the far superior clotted version, or mixing it up with a different type of jam. Personally, being a creature with a small aversion to change in the things I know to be good a certain way, I find it difficult to sway from convention…but on the right day and under the right circumstances I can be convinced to go with a good quality homemade raspberry jam instead. That is absolutely as far from the norm as I am comfortable to push myself. One aspect of this age-old British classic that does divide those that choose to partake pertains to perhaps the most banal feature of the construction…which goes on the scone first…the cream or the jam?! This may seem like an insignificant and potentially even irrelevant question but it is one that divides a nation. For a Devonian cream tea, tradition states that one must begin with the cream and crown this with a dollop of jam. The Cornish alternative prefers jam topped with a generous spoon cream. Interesting…or perhaps not so much! To add more controversy to this incredibly important (irrelevant) debate the earliest documented references to cream tea are sited from Devon, thus suggesting that the more traditional preparation of this painfully traditional British classic would be the Devonian cream and then jam method! HOWEVER, since this tradition has become a bit of a phenomenon and one which tourists delight in in tearooms the world over it is actually the Cornish method of jam and then cream that has reigned supreme! Should a visitor to London choose to go for afternoon tea at any of the cities wonderfully old school English establishments and ask what the best way to serve their cream tea would be the answer will almost unquestionably be…the jam and then the cream. So there you have it, the pointless question that divides a nation. Whilst sipping your cup of English breakfast tea, served in a pot and consumed out of a bone china cup complete with saucer, should you delicately place a hearty serving of clotted cream on your lovely warm fresh baked scone and then apply the sweet and delightful strawberry jam or should you start with the jam and the complete the masterful creation with a spoon of cream?! The decision is yours and yours alone! Personally, I’m not really fussed! As long as all of the elements are there and they taste good my affiliation to either Devon or Cornwall is of little importance, just give me the scone, cream and jam and I am a happy camper!
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Follow us on Instagram or send us a messageAbout Foodie FridaysWe love food, as most people do! And when we are on the road this doesn't change. We, like many people, believe that food is one of the best ways to really get to know a culture and it's people, as so much about the way people live their lives around the world is centred around food. This means that when we travel we actively seek out the local foods and delicacies. Sometimes that comes in the form of unusual and exotic produce from markets and sometimes from street food vendors serving an array of barbecued, fried, steamed or entirely indistinguishable goodies. Having tried and tested these goodies for some time now, on our adventures around Asia, Europe, North and South America we have discovered some pretty wonderful treats that we have decided should earn a bit of publicity. So, as the working week drifts away and the weekend winks at you like a naughty temptress we will share with you one of the delights that we have encountered from around the world! We hope you enjoy reading about these as much as we enjoyed eating them! Archives
October 2017
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