What could be more quintessentially British than the delightful Cream Tea? Be it a Devon Cream Tea or a Cornish Cream Tea.
The dainty porcelain teacups, a pot of freshly brewed English Breakfast tea, fluffy scones so delicate that they crumble slightly as you take a delicious bite, and finished with a lavish dollop of clotted cream accompanied by some homemade strawberry jam. This, of course, is the magic of an English Cream Tea. A tradition observed for centuries that still makes its way into British culture today!
Cream Tea can be traced all the way back to the 11th century when tea was introduced to England by Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese queen of Charles II. However, the concept of Cream Tea as we know it today took root in the 19th century, during the Victorian era. It was a time when the idea of enjoying afternoon tea became an art form, and the practice of indulging in scones, clotted cream, and jam became the pinnacle of English sophistication. With its origins primarily in the southwestern counties of Cornwall and Devon, the Cream Tea tradition gradually spread across the United Kingdom, where it is still widely enjoyed today.
