It cannot be argued that the British have had a cross-cultural impact on the way we view tea. Indeed, the act of drinking tea itself has been ingrained in British culture, and stereotyping. But all that fuss has to come from somewhere.

Many readers will already be aware that Tea, in the UK and much of the commonwealth, can either refer to the drink itself, to afternoon tea, or as an entire meal itself (similar to Supper, which is not to be confused with Dinner, of course). The preferred flavor of tea is English Breakfast, or Earl Grey. Top brands are PK Tips (the #1 selling tea in England), Tetley and Barry’s Tea (from Ireland).

Of course, you can always just brew a pot and enjoy a cuppa* or you can experience the fun, relaxing, delicious pastime known as Afternoon Tea. You might also know this as High Tea or a Tea Party. This can range from a high-class fancy event, to a simple gathering at your kitchen table. If you’re looking to go out and experience Tea at a swanky restaurant, or Tea Room, let me tell you what you can expect.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with my mother at The Added Touch Tea Room in Downtown Oakville to enjoy some wonderful tea, sandwiches and treats. Usually you’ll get to select your tea type (which can range anywhere from English Breakfast to Moroccan Mint) and order up your selected snacks. I went for the Complete Tea which included several bite-sized sandwiches (cucumber, smoked salmon and apple cheddar), scones with preserves and Devonshire cream, and tarts (treacle chocolate and lemon).

The tea was steeped to perfection in my own pot and enjoyed spooning my sugar using tiny silver spoons. Quite delightful.

The meal was wonderful. I was even more excited to hear that after we left the Tea Room was closing for a private event - and 11 year old’s birthday party! I couldn’t think of a more fantastic way to celebrate a birthday, or any special occasion.

If you’re looking to go out with friends or family to celebrate something special - it’s not hard to find a local tea room near you. A great way to begin looking for a place that serves tea (whether it be the formal British way, or more urban or casual spots), is by checking out both TeaMap.com (for USA) and TeaGuide.net (Worldwide).

However, I think the best way to dip your toes into enjoying this tradition is by setting up your own Tea Party at home, with a few friends or family. Don’t be intimidated by the preparation that you might think is involved, it’s really quite simple and the enjoyment for effort is absolutely worth it.

All you’ll need, really, is a Tea Pot, a few cups, and a minute or to to put together some snacks. You can honestly choose whatever you think your guests will enjoy. While tarts, dainty sandwiches and scones are traditional feel free to think outside the box. Cookies, Fresh Fruit, or even Cupcakes would be very welcome at the Tea table.

If you do want to serve traditional fare, you might find this page of Tea Sandwich Recipes to be helpful, or this one for Scones. Finally, I found this site which has lots more information about traditional Tea Time and different sorts of parties and ideas to enjoy this pastime, on OldFashionedLiving.com, but don’t let that endorsement fool you into thinking Tea is just for grannies - with exotic and unique blends of tea entering the marketplace so much recently, I suspect that taking the time to enjoy a few cups of tea and some snack with friends will be very popular with both the young and older alike, and can be traced back to this fine British Tradition.

That’s not to say that England has cornered the market on Tea - quite the opposite. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Tea Traditions Series where TheRoamingLife Co-Author Angelina will introduce you to another form of enjoying Tea - in the Far East.