Tea Time, 101

Tea Time around here is something serious, as I'm learning. And, I'm learning the differences in how you take your tea, what you eat with your tea, and where you take your tea. This book (above) is on loan to me from a dear new English friend and co-worker, and it lists all of the various 'biscuits' you can eat with your tea. A new phenomonen, to be sure, as I was under the most certain impression that tea was taken with scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam--like from the adorable Muffin Man cafe here in Kensington or at the wonderful Wolseley in Picadilly. Those, too, are proper tea experiences, but they find themselves under the heading of 'high tea.' So, the 'biscuits' (not buttermilk biscuits) are taken with every day tea, or from what I've observed, 'several-times-a-day-tea.'
Where to take your tea/what to take it with: high tea is usually taken out. Taken with sandwiches sans crust: think cucumber and cream cheese. Next course: heavenly scones topped with lighter-than-air clotted cream and sweet red jams. Finale: little desserts wrapped in paper that looks like it came from the Crane stationary company it's so beautiful.However, every-day tea is taken, well, everywhere. In any kind of cup or mug, and usually with a tea bag and a few drops of semi-skim milk. The English don't seem to use as much sugar as their American friends.
The 'biscuit': Think a little sugary, barely sweet wafer, cracker, but not a cookie. They are delicious. And, come to find out after reading through this book, cleary defined boundaries divide the wide ranging family of biscuits. Choose from ginger, jam-filled, morning coffees, digestives, and chocolate ones (the best, obviously).

A whole new world has been opened to me.
Here's to tea.

Ps--please note the author's names. Hilarious. Maybe Brian can be known as 'Nicey' and I'll be 'Wifey.' haha.