Cream tea

Cream tea

A cream tea, comprising tea taken with scones, clotted cream and jam.
Origin
Alternative name(s)	Devonshire tea, Cornish cream tea
Place of origin	England
Region or state	South West England
Details
Serving temperature	Tea: hot Scones: warm Jam & cream: ambient
Main ingredient(s)	Tea, scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam
Variations	Multiple
Approximate calories per serving	High

Cream tea in Boscastle, Cornwall, prepared according to the "Devon method".

A cream tea (also known as a Devonshire tea, Devon cream tea or Cornish cream tea) is tea taken with a combination of scones, clotted cream, and jam.

Cream teas are offered for sale in tea rooms throughout the United Kingdom (especially South West England) and the rest of the Commonwealth, or wherever someone wants to give an impression of British influence.^{[citation needed]}

History

The name "Devonshire tea" comes from the county of Devon in England, where it is a local speciality. The exact origin of "cream tea" is disputed, although there is evidence to suggest that the tradition of eating bread with cream and jam already existed at Tavistock Abbey in Devon in the 11th century.

Variations

There are regional variations as to how a cream tea should preferably be eaten. The Devonshire (or Devon) method is to split the scone in two, cover each half with clotted cream, and then add strawberry jam on top. Traditionally it is important that the scones be warm (ideally, freshly baked), and that clotted (rather than whipped) cream and strawberry jam, rather than any other variety, are used. Butter is generally not included, and the tea should be served with milk.

In Cornwall, the cream tea was traditionally served with a "Cornish split", a type of slightly sweet white bread roll, rather than a scone. It is now rare to find this available commercially, except in Cornwall; splits are still used by many Cornish families in their own homes. The warm roll (or scone) is first buttered, then spread with strawberry jam, and finally topped with a spoonful of clotted cream. Scones are rarely buttered in commercially available teas.

Where clotted cream is not available, whipped cream is sometimes used as a substitute. Another variation to a cream tea is called "Thunder and Lightning" which consists of a round of bread, topped with clotted cream and golden syrup, honey or treacle.

Protected status

In May 2010, a campaign was launched at the Devon County Show to have the name "Devon cream tea" protected within the European Union under Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) rules. The campaign was launched following discussion on BBC Radio Devon.

See also

• Afternoon tea
• Tea party (social gathering)
• Tea sandwich

Further reading

• Smillie, Susan (20 May 2010). "It's scone wrong". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
• Kirby, Terry (6 Nov 2009). "Jam or cream first? The great scone debate ...". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
• "How do you take your cream tea?". BBC Cornwall (BBC). 9 June 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2011.