High tea? Not really

SUSAN LATEMPA referred to “the rituals of high tea” in her restaurant review (“Tea Time’s Hot Again, March 22), using the phrase to describe an extravagant afternoon tea spread. However, “high tea” is actually a working class evening meal.

From the website TeaMuse (www.teamuse.com): “During the Industrial Revolution, working families would come home around 6 p.m. for dinner. Meat, bread and butter, cheese, pickles and, of course, tea would usually be served (not the dainty finger sandwiches, scones and pastries of afternoon tea). The moniker ‘high tea’ actually arose due to the fact that it was eaten at a high, dining table rather than the low tea tables.”

MELISSA WEAVER

Los Angeles