Talk:Cream tea

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Contents 1 Cream tea or Devonshire tea? 2 Cream Tea is International 3 Requested image 4 Other regional variations 5 Cucumber Sandwiches part of a cream tea? 6 Cream/Jam 6.1 Jam first 7 997 A.D.? 8 Never heard of "thunder and lightning" and I'm British

[edit] Cream tea or Devonshire tea?

Am I the only one who has a problem with the main entry for Cream Tea being at Devonshire tea? If no one objects I'm going to reverse this; Devonshire Tea should redirect to Cream tea, not the other way around. It's always called Devonshire tea in Australia, but it's English, after all and that's not what it's called in England! Quill 07:41, 12 August 2005 (UTC)

I agree, lived in Devon for 15 years and never heard it referred to as "Devonshire tea", always "cream tea". (anonymous)

agreed. I got into a minor war with some Australian/NZ editors on this a year or so ago, but I am clearer now about the rules - where a topic has a definite geographical locus, the local name should take priority. seglea 04:22, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Cream Tea is International

The idea that Cream Tea indicates British culture or British pretensions is not true in many parts of the Commonwealth. Although its origins are generally identified with Britain, in places such as Australia, it is thought of as a pastoral Commonwealth tradition, not a specifically British one.

It is more accurate, therefore, to identify Cream Tea with the Commonwealth than GB in particular.

Seconded, cream tea's a concept more reminiscent of britishness, rather than britain. Tomythius 22:00, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Cornish cream teas are NOT served on a bread roll. And they are referred to as simply a "cream tea" among locals. A "Cornish" cream tea appears on menus in tourist towns to promote the idea of authentic "Cornish-ness". The same thing occurs with the Cornish pasty, locally it is just a pasty.

As someone who grew up in rural Cornwall and frequently worked on a farm as a kid, I can confirm that they are indeed traditionally served with splits (soft rolls). Cornish farm teas (the huge spreads served by the farmer's wife to the workers at the end of a hard day, not the overpriced fare marketed to tourists, which do come with scones) invariably came with splits filled with cream and jam (along with pasties and many other things). -- Necrothesp 17:26, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

I'll add my name to the list of people who can confirm that cream teas in Cornwall are traditionally served with splits, i.e. soft-ish bread rolls, not scones. Scones are really a cream-tea-shop-tourist affectation. Bretonbanquet 20:42, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Scones are pretty much the norm, at least outside of cornwall. I think "cream-tea-shop-tourist affectation" is an exaggeration - while in tourism hotspots, as may be found in cornwall, scones are served because tourists want them, this does not make the traditional serving of scones in the rest of the country simply a tourist pleasing scheme. Tomythius 22:04, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

As you can appreciate, I was only referring to Cornwall - and in Cornwall the serving of scones in tourist tea shops is entirely for the benefit of tourists. What people do in the rest of the country is something again, and I know little about it. Bretonbanquet 23:21, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Requested image

I just came to add a picture I took for this page as it was listed on the requested images category. However, it appears this has already been done. If the person who added the image sees this, please remove the image from the request list if this has been filled. Thanks for your time. --Xyrael ^T 09:12, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Other regional variations

I know in Bath (and surrounding area) a cream tea is often served with a sally lunn and there are probably countless other variations. Would it not be better, therefore, to reorganise the page to give the norm first, and the variations (regional and otherwise) after? At present it doesn't flow well. Tomythius 23:03, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cucumber Sandwiches part of a cream tea?

Can someone tell me where in the world Cucumber Sandwiches are part of a cream tea? Is someone confused with Afternoon Tea or is it a specific regional variation that I have never heard of, or something that may have fallen out of fashion in many a household? I'm English, have eaten a lot cream teas in many a home and have never heard of a cucumber sandwich being part of it. I'm not saying its wrong, I'd just like an explanation or elaboration, Thanks GQsm ^{Talk | c} 22:55, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cream/Jam

Would a sentence or two on the subject of the order controversy be relevant. I was always taught that jam then cream was the 'correct' was to take low tea. If that is the case I would suggest a more accurate photo. MHDIV ɪŋglɪʃnɜː(r)d(Suggestion?|wanna chat?) 20:38, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Jam first

I'm Devon born and bred, and I have never had it cream first. I was at the Annual Cream Tea Fair, and after asking one of the established Cream Tea makers, found out that the proper Devonian way was jam first, and Cornish was cream first. I strongly suggest what is written in the article should be more revised, especially as what I believe to be a correction has been reverted by a "vurriner"... Craitman H. Pellegrino (talk) 11:03, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, this is very odd. I lived in Devon for 15 years, and my circle of friends and in-laws were very insistent that the correct Devon way was cream first, then jam - any other technique betrayed that they were not local. Makes sense, as the cream is there in place of the butter, and prevents the jam soaking into the scone. If there are other views - as obviously there are - the article should make clear that the issue is disputed, not that one view is "right" and the other is "wrong". I've raised the issue at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Devon#How to eat a cream tea. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:17, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] 997 A.D.?

Tea didn't come to europe till the 1600s, so while they might have enjoyed scones, clotted cream and jam in 997 A.D. Tavistock, it should be pointed out that the delicacies weren't being washed down with tea.Meltyman 05:22, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Never heard of "thunder and lightning" and I'm British

"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.[1]" Are you sure this isnt just some American fantasy? 80.2.222.188 22:28, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

It's a Cornish thing, and delicious. DuncanHill 22:29, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

American?? Absolutely not. Cornish all day long. I don't think it's spread beyond the Tamar though... Bretonbanquet 22:35, 20 July 2007 (UTC)