Cream Tea

Cream Tea, image by Liyster

Cream Tea is the British custom of serving tea and scones with a dollop of cream and jam at four o'clock. Credit for the mini-meal goes to Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria, who created the idea to ward off hunger when dining late.

Custom requires the tea should be served with a scone with clotted cream and jam. When pouring, it is tea first, cream second. 

Why is it called "cream tea"?

No, it is not "cream tea" because of the cream in the tea. It is "cream tea" because of the clotted cream served with the scones and jam. 

Why is the cream called "clotted"? 

Clotted cream is popular in Devonshire and Cornwall, and always served with Cream Tea. The thick cream is made by indirectly heating full-cream cow's milk using steam and leaving it in a shallow pan to cool slowly. During this time, the clotted cream rises to the surface and forms "clots". 

In 1998, the term Cornish clotted cream became a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) by the European Union.