A tea sandwich (also referred to as finger sandwich) is a small prepared

sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

typically sliced into pieces that can be picked up with one hand. It was originally developed in the 19th century as an offering at afternoon teatime meant to stave off hunger until the main

meal A meal is an occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes consumption of food. The English names used for specific meals vary, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal. A meal is different from a ...

but has evolved into a term for any dainty crustless sandwich served at a variety of events.

History and background

The drinking of tea in England became popular in the 1600s when Charles II and Catherine de Braganza made it fashionable. Because tea was expensive, only the wealthy could afford it, so drinking and serving tea was also an indicator of wealth. By the Victorian era, it had become affordable for all and was a popular beverage in all social strata. Afternoon tea as a meal became popular in Britain around 1840, a time when the upper classes normally dined at 9pm or later. Anna Maria Stanhope, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, habitually requested a light snack of tea with bread and butter, cake, or biscuits in mid to late afternoon to tide her over until dinner was served. After she started inviting friends to join her in afternoon tea, the meal became popular. The new meal became popular throughout the country. Tea sandwiches became popular in the US when tea parties were a common afternoon entertainment for the well-off. Recipes for tea sandwiches appeared in ''Mrs. Hill's New Cook Book'' (1867).

Ingredients, preparation, and serving

The tea sandwich may take a number of different forms, but they typically are sized to be easy to handle with one hand and capable of being eaten in two or three bites. Shapes may be long and narrow, triangular, round, or a decorative shape created with a cookie cutter. The

bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

is traditionally a soft white bread, thinly sliced, and

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...

ed. The bread crust is cut away cleanly from the sandwich after the sandwich has been prepared but before serving. Modern bread variations might include

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

, pumpernickel, sour dough or rye bread. The bread used for preparing finger sandwiches is sometimes referred to as sandwich bread. Fillings are light, and are "dainty" or "delicate" in proportion to the amount of bread. Spreads might include butter,

cream cheese Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream.Oxford English Dictionary Cream cheese is not naturally matured and is meant to be consumed fresh, so it differs from other soft cheeses such as Brie and Neuf ...

mayonnaise Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...

mixtures, and the sandwiches often feature fresh

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

s such as

radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...

es,

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

cucumber The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.asparagus Asparagus (''Asparagus officinalis'') is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus (genus), Asparagus'' native to Eurasia. Widely cultivated as a vegetable crop, its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. Description ...

, or

watercress Watercress or yellowcress (''Nasturtium officinale'') is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Eurasia. It is one of the oldest known leaf vegetabl ...

. The cucumber tea sandwich in particular is considered the quintessential tea sandwich. The Vicksburg tomato sandwich and the cucumber sandwich made with

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

are classic tea sandwiches in parts of the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...

. Other popular tea sandwich fillings include tomatoes, pimento cheese,

ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...

with mustard, smoked salmon with

, fruit jam, curried chicken, fish paste, and egg salad.

References

British sandwiches Tea in the United Kingdom Cuisine of the Southern United States {{UK-cuisine-stub

History and background

Ingredients, preparation, and serving

See also

References