Classic British Afternoon Tea Sandwiches

Does Coronation Chicken typically have curry?

Do people in Britain eat watercress sandwiches for tea? I love them.

I had to click away after a while because "samwiches" x 100 drove me crazy. 😄

Yes, Coronation Chicken has curry powder.

That cucumber sandwich with butter looks divine.

This lady makes a cucumber sandwich with buttter AND cream cheese.

Yum!

Too many carbs!!! I guess fat whores rejoice on this one…

No tuna sandwiches?

I'm guessing that the sandwiches should complement the tea, or vice-versa.

Somehow, tuna fish with tea sounds kind of gross.

I'm actually surprised that she included a salmon and cream cheese sandwich here, because salmon doesn't really go with tea either.

Oh God not this shit again.

No-one in Britain has afternoon tea. It's completely outdated and only found in hotels and restaurants in tourist traps. I've lived in the UK for nearly 45 years and have had afternoon tea only once, and that was for a teetotal colleague's retirement do.

Yes, we might stop off at a cafe somewhere and have a sandwich/cake and pot of tea. But the ridiculous afternoon teas you find in hotels etc are complete rip-offs and you most definitely won't find cucumber sandwiches anywhere else.

It's so sad to see tourists so excited thinking they're indulging in something so essentially English while the restaurant/hotel owners are rubbing their hands in glee and charging £50 a head for something that costs pennies in ingredients.

R7 You're right. I don't think I have ever had a fancy little sandwiches tea time like this. It's basically something hotels do for the most part.

R6 Coronation chicken doesn't go with tea either though.

Here's what the Ritz hotel has for the afternoon tea. I looked up Claridge's too and it's similar.

"Ham with Grain Mustard Mayonnaise on Brioche Bread

Cheddar Cheese with Chutney on Tomato Bread

Cucumber with Cream Cheese, Dill and Mint on Granary Bread

Breast of Chicken with Tarragon Creamed Mayonnaise on Malt Bread

Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter on Sourdough Bread

Egg Mayonnaise with Chopped Shallots and Watercress on Brioche Roll"

Claridge's:

"Smoked salmon and dill crème fraîche on rye bread

Roasted chicken, baby gem lettuce and tarragon on granary bread

Honey glazed ham with orange and mustard mayonnaise on onion bread

Truffle egg mayonnaise and watercress on white bread

English cucumber with minted crème fraîche on white bread"

It's basically just a version of role playing: "Twee British Tea Party" as seen in your favorite episode of Marple or Poirot or Brideshead Revisited.

It's cosplay for old folks.

I love cucumber sandwiches.

Why do British menus always make the announcement of mayonnaise in the description. In the US if it’s a dish like egg or tuna salad there isn’t the need to tell you a primary ingredient that everyone knows is already part of it.

What about tea shops like Fortnum and Mason, having a space for tea is just good marketing?

R11 It's embarrassing. It's a version of Britain that doesn't exist anymore. If a tourist wants to experience what real Brits have for 'afternoon tea' these days, I'd suggest they find themselves a Greggs. They won't be paying stupid amounts of money while waiters laugh at them and they won't be hungry again five minutes later.

Cucumber sandwiches don't exist in the UK outside of these rip-off hotel menus. You won't find them on any cafe menu. If they were popular they'd be available in the chiller sections of supermarkets. No-one would ever serve a cucumber sandwich if you came to their house. It'd almost be an insult.

R15 is entirely ignorant of cucumber sandwiches. Probably thinks sloppy joes are the height of cuisine.

The Mayflower Hotel in DC has - maybe not now - a lovely afternoon tea with delicious sandwiches including cucumber sandwiches. I had delicious cucumber sandwiches growing up.

R13 In the UK, 'egg salad' or 'tuna salad' doesn't mean it has mayonnaise in it. It means it has salad items. We don't automatically add mayonnaise to sandwiches.

An egg salad could be boiled eggs on a salad, not necessarily egg mayonnaise. Egg mayonnaise, which I think Americans would call egg salad (correct me if I'm wrong) can be a stand-alone dish in the French tradition or a sandwich filling.

[quote]The Mayflower Hotel in DC has

Wow, proving R15's point. That's a hotel, and in America to boot.

R16 Bless.

[quote]Probably thinks sloppy joes are the height of cuisine.

Why would he if he's a Brit? I've never seen sloppy joes here.

MOTHER AND I LOVE AFTERNOON TEA WITH FINGER SANDWICHES AND EARL GRAY AT THE MAYFLOWER MOTEL IN DAYTONA BEACH!!

BLESS!!

Afternoon tea is a treat. It’s not an everyday thing, but I don’t think it’s restricted to tourists and people don’t laugh at you for buying it.

Sometimes you want to slum it at Greggs and have a cup of tea and a yum-yum for £3, and sometimes you want to make things a bit more special. It has enjoyed a bit of a revival recently with people who want to enjoy a social occasion without booze, and is particularly enjoyed by older people or groups of ladies looking for an afternoon out and a chat.

I’ve been to Claridge’s for a relative’s birthday. I knew that it would be her kind of thing: nice decor, good service decent food. It cost a small fortune, but it was worth every penny. The staff were superb and treated us like royalty. They were warm, friendly, chatty and treated us just the same as they treated those who were obviously staying in the hotel. The food was delicious, and the teas were the best I have ever had. My aunt was made to feel wonderful. At the end of our tea, the waiter brought her a box of cakes, macaroons and chocolates to take home and another relative was given a jar of tea-infused jam she had especially liked.

Everyone likes to be made a fuss of occasionally, and afternoon tea is just a different way of doing it.

Speaking of egg salad - American style - I had egg salad on freshly homemade flat bread tonight. With pasta with diced onion in melted butter w/ a squeeze of lemon and parma. And a side of broccoli with butter lemon sauce.

And a gin & tonic.

I thought G&T are only appropriate after Memorial Day like white shoes and slacks?

I thought this would be that guy Nicholas Fairfield. Disappointed. He was fascinating.

I ❤️ 🥒 🥪!!!

85 Pounds for afternoon tea at Claridge's.

But you do seem to get a lot for your money.

R22 Obviously Greggs is never going to be special - I was joking (though their sausage rolls are legendary).

I just can't get on board that it was 'worth every penny'. Let's say there were four of you. That's eight slices of bread with minimal fillings with the crusts cut off then sliced into four. Then maybe four scones and a few other cakes. A couple of pots of tea. No matter how grand the surroundings, it's a rip-off for tourists and day-trippers. I very much doubt any of the actual Ritz or Claridge's guests were indulging in such aspirational fantasy.

Everything looks so lovely.

R11 [quote] It's cosplay for old folks

Let people enjoy things.

It looks very dainty and beautiful R29.

R27 On no planet is £85 a head for sandwiches and cake good value for money.

I'm surprised Greg didn't have a fancy sandwich recipe to offer. Something with prunes perhaps.

£10 more for 1 glass of Brut plus a 12.5% service charge.

How much does a cocktail (or bottle of champagne) cost in a nice bar or top hotel, compared to the actual costs of the ingredients? Plenty of people would pay £85 or thereabouts in a central London bar without thinking much about it. Afternoon tea is just an option for people who like food and would prefer to avoid a hangover!

“It’s a version of Britain that doesn’t exist anymore.”

People are understandably nostalgic for that “version of Britain.” I’ve had high tea a few times and it’s lovely.

[quote] I very much doubt any of the actual Ritz or Claridge's guests were indulging in such aspirational fantasy.

You think rich people on holiday never get peckish mid-afternoon? Fair enough!

[quote] On no planet is £85 a head for sandwiches and cake good value for money.

I think it is.

You're paying for the overall experience, and not just the food and drinks.

Naturally, you're not going to do it every day.

It's for a special occasion, or when you just want to treat yourself.

Can you do afternoon tea by yourself?

Or is that just sad and pathetic?

R39 why not!

I was thinking that it seems meant to be mainly a social event R40, and not really a solitary experience.

But that's just an opinion.

I guess you can do anything by yourself.

Tea at the Ritz London.

The decor seems a bit gaudy.

If you want to make a cheaper tea but don't want to put in the work, M&S make similar sandwich platters (>£20).

R36, high tea is very different from afternoon tea which would technically be low tea. I would make afternoon tea for my mum and her siblings. They are all in their 70s and 80s and it suits them well.

This is literally not a thing.

WHET Greg?

It's obviously not an everyday thing, not even a once-a-year thing, but it's not just for tourists either. We took my mother-in-law for afternoon tea at Brown's in Mayfair recently for her 75th birthday. It's that kind of thing. You really need to be with an old lady - a mother's birthday, a visiting great-aunt, etc. And yes, it's £80 or whatever but that was with a glass of champagne and they keep topping up the sandwiches and cakes until you're stuffed.

Only low class peasants keep going until they’re stuffed R46

If you came to one of my candle light suppers you’d learn a thing or two about decorum.

R47, the use of “low class” (especially unhyphenated) is most certainly infra dig!

[quote] WHET Greg?

I’m right here, R45.

[quote] I'm surprised Greg didn't have a fancy sandwich recipe to offer. Something with prunes perhaps.

R33, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

R29

[quote] I’ve had high tea a few times and it’s lovely.

How lower-middle class.

I prefer low tea — also known as afternoon tea. It’s much more lovely.

Stop, STOP all of you! You're making Nicolas Fairford cry!

All that mayo...gross!

I ADORE mayonnaise.

I dip my French fries in mayonnaise.

Afternoon Tea Sandwiches? Sounds absolutely scrummy !

In addition to hotels, one can get high tea at many places in the NYC metro area.

My nana, who emigrated from Northern Ireland after my parents came to NYC, always used to fix us tea after school. Usually a piece of soda bread with butter, or a quarter bagel with cream cheese, and a pot of tea. And now as an adult I usually have a cup of tea and a little nosh around 4 pm.

[quote] In addition to hotels, one can get high tea at many places in the NYC metro area.

No. Once again, high tea is a working class supper. “High” because it’s served on a high table — in other words on a kitchen or dining room table. It is heavy food—not finger sandwiches and scones.

Low tea or afternoon tea is served on a LOW table, like in a library or sitting room. A table like a coffee table whilst people sit around on sofas and upholstered chairs. Low tea/afternoon tea does not replace a proper dinner.

High tea: 6:00 or 7:00. This replaces dinner and is more of a supper.

Low tea/afternoon tea: 4:00. Small sandwiches, scones, pieces of cake. Dinner is still served around 8:00.

Lighten up r59. Times have changed. Today, high tea is a thing and has nothing to do with class or the type of table it is served on.

R59, I’m from the North. I have dinner at lunchtime and tea at dinnertime. These terms are culturally/geographically variable, as are tea/high tea/afternoon tea.

I have to agree. If most Brits don't even understand this historical difference between high and low tea, is it really a thing any more? I have never ever heard a single Brit - working class or otherwise - refer to the evening meal as 'high tea'.

I love tea sandwiches, whether I have tea with them or not! But I suppose if I have a different beverage, they're "finger sandwiches", not "tea sandwiches".

I've made myself meals of finger sandwiches on many occasions. Sometimes I bring them to work for lunch, or just make a nice light lunch, or eat them in front of ge TV if I don't feel like cooking. Because it sure as hell gets too hot to cook around here in summer.

Yeah, it is an expensive hotel thing, but that’s kind of the point. It’s a treat. Kind of like having a club sandwich in a fancy hotel bar or an expensive treatment in the hotel spa.

And I don’t think tourists going to Brown’s think they’re getting an “authentic British experience that the Queen had every afternoon” because afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones and pastries is served in hotels all over the world. They go to tea because it’s an activity, they get to stuff their faces and they find it preferable that dying of boredom at Madame Tussaud’s or the London Eye.

R63 Nobody calls them 'tea sandwiches'. We just call them 'sandwiches'. Named after the Earl of Sandwich who invented it as easy and quick food so that he could gamble more. As for your specific 'finger sandwiches', what other kind of sandwiches are there? Sandwiches that you cut up with a knife and fork? It seems tautological.

Argentina does tea sandwiches better anyway with their "sandwiches de miga"

R65, “finger sandwiches” are sandwiches which resemble a fishfinger in shape. The name has nothing to do with how they are eaten.

We did a westbound crossing (Southampton-NYC) on Queen Mary 2 a few few years ago. They have a daily afternoon tea in their big ballroom, it was ok . We actually preferred the very same sandwiches, clotted cream (yum) , scones, tea, etc. at the self serve buffet while watching a European soccer match on TV with the rowdy UK soccer fans. It was a lot of fun and we looked forward to it daily.

Also r65, if you’re really that clueless and not just trolling, tea sandwiches have the crusts cut off, have a thin layer of filling, and are either cut in quarters or strips.

R69 Not trolling, I live in the UK, born and brought up here. Never once heard anyone here say 'tea sandwiches' or 'finger sandwiches'.

It's so confusing when on British TV shows they use "tea" to mean the evening meal. I think maybe it's a northern thing? Is "tea" when used in that context usually a lighter meal, or a full dinner/supper?

In British books, movies, and TV shows, they frequently mention sandwiches that sound odd to me -- or at least confusing. What are beef paste and fish paste? What's a cheese-and-pickle sandwich (or is that all it is?) Or a beef-and-onion sandwich?

R71 Working class people call the evening meal 'tea'. Lower-middle and middle-middle class people call the evening meal 'dinner'. Upper-middle and upper class people call the evening meal 'supper'. This is a generalisation, obviously, not a hard and fast rule.

What’s tea with no beans on toast?

There's a general idea with Americans that all British afternoon teas are "proper" and "fancy". Yes people have tea, and it's usually in a mug, with a biscuit on the side or a slice of the past Sunday's leftover pudding. Or if you're more of a savory person, a little half-sandwich or a piece of sliced gammon or a soft boiled egg. "Tea" in itself is not fancy, but American's want to make it so.

"Tea" is also used to describe a nursery dinner for the children, as it's served quite early. Then, some adults still refer to their dinner as their tea.

R72 Paste is basically pureed or minced food. So you spread it on the sandwich. Cheese and pickle is cheese with pickled onion. Beef and pickle, the same - pickle means onion in this context.

Pouf Nicholas Fairford owns this thread!

[quote]Paste is basically pureed or minced food.

So ... like baby food or Underwood deviled ham?

R78 I don't know what Underwood ham is but baby food is pretty much right. It's just pureed fish/beef/liver that you get in jars and can spread on bread or toast.

I’m not r76 but if memory serves me, paste is more like liverwurst or pate.

[quote] Or if you're more of a savory person, a little half-sandwich or a piece of sliced gammon or a soft boiled egg.

Tea with a soft-boiled egg??? That’s called breakfast!

[quote] In British books, movies, and TV shows, they frequently mention sandwiches that sound odd to me -- or at least confusing. What are beef paste and fish paste? What's a cheese-and-pickle sandwich (or is that all it is?) Or a beef-and-onion sandwich?

Beef paste and fish pastes are cheap pate-like jarred food, with the consistency of baby food, which are spread on bread. They were much popular from the fifties to the eighties than they are now.

Cheese and pickle is a cheese sandwich which contains a small amount of pickled veg, usually in the form of Branston Pickle or something similar. It’s a mix of different veg in a tangy, vinegar-based sauce, so a small amount is all that is required.

I’ve heard of beef-and-onion pies, but not sandwiches. However, steak sandwiches are popular pub grub, and they are frequently served as a baguette filled with sliced steak and fried, almost caramelised onions.

So, all you inbred connoisseurs, please tell me why you butter the bread before you put your mayonnaise based fillings inside it? Seems redundant to me.

Wouldn’t that keep the bread from getting soggy, r83?

Suddenly I’m craving a cup of Darjeeling.

And now I'm drinking said cup of Darjeeling. Delicious.

To the guy who wanted to know what fish paste is...

Dude! Haven't you ever had a bagel with whitefish salad???

I don't think that's paste -- that's more like tuna salad, which I wouldn't call "tuna paste."

For those confused about what we call meals in the UK, this should help/confuse you further

R69, r65 is a Brit who thinks he is schooling ignorant Americans. It’s a sport to them.

After watching some afternoon tea videos at famous hotels and restaurants in England and on the continent, I'm astonished at the amount of food presented in these places for tea. Tiered stands full of scones, cakes and sandwiches for one or two people. I'm sure it's expensive, but is it expected this is all to be gobbled up in one sitting over hours? Or is it an a la carte situation? I would think that at these fancy places you don't ask for a doggy bag.

No salami or boloney?

I live in the UK and see it offered on menus and not just in hotels and touristy places. For instance, there’s a small and definitely not fancy coffee shop and bakery near me that has it, and I live in a place that gets no tourists. It still exists as something special.

You can also buy an egg sandwich at a petrol station, so it’s all about the experience.

[quote] I'm astonished at the amount of food presented in these places for tea. Tiered stands full of scones, cakes and sandwiches for one or two people. I'm sure it's expensive, but is it expected this is all to be gobbled up in one sitting over hours? Or is it an a la carte situation? I would think that at these fancy places you don't ask for a doggy bag.

I worked in an American hotel that served afternoon tea. It looks like a lot of food when it's set up on those tiered stands, but it's really not. Also, usually, the tiered stands contain food for the entire table, so it looks like a lot.

IIRC, we served 4 kinds of sandwiches (2 bites each), a scone, clotted (Devonshire) cream, small jar of jam, 2 small slices of quick breads (e.g., banana bread), and maybe 4 tiny (2-bite) desserts.

I never minded when people asked for a doggy bag and I was a grouch when I was a server.

[quote] IIRC, we served 4 kinds of sandwiches (2 bites each), a scone, clotted (Devonshire) cream, small jar of jam, 2 small slices of quick breads (e.g., banana bread), and maybe 4 tiny (2-bite) desserts.

This would be the amount for one person.

Also, the scone was a small, round one (like an American biscuit), not the huge ones you get at Starbucks.

R90 You're right in a way.

There was a piece in (I think) the NY Times on Anglophile Americans celebrating the Coronation that caused a lot of confused laughter in the UK recently. It reported they were eating scones with cream and jam (for breakfast???), breakfast pie (no-one in the UK has a clue what this is supposed to be) and drinking Buck's Fizz, which they described as a 'non-alcoholic mimosa' (Buck's Fizz is champagne and orange juice, and is most definitely not non-alcoholic).

Most Brits don't even care about afternoon tea and girlie sandwiches.

🍺 They prefer a cold one with a bag of crisps down at the Queen Vic.

And jellied eels, R98. Don't leave out the jellied eels.

[quote] Paste is basically pureed or minced food. So you spread it on the sandwich. Cheese and pickle is cheese with pickled onion. Beef and pickle, the same - pickle means onion in this context.

[quote] Paste is basically pureed or minced food.

[quote] R78 I don't know what Underwood ham is but baby food is pretty much right. It's just pureed fish/beef/liver that you get in jars and can spread on bread or toast.

[quote] I’m not R76 but if memory serves me, paste is more like liverwurst or pate.

[quote] Beef paste and fish pastes are cheap pate-like jarred food, with the consistency of baby food, which are spread on bread. They were much popular from the fifties to the eighties than they are now.

[quote] And jellied eels, R98. Don't leave out the jellied eels.

GROSS!

And people wonder why British food always gets such a bad rap.

Because it sounds disgusting!

R99 You'd have to look really hard to find anywhere that does jellied eels these days. There are only a handful of pie and mash shops left in London.

Amazing that people can go along with the nonsense that this high tea crap is elegant when we're talking about egg salad sandwiches with the crusts cut off. You could find that in a child's lunchbox.

r91 There's a place near me that does afternoon tea as a buffet. The tea and coffee are served, but all of the goodies are on an "all-you-can-eat" buffet setup.

[quote] GROSS! And people wonder why British food always gets such a bad rap. Because it sounds disgusting!

R100, are you from the land of aerosol cheese? The place where Hershey’s brown oil bars are seriously regarded as being chocolate?

Okay, can someone please explain for me what tea is?

Low/High/Afternoon

Does one dress for tea?

[quote] Okay, can someone please explain for me what tea is? Low/High/Afternoon

I believe r73 has covered all that, already.

[quote] Does one dress for tea?

The video at R42 shows how people dress at higher end tea rooms.

I read something about Coronation Chicken and when I was out of ideas, actually made a big salad out of it. It was surprisingly good. I mixed the mayonnaise dressing with creme fraiche, mango chutney and curry paste. Added chopped dried apricots and toasted almonds.

I love high tea at Selfridges or Harrods. Fortnum & Mason's sandwiches and scones are too dry. I wish we had tea in this country. It's so civilized.

[quote]Does one dress for tea?

One certainly does!

Best tea I ever had was at the Green Shutters Tea Room in Largs, Scotland. Sadly, shut down since then. Fabulous. Millionaire's shortbread. Yum.

As Paul Theroux pointed out in one of his travel books, bread in the UK is excellent, so much better than what we have here.

R69 I thought the sandwich “strips” were referred to as soldiers?

R111, no a soldier is a strip of toasted bread, not a sandwich. And “soldiers” is only used with regard to strips of toast served with boiled eggs.

Okay. Can someone cut to the chase and tell me all I need to know about tea?

R112 Diane Morgan on Have I Got News for You talking about King Charles' habit of eating a soft-boiled egg with every meal. "It is said that Princess Di enjoyed a couple of soldiers with her breakfast". Ian Hislop: "too soon?"

r108 As discussed above, that is NOT "high tea."

For those of you unfamiliar with Underwood Deviled Ham.

[quote] Stop, STOP all of you! You're making Nicolas Fairford cry!

Why, what's wrong with the little girl?

I thought the pickle in a cheese and pickle sandwich was Branston Pickle.

What about the toad in the hole for tea?

Mmm that sounds yummy, R119.

I love Toad in the Hole, but I don't know how well it would go with a cup of tea.

But I guess if you can eat an egg sandwich with tea, then it's basically the same thing, albeit a different preparation.

Dammit, now I want a selection of tea sandwiches, which is the last thing you want on your mind when you're having an insomniac night!

Maybe I'll make some for breakfast. Hard-boiled egg and mayo, cheese and chutney or pickle relish, cream cheese and cucumber...

it is basically chicken, egg and tuna salad sandwiches with the crust cut off. Then, there are herb butter and herb cream cheese tea sandwiches.

Was this first developed for a child queen or king?

it is basically chicken, egg and tuna salad sandwiches with the crust cut off. Then, there are herb butter and herb cream cheese tea sandwiches. Was this first developed for a child queen or king?

the fairmont , in san fran, still has high tea.

You fat whores! No respectable gay man would sit and consume this many calories in one sitting!

^ At least not in public.

Love Branston Pickle. When I discovered the existence of cheese and pickle sandwiches, I was in heaven.

Cheddar and hot chutney also does it for me, R127.

Another good combo is Wheat Thins, Philadelphia cream cheese, and mango chutney. I've never tried it with another cracker, but it would probably work well with toast or other crackers.

That's called "Low Class Tea," R129.

VERY low class tea.

[quote[the fairmont , in san fran, still has high tea.

Once again - that is NOT "high tea." READ THE THREAD.

And it's not "San Fran" or "Frisco."

what happens if you leave the crusts on?

R133 you become a lesbian.

😂 Cadbury Chocolate is considered premium chocolate in the U.K. Nothing like an egg with a runny embryo inside!

I once had Sunday Brunch at the Fairmont while visiting cousins in San Francisco back in the eighties. I could be wrong, but did they refer to the dining room as "The Top of the Mark" or was that another fancy pants restaurant that I dined in ?

I recently bought some Cadbury here in the states and was quickly reminded of how AWFUL it is. Just like brown wax, tasteless and with a weird texture.

R136, the Top of the Mark is on the top floor of the Mark Hopkins Hotel, which is across California Street from the Fairmont.

😘 Thanks, r138 !

I actually prefer deviled eggs, to egg salad.

They're much creamier and smooth.

Cucumber and butter do NOT go together. What an odd sandwich.

[quote] I recently bought some Cadbury here in the states and was quickly reminded of how AWFUL it is. Just like brown wax, tasteless and with a weird texture.

R137, Cadbury chocolate in the US is produced by Hershey, who subject the milk used in its chocolate to lipolysis, a process which partially sours the milk, and creates butyric acid - a compound found in such diverse substances as parmesan cheese and baby puke.

The advantage of lipolysis for Hershey is that it increases shelf life of its products. The advantage for the consumer is nil.

It's understandable why certain British food never made it big across the pond (except possibly in Canada)--for example: steak and kidney pie, marmite, beans for breakfast, mutton, etc.-- but other things like sausage rolls, bacon butties, Eton mess, etc., seem like they'd fit right in with standard American cuisine.

[quote] It's understandable why certain British food never made it big across the pond (except possibly in Canada)--for example: steak and kidney pie, marmite, beans for breakfast, mutton, etc.

Two words: JELLIED EELS.

Completely terrifying.

R142 has a point. If you called Eton mess "dump salad" and served it submerged in lime Jell-O if would be at every church picnic in the US. But sausage rolls and bacon butties are too basic and simple; they'd need a full Guy Fieri makeover.

Dear god, jellied eels look as disgusting as they sound.

What's wrong with you, British people??

Why would you eat something like this???

Are there no rat carcasses around, for you to scrounge up for din din?

As Judy sang,

San Francisco, let me beat my feet

up and down Market Street.

I'm gonna climb Nob Hill, just to watch it get dark

from the Top of the Mark

R146 Where do Americans get the idea that we Brits eat things like jellied eels on a regular basis??

It used to be associated with London as eels were plentiful in the Thames and its tributaries. You'd be lucky to be able to find anyone in the UK younger than 40 who's even ever seen jellied eels in real life, let alone eaten them. I grew up mainly in London and I've only ever seen them for sale in one of the handful of old Pie & Mash shops still going and even then only very, very old people would eat them.

I mean, I saw some Texan cowboys eating bull testicles on a cookery show the other day but I don't think all Americans have them on their pancakes each morning.

[quote] Where do Americans get the idea that we Brits eat things like jellied eels on a regular basis??

They don’t really believe it. It’s just a tedious affectation a certain type of halfwit thinks is hilarious.

However, I do like Shepard's Pie and I have seen that in many Pubs. Not, many American know what it is.

^ Along with Scotch Eggs.

How about a good ploughman's lunch?

That’s Holland Park, NOT Shepherd’s Pie!

[quote] However, I do like Shepard's Pie and I have seen that in many Pubs. Not, many American know what it is.

Americans do know what cottage pie is, but they call it shepherd's pie.

"However, I do like Shepard's Pie and I have seen that in many Pubs. Not, many American know what it is."

"Sheperd's pie" is moderately common in the US, I used to like it back when I ate meat. You can find it frozen, premade in grocery stores, or on the occasional restaurant menu.

It's always made with beef here, FYI, never lamb.

I went to Boarding School, and Shepherd's Pie was one of the regular lunchtime options.

I'm American from the US, by the way.

Ours was made with ground beef.

Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb. Cottage Pie is made with beef.

I'm making tea sandwiches today.

Egg salad and Cucumber with Cream Cheese and Butter.

With Earl Gray.

Yum!

Don’t you mean Earl Grey, or are you using some American off brand version?

No, Earl Gray is the name of his rentboy.

Thank you, R157, hopefully people will pay attention to what you said! Though I highly doubt it.

Little slices of Beef Wellington would go nicely on a tea sandwich tower.

Shepherds Pie in Australia is made with beef as well.

Oooh, I think I'm going to try to make Jacques Pépin's version of James Beard's famous Onion Sandwich.

I absolutely love onions.

Why can’t Pepin come up with his own recipes? Why does he have to steal them from dead Gay chefs?

You need a chef’s recipe for an onion sandwich?

Onion sandwich? You won't have a friend in the world.

Once onions are caramelized though don’t they basically lose their olfactory power?

[quote] You need a chef’s recipe for an onion sandwich?

When I saw the words "onion sandwich," I thought that there had to be something more to it.

Maybe as R168 mentioned, caramelized onions, or something like that.

But it truly was just an onion sandwich!

Sliced onions with mayonnaise.

Why would anyone eat that??? It would be heartburn city!

An onion sandwich???

I'm half-French so will stick up for onion soup. I grew up in Britain so I'll kind of stick up for some of these afternoon sandwiches. But I've never heard of an onion sandwich in any form.

The onion used in an onion sandwich is typically a big white onion (e.g. Vidalia) which has a much milder, sweeter flavor and scent than a cooking onion.

I liked onion sandwiches when I was young (teenager). I preferred green onions/scallions and mustard instead of mayonnaise, though. I'll have to try the original.

I'm going to try the onion sandwich, but with grilled and caramelized onions, rather than raw onions.

That's just too strong a taste to be able to enjoy.

R173, a grilled and caramelized onion sandwich? You're missing something; that's just not the same dish as the one James Beard served, and the texture would be all wrong. The type of onion used here doesn't have a strong flavor at all.

I eat onion sandwiches myself once in a while. The trick is LOTS of mayo and thinly sliced onions. It’s not overwhelming. I am susceptible to heartburn but don’t think I’ve ever gotten it from on onion sandwich which is strange because mayonnaise is one of my major heartburn triggers.

Did someone here say tea sandwich??

Here's a really good option for a cucumber sandwich.

I was thinking it would be bland on toast with some butter, but if you prepare the cucumbers this way, they'll have a lot of flavor!

R129 I think Mrs. Upson served that to Mame Dennis.