Light Tea

In the United States, "light tea" sounds like something from a label on a bottled tea. However, in England, "light tea" refers to a type of afternoon tea meal. True to its name, light tea is lighter than "full tea" (which includes finger sandwiches and/or other savories) and is closer to a heavy snack than an actual meal.

Light tea is a sweets-centric meal. Teas are paired with a variety of sweets, such as:

• Scones
• Various types of sponge cakes, which may feature icing, whipped cream, lemon curd, almond paste or jam and may be shaped (For example, jelly rolls are rolled into spirals and Battenburg cakes / window cakes are cut into shapes that resemble windows with apricot jam between the "panes.")
• Madeleines
• Cupcakes (a.k.a. "fairy cakes" in the U.K.) and "butterfly cakes" (cupcakes that are partially filled with a sweet filling and topped with a butterfly-shaped piece of cake)
• Trifles made with seasonal fruit