Celebrating Teatime

午后的盛宴

2/16

　　The cafe is brimming with students hunched over books, shoppers surrounded by department store bags and business people clicking away on their notebooks. Some patrons nurse lukewarm cups of cappuccino; others wait patiently for a slice of cheesecake to be placed before them. The room is alive with conversation and the smell of coffee beans is in the air. It is teatime in the city.

　　Teatime takes place between the hours of two and five. Its purpose is to satisfy the hunger that develops between lunch and dinner. This tradition may have initiated with Anna, the Duchess of Bedford. In 19th century England, it was customary for dinner to be served in the late evening around 8:30 or 9:00. During the afternoons, Anna often found herself unbearably hungry. To remedy this problem, she had a light meal with tea sent up to her room. It was soon adopted by others in English society and became known as afternoon tea.

　　As it was centuries ago, the fare served at teatime is made up of breads, cakes, tarts,cookies and a beverage. Food served shouldn't be in large amounts but enough to tide one over until the evening meal. A blueberry muffin paired with a frothy cup of milky coffee is an afternoon delight that will ease almost anyone's hunger.

 

2/17

　　Teatime has become part of our everyday culture. Many teashops, restaurants, and cafes offer a teatime comparable to those in Europe. The hours vary from establishment to establishment, but usually are between the traditional ones set hundreds of years ago. During these hours, most places offer a set menu, which includes a light snack and a beverage of your choice.

　　The multi-ethnicity of this island is reflected in the teatimes available. Malaysian, Italian, Japanese and Indian teatimes are indicative of the diverse cultures that have become part of Taiwan. The cuisine is exotic with flavors that blend on the tongue to create a taste sensation.Though numerous restaurants serving afternoon tea focus on delivering quality cuisine, there are some that deliver quantity over quality. All-you-can-eat teatime establishments are popular among the college set and those looking for more for their money.

　　Step into any cafe and you will realize that teatime isn't only for satisfying one's physical hunger. Friends sit with their heads together, sharing stories and tribulations of life over a slice of black forest cake. Would-be novelists scribble in notepads and ponder their next line of dialogue.These images are as much a part of teatime as a pastry. Teatime is when the belly and the soul can be refilled. Thoughts can be reflected on and problems solved during occasional sips of black tea with milk.

──by Jerri Graham

 

2/16

　　咖啡厅里坐满埋首苦读的学生、带着大包小包百货公司购物袋的血拼族，以及操作着手提电脑的上班族。有些顾客细细品尝着微温的卡布奇诺，其它人则是耐心地等着吉士蛋糕送到面前。室内满是交谈声，空气中氤氲着咖啡豆的香气。这正是都市的午茶时光。

　　下午茶时间是午后两点到五点。其目的是为满足午餐与晚餐间饥肠辘辘的人。这项传统应起始于十九世纪英格兰贝德佛一位名为安娜的公爵夫人。当时，晚餐时间通常在八点半或九点才开始。安娜在下午时常感到饥饿难耐。为了解决这个困扰，于是她叫人准备一些简单的餐点以及茶送到房间享用。这个习惯不久就在英国社会蔚为风尚，后来演变成了今天大家所熟知的下午茶。

　　就像几世纪前一样，下午茶时会供应面包、蛋糕、水果塔、饼干及饮料。食物的份量不会过多，但是也足够让人撑到晚餐时间。在午后时光，一块蓝莓马芬配上一杯覆着满满奶泡的咖啡，不但是一大乐事，也可舒缓饥饿感。

2/17

　　下午茶已经成了我们日常文化的一部分。许多本地的茶馆、餐厅、咖啡厅都提供了足以和欧洲媲美的下午茶。各家营业时间多有不同，但通常和数百年前传统的午茶时间差不多。在下午茶时间，大多数的地方都会提供套餐，包含简单的小点心及自选饮料。

　　台湾的民族多样性在下午茶的选择上一览无遗。南洋风、义式、和风及印度式下午茶都展示出这些文化已成为台湾的一部分。这些具异国风味的茶点在舌尖创造出独特的味觉新享受。虽然许多餐厅都着重在提供高质量的午茶料理，但也有些餐厅是重『量』不重『质』。吃到饱下午茶餐厅成了大学生及省钱一族的最爱。

　　踏入任何一家咖啡厅，你都会了解下午茶不只是为了满足食欲。三五好友交头接耳，一边品尝黑森林蛋糕一边分享彼此生活中的喜怒哀乐。想当小说家的人摇着笔杆苦思故事情节发展。上述情景就如同糕点已经成为下午茶时间的一部分。午茶时光即是五脏庙及灵魂充电的时刻。灵感与麻烦也于啜饮几口奶茶之余得到了启发与解决的方法。