In Oman, karak time is something many people can’t do without. It has become a part of the culture that you’d find small stalls almost everywhere serving this beloved beverage. Half-way around the world, the Brits had also made ‘high tea’ popular. But what is ‘high tea’ and why should anyone give it a try?
Ask anyone from Britain and they can tell you hundreds of things about this fascinating ritual. Becoming very popular in the 1840s, it is credited to the Duchess of Bedford, Anna, who suffered from afternoon “hunger spells.” The popularity has stayed that some of the best hotels even here in Oman has kept this tradition alive.
Before we go on any further, the first thing you have to know is the difference between a high tea and afternoon or low tea. (They’d apparently shame you for not knowing the difference.) High tea is called such because “it is the main meal of the day” as opposed to afternoon or low tea. In this side of the world, we can simply call low tea as afternoon snacks.
Definitely about the food
If Pastry Chef Dragan Rucnov of Al Bustan Palace is to be asked, high tea is definitely about good food. In fact, his perfect breakdown of an afternoon tea at the palace would be a good mix of everything — from coronation chicken with parsley cream to cherry tomato bocconcini, to cucumber and cream cheese with dill even Smoked Scottish Salmon and Slow Roasted Wagyu beef.
“Of course, you have to start with freshly baked raising and plain scones with dotted cream and homemade seasonal jam. It can’t be right without the proper jam,” he shared.
He also recommends dark chocolate tart, white chocolate mousse with ginger yuzu and tropical mango verrine with passion fruit curd.
“It changes. Afternoon too should be something people can enjoy so the food items also change but we keep the favourites,” he said.
Observe the dos
As of today, there are already a lot of modern variations to this tradition. While some agree to a little upgrade, it still is a way of revisiting traditional values and reminiscing of good times.
When going for a high tea, DO:
try little samples of the served food
put cream first on your scone before the jam
avoid talking while your mouth is full
swallow your food first before sipping the tea.
Don’t ever forget
the DONT’S
Manner maketh a man (and woman). While there are dozens of dos, the dont’s are just as numerous. The top five to remember are:
Don’t mix mil and lemon in tea together. Citric acid and milk just don’t mix together.
Don’t leave your spoon in the cup but on the saucer.
Don’t be greedy and fill up your cup to the brim. Avoid spilling.
Don’t ever talk about food likes and dislikes during tea time. It’s the reason why you have wide selection of both savoury and sweet.
And don’t place your napkin on the table until you are ready to leave.
Also about the location
High team can be both in a formal and informal atmosphere. It is a way for the British to break their routine so if you want to do a proper tea time, make sure to scout for the best location in advance. Whenever looking for a location, also think of the food you would like to eat so be specific about your questions and preferences that way you can match it to what you wanted. In Oman, Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, offers quite a good offering and the location is also superb.
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