Today is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's birthday and just like any Englishman of his time (and of today) he appreciated a good tea.He was born and raised in Devon , England ,a shire known for its' dairy and jams. It was good then and now is amazing, true British locavore treats and dishes that can sustain anyone, be it poet or just foodie.
Devonshire is known for one of England's greatest contributions to high tea, clotted cream. Originally , introduced to ancient Britannia by the Phoenicians trading with the locals around what's now present day Torquay this variation of yogurt is essentially a thick cream steamed and then left in pans toook slowly.it separates during this and the top is full of clouts or clots. Devon locals have it smeared on scones , with a dollop of jam to add to the decadence.Of course teas also have fairy cakes or cupcakes as well as shortbread cookies and miniature tarts.
Coleridge probably would have preferred his county's scrumpy, the tangy apple cider and a pasty, however he also would have appreciated savory.sandwiches too.These usually involve some form of seafood, usually a shrimp paste or baby prawns with mayonaisse on thin slices of white bread.A curry chicken salad is also served, on raisin bread but it could also be spread on plain scones,As far as teas, most serve the mild but flavorful Earl Grey as well as the exotic Darjeeling and Assam teas -a nod to Britain's colonial past;
Samuel Taylor Coleridge probably had enjoyed many a traditional Devon cream tea.He would feel right at home, today on his birthday, savoring a modern one. The recipes haven;t changed in two hundred years. They are still delicious now as they were then
Monday, October 21, 2013
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