Tea Time, East and West (August 8, 2025)

From left to right: Tea at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo. Music I think goes well with tea. Lang Lang in a performance of the first movement (Allegro) of the Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, K.545; Pachelbel Canon in D; Emil Gilels performing the first movement (Adagio sostenuto) of the Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor “Moonlight.”

Earlier this month my grandmother took me for afternoon of English tea at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, and it was truly an experience to be remembered.  As you can see from the photograph, the tea, sandwiches and desserts are as wonderful to look at as they are to eat.

I must admit however that the experience made me think of Japanese tea ceremonies and how the two compare, which started me doing my own research project in order to find out the similarities and differences between this ritual in the East versus the West.

The Japanese tea ceremony predates that of the English by more than five hundred years, having been invented in Japan during the thirteenth century when tea drinking became a symbol which signaled the status of high-ranking military officials and warriors. 

By complete contrast, the ritual of tea in England was invented by Anna Maria Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, in the 1840s, who introduced the custom of a light meal of tea and snacks in the afternoon in order to keep from being so hungry between lunch and dinner.

In both instances the practice of serving tea has evolved over time to include more and different kinds of foods. A chaji in Japan, for example, is much more formal, and includes a meal or kaiseki (懐石),which is a multi-course Japanese dinner that also includes different kinds of teas, some thin, and others thick, along with confections.

As the practice of the evolved for the British, it also became a both a meal and a social custom for the upper classes where women dressed in long gowns, gloves, and hats for the occasion. 

Among the many things I loved about my afternoon tea at the Imperial was the varieties of teas, which included everything from teas that were rose scented, to those with more traditional flavors.

I also couldn’t help but think of what music would go best with the different flavors of tea and food, so you will find a few of my suggestions above.  Enjoy!

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