The British are the ones who established the way tea is celebrated today with the centuries old custom of afternoon tea. The British either add milk to their tea or every now and then, even add tea to the milk. Using milk first will bring about a wonderful blend of milk and tea, while adding the milk in last will cool the tea and prevent the leaves from being damaged by hot water. Some think that whether or not the milk is added first or last can indicate a person's social class. Working class people would add the milk in first, whereas upper class individuals added their milk in after the tea was poured. It is thought that this happened because lower classes could not afford high quality cups so the milk was added first to prevent the cups from cracking. Whatever the means, it is most amazing to add milk to strong black teas, since it seems to mellow out some of the tannins and give the tea less of a "bite". However with the popularity of lattes, various people like to add milk to all different kinds of teas.
Both high and low teas can be enjoyed for afternoon tea. High tea was once called meat tea and it was the main meal of the day by the British lower classes, eaten with the family after a lengthy workday. On the other hand, low tea was had by the upper class in the afternoon as a snack to fill them up until dinner later in the evening. Low tea was very much a social event to be enjoyed with friends. The distinction between high tea and low tea was also a literal one, based on the kind of table used for serving. High tea would be consumed in a high dining room table, while low tea was served in a sitting room with a lower table such as a coffee table.
For more cool tea fun facts, check out this site.
