“La Once” Around the World
The Duolingo Spanish podcast featured a season on costumbres, or customs, around the Spanish-speaking world. In Episode 108, they share about la once, the custom of Chilean teatime.
This episode resonated with me, as it reminded me of the teatime customs from my own childhood and life. It brought to mind that many cultures and countries have their own version of la once that is rich with different beverages and food, but all share the bond of taking a break and coming together in a way that seems so simple but is so sacred. In this article, I take a deeper dive into the customs of Chilean, Dutch, and Russian teatime.
Chilean Teatime
Chilean-style teatime, called la once is an important tradition and part of the Chilean identity. Regardless of social or economic status, family and friends gather around the table between 5:00 and 7:00 pm to drink tea, eat bread and chat together.
The drink of choice is tea with milk, or simply milk in the summer and hot milk in the winter. For food, toasted Chilean rolls called marraquetas, and biscuits, called hallullas, are popular and have a comforting and nostalgic smell as they toast. In northern Chile, avocado is mixed with salt, oil, and lemon to create avocado toast, the perfect la once snack. The custom also changes with the seasons. In the winter the foods are mainly made in the oven, such as lemon pies, cakes, and different kinds of sandwiches. Different regions and households feature a variety, such as indigenous foods like seasoned nuts, and a fried pastry called sopaipilla mapuche.
In the Duolingo Spanish podcast episode, journalist Kalú Downey and her friend Renata were worried that their beloved custom of la once was fading in modern-day Chile. It seemed as though la once had a cycle. “When we are children, it is like an obligation. When we are teenagers or older, the habit is somewhat lost. When you are an adult with children, you have to prepare la once for them. But now, with the pace of modern life, that cycle is breaking. It seems that the people of our generation no longer have the time to give la once to their children.”
They published an article about why they thought la once was disappearing from people’s lives and hoped that the reactions to the article would provide them with new insights. They were surprised to receive passionate responses from readers about how they cherished their teatime and it is still a very important part of Chilean life.
So in 2017 Kalú and Renata launched a social media initiative on Instagram called “Proyecto Once,” or “Project Teamtime,” in an effort to document this national “fourth meal.” They shared their own snapshots of their la once and invited others to send in their “once selfies.”
This online community has showcased how important it is to take una pausa, a pause or break, from work and the activities of the day. It is a time to connect with one another and build relationships. It is crucial because it gives people the chance to talk about anything and everything, from sensitive topics to daily chores.
Dutch Teatime
My grandparents are the 3rd generation of Dutch immigrants who came to the United States and worked as farmers. I was taught the custom of Dutch teatime by my grandparents, and it is the source of many fond memories I have with them.
I would get to select a special teaspoon from a hanging wooden display case that featured teaspoons they had collected as souvenirs from their travels. In the dining room, delicate Dutch lace hung from the windows as curtains and was also laid on the table as a tablecloth. Intricate cobalt blue and white Dutch Delftware teapots and teacups poured and held the tea. A little crystal bowl held perfectly square cubes of sugar. These were so tantalizing to me at age five that I had to put one in my tea, and one straight in my mouth to feel it melt into sugary goodness.
Tea was always paired with Dutch pastries which have a flakey crust and an almond paste interior. Common pastries are Dutch Letters, Almond Banket, Almond Butter Cake, Creme Hornes, Kracklings, and Puff Pillows.
Teatime was always 3:00 pm because it fit perfectly into the schedule of a farmer. Farmers would get up very early, have breakfast, and then go work on the farm. They would return home for a coffee break at 10:00 am, then work until lunch at noon. They would work for another three hours, and then have a much-needed respite at 3:00 pm for teatime before they finished the last few hours of work before dinner.
This tradition entered my life while my grandparents were retired from farming, but they still kept the custom alive. I fondly remember getting to know my grandparents and extended family over tea, even though I was very little. My grandparents passed away by the time I was five years old, and I am thankful for the memories I have made with them over their dining room table.
My mom continued this tradition in my own house, as many an afternoon was filled with tea parties for our family and our friends. My mom even taught my brother and his friends that it greatly surpassed the stereotype of being a “little girl's activity.” Even as adults, they warmly remember teatime together at the Ellis house. I think back to how my mom impacted the lives of all the neighborhood kids, some of whose parents weren’t able to be as present. She became a second mom to these kids, and my own friends, through the hospitality she created in our home and through the custom of teatime. This was where she learned about the details of our lives, our successes, and our struggles. It became a check-in point that was both formal and informal.
Russian Teatime
My husband is Russian and teatime is a large part of Russian culture. Although our families come from different cultural backgrounds, we have found that teatime is very much a shared custom.
Russian teatime was historically an afternoon event but has since become an all-day drink, but is especially served at the end of meals with dessert. Historically tea was prepared and served via a samovar. The samovar, which was an adaptation of the Tibetian hot pot, served as both a heater and a source of boiling water. A small teapot sits on top of the samovar which holds a highly concentrated tea called заварка (zavarka). Water from the samovar is then used to dilute the заварка to the individual’s preference. The samovar has served as the Russian teapot since the mid-1700s. By the 1800s, the samovar became the focal point of the Russian household and was the centerpiece for social gatherings.
Tea was sipped from подстака́нник (podstakannik), which translates to literally “thing under the glass.” Подстака́нник is a tea glass holder made of metal. It was made to hold a very hot glass of tea and to increase the stability of the glass on the table. This was especially useful on railroads when tea was served in moving carriages that were shaking. At first, подстака́нники were practical, but they soon became works of art, just like samovars, made of precious metals and featuring ornate designs.
Now for the food. My personal favorite and a popular treat for Russian teatime is Tульский пряник (Tula pryanik). This is a kind of gingerbread that comes with a variety of fillings, usually condensed milk or jam. The best one is filled with boiled sweetened condensed milk, called сгушенка, (sgushyonka). When boiled, it has a caramel-like taste, which you will recognize if you enjoy dulce de leche.
Another classic treat is зефир (zefir), which is made from fruit and berry puree with sugar and egg white. My favorite version is зевир в шоколаде (zefir in chocolate). It is chocolate coated and has the taste and spongy texture of a less sweet marshmallow.
Another afternoon tea snack that stems from aristocratic Russian soirees of the 19th century is пастила (pastila). It is a sweet, fluffy apple loaf that has the texture between a marshmallow and a meringue, that is distinctly apple-flavored. The finest пастила is made from the huge, cold-loving Antonovka apples. The feature that makes them the best for пастила is their acidity. Sour and underripe apples have the most pectin, which is the substance that gives пастила its gummy texture.
Samovars and подстака́нник (podstakannik), are considered heirloom pieces, but for day-to-day life in Russia, teatime is now more casual. Заварка (zavarka), the strong condensed tea is still brewed and diluted with hot water, just from small tea kettles on the stove instead of using samovars. Families also use regular ceramic mugs instead of подстака́нник (podstakannik).
Teatime is a large part of hospitality and social life in Russia. It is customary to invite someone in for tea whenever you are receiving guests, or even if someone is simply stopping by. I have fallen in love with Russian tea culture while getting to know my husband’s family. Even when traveling in the U.S. together, they will bring a suitcase full of Russian teatime snacks. After a long day out, we will gather in the late afternoon, or after dinner to have tea, sweet treats, and talk. It has been the best way to get to know my husband’s family and learn about Russian culture and history with them.
Although the tea brewing process, dishes, food, and table may look different, teatime is an essential custom in many cultures around the world. Regardless of the differences, they all serve the same crucial purpose as a set-aside time to take una pausa and connect deeper with the people around us.
