Victoria at the table

A queen's daily eating schedule in the Victorian era was organized into four parts: a hearty breakfast (eggs, fish, cold meats), a light luncheon, the five o'clock afternoon tea — an institution born under her reign, where tea imported from the colonies, scones, delicate sandwiches, and cakes followed one another — then the grand dinner served "à la russe," course after course in order, whereas formerly everything was placed on the table at once. On Victoria's table, the Empire was invited every day: curry from India sat alongside porridge from the Highlands.

Victoria made curry a daily dish at her court, advised by her Indian munshi Abdul Karim; and tea, imported from Ceylon and India, became under her reign the heart of a new social ritual. Indian spices and tea leaves are the true gustatory signature of her imperial reign.