In an interesting turn of event, campaigners from the county of Devon England are taking their beloved Devon Cream Tea to the European Union for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, securing European protection for the tea to be produced, processed, or prepared in Devon only. Devon Cream Tea, a method by which tea is consumed with a combination of scones, clotted cream, and jam, is an afternoon snack enjoyed by many in England and must be executed the Devon way: splitting a scone in two, covering each half with clotted cream, and adding strawberry jam on top (note: clotted cream first before jam). Frustrated by the way outsiders are mutilating their beloved Devon Cream Tea, angry Devon’eers are protesting other variations that use “sub-standard cake-like scones” that are tepid in temperature topped with “cream from a can” like whipped butter. GASP – How atrocious!
As obnoxious as this sound, a feud has reignited between Devon and the county of Cornwall over where cream tea comes from. Known also as Cornish Cream Tea, tea is consumed with a bread roll rather than a scone and strawberry jam is spread first before clotted cream. Not to mention the endless variations by which tea is consumed with bread and spread, this feud and protest to the EU is simply hilarious! I say, go Devon, get your PDO status and show the world how tea is really supposed to be enjoyed!
Now it’s interesting how this might be taken right up to the EU, but it isn’t the first time. Precedence was already set by previous campaigners for other protected names as Stilton Cheese, Jersey Royal Potatoes and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies. Not to mention the recent hummus war between Lebanon and Israel or the petition by Israel for the PDO status of hummus. As one person put it nicely “Trying to make a copyright claim over hummus is like claiming the rights to bread of wine. Hummus is a century old Arab dish – no one owns it , it belongs to the region.” Say that to Devon and whoever else comes next! Are these threats really to be taken seriously? Are we so petty that we have to protect our chick pea spread and fight over scone, cream and jam?! (Excuse me Cornwall: bread, jam, then cream) As for now, let’s see how the Devon Cream Tea PDO concludes while we expect more and more dubious claims to increase. What’s next, UN protected status?!
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This seems as ridiculous as UNESCO Heritage sites. But unlike heritage sites we cannot easily move a canal or castle. There is something to be said about humanly fear of change, and preservation of a certain identity.
What if I spread jam on one side of the scone, and cream on the other side of the SAME scone, gaaaah blasphemy.