A tea sandwich, also called finger sandwich is a small sandwich prepared to be eaten during afternoon tea, to calm small appetites before the main meal. The tea sandwich can take many forms, but should fit easily between the fingers, and be eaten in two bites. It can be prepared with long slices of bread, cut into a triangle or shaped like a small sofa. It can also be cut into decorative shapes with a cookie cutter. We usually use white sandwich bread, thinly sliced and smeared with butter. The crust of the bread is cut after the sandwich has been prepared, but before serving to keep only the crumb. Modern variants can employ whole meal bread, the bread up or rye bread, including pumpernickel. They may or may not include the crust of the bread. The toppings are light and delicate compared to the amount of bread. You can spread butter, cream cheese and mayonnaise. The sandwich is garnished with raw vegetables, such as radish, olive, cucumber, asparagus and watercress. The cucumber tea sandwich is the quintessence of the tea sandwich. Enjoy your sandwiches! Nonna Rosa
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