A tea sandwich is a dainty sandwich that is a fixture of the English afternoon tea. Less a meal than your typical American sandwich, it's meant as a little snack to hold you over until dinner (or supper) later on.

A tea sandwich can be eaten in just a few bites. It is typically made with thin-sliced, white bread slathered with butter or mayonnaise and a scant amount of filling. Tea sandwich classics include cucumbers, watercress, radishes, cream cheese, egg salad or smoked salmon.

Looks are important when making tea sandwiches: bread crusts are trimmed and people like to get cute by cutting them into triangles or whimsical shapes with cookie cutters.

Recipe: Open-Faced Cucumber Tea Sandwiches (VeganYumYum)
Recipe: Salmon And Caviar Croque Monsieur With Watercress Salad (Washington Post)