Tea Ceremonies Around the World: Part III Chilean Culture
Read in French: HERE.
LA ONCE
“My Life and Tea” is exploring the different ceremonies that take place around the world and how these ceremonies transform ordinary moments into beautiful moments of pause and human connection. We started in Ethiopia and Eritrea with the Buna Tetu ceremony then we traveled to Samoan communities with their Ava Ceremony and now we bring you to Chile.
THE CEREMONY and THOUGHTFULNESS
La Once (pronounced “on-say” or “own-say”) is a Chilean tea ceremony that takes places in the late afternoon or early evening typically between 5pm to 9pm before dinner. In these modern more busy times, some families and friends enjoy Once on Sundays or at the end of the week or when hosting guests.
Once is “a treasured tradition. It is beloved for its flexibility and hominess. Once is the embodiment of comfort food for Chileans.” See Chilean Food and Garden.
“La once is a pause or break in the day to socialize with friends and family. Gatherings to share stories, enjoy food, and unwind.” See Joy Moonan.
A fun fact about Chile is that it: “has the highest per capita consumption of tea in South America and is the only South American country where people drink more tea than coffee.” See the Tea Infusiast.
INGREDIENTS
*tea or another hot beverage such as coffee or hot chocolate
*for tea: it is was typically black tea blends (see the Tea Infusiast)
*light meal based on regional and household preferences: such as sandwiches, treats, pastries, cheeses, breads, jams, egg, avocado, cold-cut meats, fish, dips, spreads, tomatoes
*the people and just being together
According to the Chilean Food and Garden: “The weekday Once is usually a mix of bread and assorted bread fillings (cosas pa'l pan) or spreads, leftovers from lunch or the weekend, and coffee and tea. The table will have a bread basket, cold cuts, jams, butter, cheese, mashed avocado, and queso fresco. If lucky, a pound cake or bundt cake, too. On weekends, the meal is more elaborate, with cakes, kuchen, or pies. Maybe an assortment of different pieces of bread is in the bread basket. There are fancier cold cuts, cheese, and scrambled eggs.”
WHAT IS LOVING ABOUT THIS:
How lovely to have a daily or weekly moment where everyone says PAUSE lets enjoy some yummy appetizers and some hot cozy tea and just catch up with each other without phones or television or distractions. Just US. Just being together. Imagine what type of lovely family and friend bonds are cultivated and nurtured by this ceremony.
This ceremony is truly soul nourishing and perhaps rejuvenates the soul every time when done in the right company. Have you ever participated in La Once? What types of tea did you drink? Comment below.
Sources:
“What is ‘La Once Chilena’?”. Pilar Hernandez (Food Blogger and Cookbook Author). Chilean Food and Garden. https://www.chileanfoodandgarden.com/chilean-once/
Tea Infusiast. “The Flowering of Chilean Tea Culture” by Traci Levy. October 15, 2023. https://www.teainfusiast.com/the-flowering-of-chilean-tea-culture/
“How Chileans Turned British Tea Time Into a ‘Fourth Meal’: You might want to try it, too.” by Mark Johanson for Atlas Obscura. May 14, 2020. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-la-once
“The History of La Once (Teatime in Chile)” by Joy Moonan. The Cultured Cup. February 26, 2025. https://www.theculturedcup.com/blogs/blogs/the-history-of-la-once-teatime-in-chile?srsltid=AfmBOoo2boAoPQWEKoxZ4MUZK9AqtTBJj2Av-c-ZQKJBl4uDYz3rI4O8