[2] Recipes for tea sandwiches appeared in Mrs. Hill's New Cook Book (1867).

[2] The tea sandwich may take a number of different forms, but they typically are sized to be easy to handle and capable of being eaten in two or three bites.

[1] Fillings are light, and are "dainty" or "delicate" in proportion to the amount of bread.

Spreads might include butter, cream cheese or mayonnaise mixtures, and the sandwiches often feature fresh vegetables such as radishes, olives, cucumber, asparagus, or watercress.

[5] Other popular tea sandwich fillings include tomatoes, pimento cheese, ham with mustard, smoked salmon with cream cheese, fruit jam, curried chicken, fish paste, and egg salad.