Tiffin?

[Curious_Me]

What exactly is 'Tiffin?'....in the context of colonial days out in India.

[Tock389]

It is a light meal, especially lunch. Although some people use it to describe afternoon tea, which could be a light meal, I suppose

[kempie]

Further to the answer from Tock389 here is the definition according to wikipedia

[Xollob]

...and further still, the entry in World Wide Words.

[Trillipse]

and also see Syd James

[Dark Angel]

Tiffin is also used to refer to a group of small stainless steel containers, stacked one on top of the other, all joined together on the side by a long handle type thing which is used to carry it. I haven't seen them recently, but when I was a kid, a classmate used to bring her lunch in one of these.

[SteveD]

It used to be a chocolate bar:

Tiffin
Introduced in 1937, this milk chocolate bar with biscuits and fruit was a popular snack bar until it was withdrawn during the rationalisation of the 1950s.

The above is a quote from Cadbury's web site - I must be older than I thought!

http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_cadbury/cabury_fry/jsfry_brans.htm

[Curious_Me]

Thanks very much to you all. Your answers have been very useful

[B00]

Lol @ Sid James!

[acw]

Certain cafes in the Cotswolds (maybe not exclusively there) sell Tiffin cake.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm tiffin cake. :-)  It's similar to Starbucks Rockyroad but less sticky.  Hope I'm not too late with that gem of information! :-p