English Tea Party
Source of Recipe
internet
Recipe Introduction
List of Ingredients
AN ENGLISH COUNTRY TEA PARTY.
It may be just a coincidence that in the decades since Old Country Roses
introduced, tea is one of the old-fashioned customs that has been making
a comeback. Whatever the reason, tearooms have been springing up
in small towns and big cities, and women's book clubs once again
meet at teatime, as they did a century and more ago. Bridal and baby
showers, reunions, picnics, holiday entertaining and wedding receptions
feature an "Afternoon Tea" theme; women and girls of all ages choose tea
parties as a delightful way to celebrate their birthdays. If you, too, are
ready to rediscover the romance of afternoon tea, the following information
and suggestions are adapted from "Tea Party Celebration" written for
Royal Albert by Elizabeth Knight, author of "Tea and Friends" (Storey
Books)
Planning Your Party
-Anytime is teatime, but a weekend afternoon tea is ideal because it
allows ample time for preparations in advance, and allows you to be
a guest at your own party. Everyone goes home early so dinner and
evening plans are not affected.
-If it's your first eat party, limit your guests to four. More experienced
hostesses can usually manage up to 10 people without help if the food
is served buffet style.
-Invitations should be given two weeks in advance. You may telephone,
but written invitations are more in keeping with the old-fashioned mood.
-Tea is an intimate experience. Furniture should be arranged in comfortable
conversational groupings. Tea may be enjoyed in living room, den,
library or porch, and served from a coffee table, sideboard, tray or cart.
-No matter where it's served, a tea tray, made of metal or wood,
holds the essentials. Cover the tray with a tray cloth, placemat, or
cloth napkin. Place the teapot at the center back and arrange the
sugar bowl, creamer and plate of lemon slices around it. Place the
tray along with other china and utensils on a cloth-covered serving
table. A variety of serving pieces in different shapes, heights and
materials will add visual interest. Feel free to mix patterns with
coordinating or complementary colors to create a personal and stylish
setting. Arrange the cups on saucers with the handles facing left and
spoons on the side of the saucer closest to the hostess or pourer.
About Tea
GREEN TEA
Freshly plucked green leaves are quickly steamed or heated, then
dried to produce a delicate unfermented drink. Gunpowder and Jasmine
are green teas.
BLACK TEA
Leathery green leaves are dried, twisted and oxidized. Fully fermented
dried leaves produce full-bodied brews like Keemum and Darjeeling.
OOLONG TEA
Oolong Tea is partly fermented, so its flavor is stronger than green teas
bu less hearty than black. Peach, peppery Formosa Oolong is a good
example.
BLENDED TEAS
These are combinations of different dry tea leaves, which may be mixed
spices, fruit, flowers, or fragrant oils. English Breakfast combines full
bodied black teas from India and Ceylon. Earl Grey tea is scented with
oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit.
HERBAL TEA
A beverage made of fruit, flowers, roots, berries, herbs or the leaves of
any plant other than Camellia sinensis isn't really tea and is more properly
called infusion or tisane.
Recipe
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