How To Host A Perfect English Tea Party
Mention afternoon tea and you immediately envisage a Merchant Ivory-style movie scene
, with refined ladies with clipped English accents sipping daintily from fine bone china cups. There"s something quaint and other worldly about a tea party. It evokes memories of more gentile times, of parlour maids and silver teapots. When it comes to afternoon tea, the English have got their own time honoured traditions when it comes to afternoon tea, just like the Japanese have their traditional tea ceremonies.
Afternoon Tea started in 19th century aristocratic circles to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner and consisted of a light meal between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock, as the gentry usually had dinner between 8 and 9pm. They used silver tea services, fine bone china cups and served savoury, bite size sandwiches, scones, sponge cake and biscuits.
Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee has evoked some patriotic memories of Englishness and many street parties have involved the inclusion of afternoon tea and best cake competitions. These days people will hold tea parties to celebrate birthdays, retirement parties or just to have a plain old girlie catch up with friends.
Anyone who has been to a proper tea party will recall the importance of proper fine bone chine mugs. Ask anyone of the older generation and they will tell you that tea served in ordinary mugs or cups just doesn"t taste the same.
So have your best china at the ready and use several teapots in order to brew a variety of teas. Use a white linen tablecloth and linen napkins. Lay out plates and silver cutlery. Arrange your sandwiches daintily on china plates and your cakes on a cake stand. Add a vase or bowl of English roses with a subtle aroma and your table will look perfect.
Serve a selection of small sandwiches or small buns with savoury fillings. Cucumber sandwiches always go down well, as they are refreshing. You may want to go with the Jubilee theme and serve coronation chicken.
Strawberry tarts are great for summer parties. Victoria sponge is an old-fashioned favourite, as are freshly baked scones served with homemade raspberry jam and clotted cream. Bake an array of cupcakes or biscuits.
Have a selection of teas, like China tea and Indian tea. Earl Grey is always a good option, too. Make sure you have tea strainers at the ready.
Use freshly drawn cold water and boil. Warm the teapots first, swill round the boiling water and pour it out. Then spoon in the tea leaves, according to the size of the teapot, a rounded teaspoon of tealeaves per person. Make sure that the water comes to a rolling boil before pouring it over the tealeaves. Let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Give the pot a good stir, and then use a strainer to strain the tea into fine bone china mugs or cups. Let your guests add milk and sugar, or honey.
Some people prefer their tea weak and would like the first cup poured. Others may want it strong. Keep your teapot covered with a tea cosy to keep the tea warm. Have lemon slices for the guests who don"t like milk in their tea. Have extra boiled water in a separate pot, so guests can water down their tea when they have a second cup from the teapot, as the infusion will have strengthened.
Finally relax, smile and enjoy a good gossip with your friends.
by: Mandy Waters
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