A Brief History of Afternoon Tea Parties
Although the practice of tea-drinking has been around for many centuries, it
has been mostly for medicinal purposes.
Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford is credited with the creation of Afternoon Tea,
the social event, in the 1840's. It began simply enough, as a 4:00 o'clock
snack for her, to tide her over until the customary late supper. Friends joined
her, and over the next few decades the practice became steeped in tradition,
etiquette, accoutrements, and, no doubt, tea party recipes.
As it became the "national habit", tea houses and tea rooms sprang up over
Britain like Starbucks in Seattle. Sadly, few are left, but tea parties are
gaining momentum once again.
The Three Courses of Afternoon Tea Party Recipes
Traditionally, Full Afternoon Tea is served in three courses:
Tea Sandwiches, very small savory sandwiches ranging in flavor from cucumber to
sardine. Appetizers are also appropriate.
Scones, or other tea breads such as (English) muffins or crumpets.
Tea Cakes, which may include most any pastry.
Light Afternoon Tea requires only scones and tea cakes to be served. Another
version of Afternoon Tea is called Cream Tea. Serve only scones with clotted
cream and jam.
Divide your tea party recipes, as we have. Serve something savory, then
something sweet, and you can't go wrong. Serve a beverage, like punch or
champagne, in addition to tea if the gathering is very large. Fruit and cheese
are welcome additions to the basic tea party recipes.
Basic Fine Tea Guide
The one essential thing to serve with tea party recipes is tea.
Amazingly, all tea comes from the same basic plant, Camellia Sinensis.
Depending upon the extent the leaves are fermented, all teas are either black
(fully fermented), green (unfermented), or oolong (partially fermented). Some
refer to this process as oxidation, rather than fermentation. It takes several
hours at most.
Of course, there are many variations of these three teas based on growing area,
climate, use of young leaves or older ones, blending, and so on. One such class
uses only very young leaves that are processed so little they come practically
in their natural state. They have their own classification now, White Teas.
Among Black Teas you will find Pekoe Teas, Assam, Darjeeling (considered the
connoisseur's choice), Nilgiri, Ceylon, and Keemun. These are typically dark,
rich and hearty teas, good hot or iced.
Green Teas include Gunpowder (actually very mild), Hyson, Imperial, Chun Mees,
Sow Mees, and Matcha. They make a distinctive pale grey-green color tea which
can be a little bitter, if allowed to steep too long. For brewing, the tea
leaves are sometimes rolled into tiny balls resembling lead shot.
The pride of Oolong Teas is Formosa Oolong. It is outstanding, and expensive,
as teas go. Pouchong Teas and Pu Erh also belong to this category. Oolong teas
are often used in blending because they tend to enhance the flavors of the
other teas, even cheaper ones.
White Teas like Silver Needles and White Peony are very fine and rare. They are
a light color in the cup with a very delicate flavor.
Any variety of tea can be blended with another or with oils, herbs, spices, and
other tastes to form a brand new tea flavor. But it takes finesse and practice
to get it right, so most of us opt for tried-and-true commercially blended
teas. Blended black and oolong teas are by far the most popular in the West,
but green tea is gaining in popularity because of its healthful properties.
Blended Teas include old favorites like Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Irish
Breakfast, Black Currant, Lady Londonberry, Lapsang Souchong, Russian Caravan,
Jasmine, and Chai.
Beyond that, the history, naming, and curing of tea leaves can be tea-dious
reading, forgive the pun. In the end your choice of tea is a simple matter of
taste, anyway. Serve what you like.
But if you're interested, the most concise, yet informative piece we've found
on the subject of tea is here .
Herbal teas are not considered real teas by themselves, if that matters to a
nation born of rebellion. Many would have them stricken from the roster of
possibilities, as with all teas in tea bags. Tea bags are the hot dogs of the
tea world; you never really know what all's in them. But to avoid either one
altogether is overreacting, and would deprive us of some wonderful tastes.
Again, serve what you like.
How to Brew a Perfect Pot of Tea
Learn. Learn. Learn. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Taste is subjective, so even with detailed instructions for brewing fine tea,
it takes practice to get it right for you. But in the end you have a great cup
of tea and a new hobby.
The Basics: 6 Easy Steps to a Great Pot of Tea
Bring fresh, cold water almost to a boil in a tea kettle on the stove.
In the meantime, measure out the tea: 1 teaspoon tea leaves (or 1 teabag) per
cup of water. Every tea is different, calling for some experimentation.
Preheat the teapot by rinsing it with very hot water before adding the leaves.
This is more important than you may think; it maintains the temperature in the
pot, preparing the tea leaves so that the tea releases its full flavor when the
water is poured over the leaves.
Add the measured tea to the pre-warmed teapot. Smell the aroma already? That's
good.
Pour the hot water over the tea. For black and oolong teas, let the water come
to a full boil before pouring it into the teapot. Recommended brewing times:
Black Tea, 3 to 5 minutes.
Green Tea, 1 to 3 minutes.
White and Oolong Teas, 2 to 5 minutes.
Teabags, follow manufacturers directions or to taste, usually a short infusion
time.
Remove the leaves and serve. Some tea leaves can be used again, just let them
steep a little longer each time.
What To Serve in Tea:
Are you familiar with the old song lyrics, "If her daddys rich take her out
for a meal. If her daddys poor just do what you feel"? Oddly, it's the same
with tea. If the tea is fine, your options are limited. If the tea is poor,
just do what you feel.
Though hotly debated, all the arguments for and against putting milk, cream,
sugar, and lemon in your tea are laid to rest by this one point: Fine tea
should be served without any additions (disguises), or why bother with fine
tea? Naturally strong black teas are the exception, however. A small amount of
milk may actually enhance the flavor of these.
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The important thing is that you enjoy the tea. So with a nod to tradition, to
the Victorian ladies, to other cultures, to connoisseurs, and to Great Party
Recipes, serve what you and your guests will enjoy most. Thankfully, the tea
party recipes that go with tea are much less controversial than what goes in
tea.
Web GreatPartyRecipes.com
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