Yes, it's a British tradition, but it is being practiced all over the world. Especially in regions where Britain once established its presence, the practice of High Tea is a great way of entertaining guests without the aid of alcohol.
The first rule of High Tea is that is has to be served at 4 o' clock and not sooner or later. Technically, you can serve tea at any time of the day, but for afternoon tea to be extra special and really be considered High Tea, you have to adhere to this strict rule. This is because High Tea is often meant to take the place of dinner. Follow the rule to a "t", so to speak. However, many shops offer High Tea at extended times - as a concession to customers who want the experience but are not aware of the time restrictions.
Since the real charm of High Tea is in entertaining guests, everything must be conducive to friendly conversation. Arrange comfortable chairs around a central round table where all the teapots, cups, saucers, and the food will be placed. Break out the good tablecloth and use cloth napkins. Fresh-cut flowers in a simple vase will do as the centerpiece.
The proper equipment is essential for High Tea. Invest in a quality teapot, which can be found through any shop that specializes in tea. The queen of all English teapots is known as the "Brown Betty," a little teapot that's short and stout and, well, brown. Today the ceramic Betty comes in many more colors than just brown and she has lots of cousins in other styles, but they all keep the water hot. Rounding out essentials for the tea service are teacups and saucers, teaspoons, a creamer, a sugar bowl with its own spoon, plus spreading knives for butter, jam or clotted cream, dessert plates, dessert forks and spoons. Don't stress if the tea accessories don't match up; a mis matched up set gives an air of tradition, like family heirlooms handed down through generations.
Now comes the most important element: the tea. A gracious host or hostess offers guests as many varieties of tea as possible, from prosaic Orange Pekoe to more exotic Assam Black to zany herbal Rose Hips Tootie-Frootie Enlightenment. Tea has two forms: loose tea, which takes some real skill to brew using an infuser, and teabags, in which one cup's worth of tea is encased in thin white paper. It's no longer considered declasse' to offer teabags for afternoon tea; in fact, it's much appreciated.
Your choice of food to serve your guests is only limited by their ability to eat them conveniently. Although you can serve anything, limiting the menu to finger foods is a sound idea. Tiny sandwiches, cupcakes, petit fours, yummy nut breads, fruit tarts, cream puffs, scones and jam, and crackers or cookies are all good ideas. The trick is to serve a variety of foods to have your guests looking forward to tasting everything.
All that's left is having a good time. Steer the conversation into something light and you will have a grand time sticking your pinkies up as you sip tea from dainty cups.
The first rule of High Tea is that is has to be served at 4 o' clock and not sooner or later. Technically, you can serve tea at any time of the day, but for afternoon tea to be extra special and really be considered High Tea, you have to adhere to this strict rule. This is because High Tea is often meant to take the place of dinner. Follow the rule to a "t", so to speak. However, many shops offer High Tea at extended times - as a concession to customers who want the experience but are not aware of the time restrictions.
Since the real charm of High Tea is in entertaining guests, everything must be conducive to friendly conversation. Arrange comfortable chairs around a central round table where all the teapots, cups, saucers, and the food will be placed. Break out the good tablecloth and use cloth napkins. Fresh-cut flowers in a simple vase will do as the centerpiece.
The proper equipment is essential for High Tea. Invest in a quality teapot, which can be found through any shop that specializes in tea. The queen of all English teapots is known as the "Brown Betty," a little teapot that's short and stout and, well, brown. Today the ceramic Betty comes in many more colors than just brown and she has lots of cousins in other styles, but they all keep the water hot. Rounding out essentials for the tea service are teacups and saucers, teaspoons, a creamer, a sugar bowl with its own spoon, plus spreading knives for butter, jam or clotted cream, dessert plates, dessert forks and spoons. Don't stress if the tea accessories don't match up; a mis matched up set gives an air of tradition, like family heirlooms handed down through generations.
Now comes the most important element: the tea. A gracious host or hostess offers guests as many varieties of tea as possible, from prosaic Orange Pekoe to more exotic Assam Black to zany herbal Rose Hips Tootie-Frootie Enlightenment. Tea has two forms: loose tea, which takes some real skill to brew using an infuser, and teabags, in which one cup's worth of tea is encased in thin white paper. It's no longer considered declasse' to offer teabags for afternoon tea; in fact, it's much appreciated.
Your choice of food to serve your guests is only limited by their ability to eat them conveniently. Although you can serve anything, limiting the menu to finger foods is a sound idea. Tiny sandwiches, cupcakes, petit fours, yummy nut breads, fruit tarts, cream puffs, scones and jam, and crackers or cookies are all good ideas. The trick is to serve a variety of foods to have your guests looking forward to tasting everything.
All that's left is having a good time. Steer the conversation into something light and you will have a grand time sticking your pinkies up as you sip tea from dainty cups.
About the Author:
Michelle is truly a season author regarding home food preparation. She basically really loves sharing with us her good ideas and great tips on creating crockpot or possibly pumpkin soup recipe.
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