TeaTime May - June 2006

Whether you have tea in the quiet comfort of your favorite chair, or you are joined by a friend for a steaming cup, you’ll find in this issue of TeaTime a wealth of tempting treats to prepare for those moments. Our foods range from the elegant Culinard offerings to the flower-filled menu from our own test kitchen, and much more. In every issue, I write a letter to extend greetings to you, and to keep you informed about what is happening in our tea world. So I am happy to tell you that the only tea plantation in the United States is once again welcoming visitors to its Charleston, South Carolina location. I think after you read the story of this unique tea company, you’ll want to plan a trip to…

Keepsake Menus Between cups of tea and bursts of confiding conversation comes first the savories, followed by warm, golden scones, and finally the sweets. And so it goes with afternoon tea The order is not necessarily sacrosanct, nor is it even the point of this time-honored tradition. What matters is the moment, that elusive trickle of time that exists both in seconds and nuance. Once that moment and the guests are gone, and the last bit of tea has been sipped, what lingers of the occasion is the memory of it, hopefully one that will be treasured by all. A deft and congenial hostess, of course, longs for her occasions to be remembered. To that end, her teapots and tiered trays are always full, her guest lists lively, and her service impeccable. As…

Fabulous Florals With the arrival of the warm summer weather, it seems the whole world is alive with flowers! Roses, daylilies, and peonies add their glory to the garden. Join in the floral celebration with these lovely things to brighten your summer days. 1. This adorable faux tea set from Sweet Peas gives whole new meaning to the term “floral teas”. Simply line the wire cups with moss, fill with potting soil, and plant your favorites posies. A colorful silky ribbon woven through the teapot adds a measure of charm. Sweet Peas Garden Shop, 205-879-3839. 2. Like a finely spun web, this exquisite lace tea cozy from Beverly Ruff shows off beautifully detailed handiwork. Beverly Ruff Antiques, 205-262-9434. 3. Two for tea? Serving jasmine tea from this fetching floral tea service by Vietri in…

When having tea in various tearooms, I have often observed that some individuals seem puzzled and uncertain about how to eat the scone. What is the proper way to enjoy this essential part of the tea experience? There are actually several methods for eating scones, all of them correct, but with some, more handson preparation on the part of the diner is required. The first three methods require using your fingers to transport the scone bites. The last two methods allow you to use a fork. Using the knife from the place setting, slice through the scone horizontally, as it rests flat on your plate. Spoon small dollops of jam and cream onto your plate. Never spoon either directly onto the scone. Take only the amount of toppings needed for one scone,…

Queen Victoria is rightly remembered for many things, among them her famously detailed journals, which were published after her death. Totaling more than 100 manuscript volumes in all, the queen’s diaries provide an amazing—and frequently amusing—glimpse of life at court, from a behind-thecurtains perspective. In an entry dated June 28, 1838, Victoria describes her coronation as queen. “I was…seated upon St. Edward’s chair, where the Dalmatic robe was clasped round me by the Lord Great Chamberlain. Then followed all the various things; and last (of those things) the Crown being placed on my head—which was, I must own, a most beautiful impressive moment,” the newly crowned 18-year-old recalled in her diary. Not all parties can be coronations, of course—but why not borrow a page from Queen Victoria’s book in planning one’s own gatherings?…

Look out London! Tea is once again the fashionable beverage for consumers of all ages in New York City. Early Dutch settlers in Manhattan were drinking tea long before Londoners. By the time George Washington was inaugurated as president at the old City Hall, he was said to breakfast daily on three cups of tea. Tea water pumps, erected over freshwater springs, provided the President and citizens with the best potable water, delivered to their doors, for a penny or two a pail. By the eighteenth-century, New York boasted 200 tea establishments. Gardens, named Ranelagh and Vauxhall after their London counterparts, sprang up around the Lower East Side and the Bowery. Here, city sophisticates could stroll through leafy glades, flirt, or sit to sip tea. East Side, West Side, all around the town,…