Top Tips for a Terrific Tea Party
As cooler weather begins to set in with the arrival of autumn, there’s nothing better than a sip from a hot cup of tea.
Have you ever thought of hosting your own tea party? It’s a great reason to gather with friends and family and enjoy the great taste of tea.
Dawn Bryan who is the founder of The Qualipedia (www.qualipedia.com), has put together top tips for a terrific tea party. Make your tea party a wonderful and memorable event!
TEA PARTY THEMES:
There are a variety of ways to throw a tea party. You could go the classic English tea party route, or you could throw all the rules out the window and host a memorable tea party, which does not have to adhere to any of the traditional rules and leaves a lasting impression on your guests. Non-traditional tea soirées can be anything you choose: formal, informal, for a few guests or a hundred. Consider a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party with hat decorating elements, or a fall hat exchange, or chill out with guests and have a yoga instruction followed by a traditional Zen tea ceremony.
TEA TIPS:
· Choose from many different teas including white, green, herbal, Darjeeling, and oolong among them
· Check instructions for selected tea, as teas vary in their brewing time
· Start all teas with cold fresh water
· Place 2 or 3 tea bags into pot of hot water to steep
· Cover the pot or cup while tea is steeping
· Remove loose leaf tea leaves immediately after steeping or if using tea bags squeezing the tea bag after putting it directly into a cup is a no-no, allow it to drip briefly into cup while removing.
TEA BITES:
Most tea foods are bite-size fingers foods. However, you can update the three course tradition with your favorite mini foods. Consider a gorgeous spread of nuts and dried fruits, kabobs, cheese plates, filo puffs or yummy Spanish tapas instead of the traditional small sandwiches and scones.
CONDIMENTS:
Many tea drinkers prefer their tea served plain; however, you should have sugar and other sweeteners, various milks and lemons available for your guests. Tip: Milk goes best with black teas and traditional English teas, and lemon with Chinese.
