I have just returned from a delightful trip to a tea room for my niece’s birthday. My mother brought my 12 and 10 year old nieces down and we had high tea (complete with scones, finger sandwiches, and itty-bitty desserts). We got to choose our own pot of tea. (Rose, Peach, Strawberry, and “Hanna” - a cranberry herbal.)
It was wonderful and they enjoyed it! Although I’m amazed at how many sugar cubes they put in their tea (grandmother included :rolleyes: ), all were well-behaved and at least tasted everything.
(“I hate tomatoes.” “Really? :dubious: You sure ate that sun-dried tomato on pumpernickel fast.” “That wasn’t tomato - that was GOOOOOOD!”)
This is a great tea room. China, silver, lace. They even supply HATS for you to wear. (From big & floofy to dramatic to elegant) Needless to say, I couldn’t convince Grandaddy to come with us - “I don’t need no frou-frou, girly tea! I just need Sweet Tea!” Good, Dad - Stay home and watch TV.
<<sigh>> And just think - in a couple of years, I won’t be Cool Auntie DeVena™ anymore. It’s only a matter of time before there are more rolling eyes than hugs and I’m relegated to being Weird Old Aunt DeVena which won’t be nearly as fun. They’re already getting squirmy about my gifts. I give books for birthdays. The first 3 Lemony Snicket books this time, but still books. <<sigh>>
But all together, a Happy Happy Day! Fun was had by all. I think I deserve another cuppa tea!
I love tea (strong, black Russian tea—none of your pansy-ass berry or herbal things), and frequently spend my lunch hour decompressing and having a cup at the Algonquin.
I love Japanese restaurant tea and Constant Comment. But it has to be real tea. Herbals are just so…so…New Age. I only drink it in the winter. Lipton Brisk Iced Tea in the summer for me.
I had a friend who used a tea ball. Her tea was fabulous!
I love Japanese restaurant tea and Constant Comment. But it has to be real tea. Herbals are just so…so…New Age. I only drink it in the winter. Lipton Brisk Iced Tea in the summer for me.
I had a friend who used a tea ball. Her tea was fabulous!
I have a diffuser that I use during the day. It’s like a small tea ball crossed with a spoon. You fill it up with tea then plunk it in your cup with hot water. I love it!
I love the formal afternoon tea they serve at the St. Regis Hotel here in NYC. I have also done tea at The Plaza.
One of my most memorable high teas was at the St. Francis in San Francisco.
On a less formal note, Rite Aid recently had a sale on Twinings Earl Grey, so I bought 7 boxes at 99 cents a pop. I can pretty much bathe in the stuff! (With a spot of honey and a dash of skim milk, of course!)
All Twinings teas are good… I like Stash teas as well… I am diggin the Stash Earl Grey(more subtle than the Twinings, generally) and the Twinings Darjeeling… but their Prince of Wales is awesome too…
To show how high class the Ujest kids are, we have - ahem - afternoon tea at 4pm ( usually).
Every one gets a cup of hot herbal tea, four ice cubes a peice for them to put into their cups and swirl around with a spoon, while I read books to them.
It’s something we fell into naturally, somedays it happens, some days we don’t. But the kids love it and so do I.
There’s an atsy afternoon tea place here in Toronto that does small-estate teas, and pan-Asian food, as well as really cool cakes and cookies (rose petal shortbread! Lemongrass chocolate cake! Frangipani mousse!).
I love it, but can’t afford to go often, because it’s at least $25 a person.
There’s also a small afternoon tea place that’s just opened up in my neighbourhood where you can get tea, scones, devonshire cream and preserves for $6 each. I might visit there soon…
Tea is good. I like the Irish and Scottish breakfast teas myself. Eve, I can only agree with you about all of these fruity frou-frou simulacrums posing as real tea. They are abominations.
All said and done, I’ll still praise Shirley for having a teatime storybook session with her children. I do not care if you serve granulated Lipton’s instant tea, so long as a book is being read.
Earl Grey is my sentimental favorite, plus it’s delicious. Mariage Freres makes a version that is a bit more delicate than some brands’ over perfumy-ness. The Republic of Tea brand teas are pretty good for herbals. Sometimes I just want some cammomile, like when I’m sniffly. Tea rooms are lovely things, I only got to go to my first one a few years ago, the shame.
And don’t worry DeVena, I remain cool AuntBadBaby to my niece, just for different reasons. If you’re still worried, buy a convertible-- worked for me!
The Spouse thinks I’m nuts for drinking hot tea in the summer in Texas. Fortunately, the friend I’m sort of courting shares my madness.
I discovered roiboos this past winter, and I’m still deciding how I feel about it. I’m also investigating mate, since coffee has always been a bit of a disappointment to me. I like some herbal infusions - I’m particularly fond of raspberry leaf, rosehip, and hibiscus based ones - but some just taste like wet leaves to me.
People who drink lapsang souchong fill me with admiration from a safe distance. I kinda like Russian Caravan, but anything smokier tastes like railroad tie asphalt to me.
Of course, being a true duaghter of the South, I keep a big pitcher of iced sun tea (I prefer Luzianne, but I’m not going to get into a holy war over tea bags) in the fridge at all times. Being a bluestocking rather than a proper Belle, I have been known to drop an orange spice teabag in there for good measure.
Mmm . . . tea. Lovely stuff. wanders off to put the kettle on
My husband is obesessed with Earl Grey tea. It must be loose tea however. The pot must be heated before hand. The tea scooped in loose and then poured into a tea cup with a strainer after it has been brewed for just the right amount of time (5 minutes to be exact.) I really have it down now. I enjoy making it because the bergamot makes me swoon! Unfortunately I must say I am still a coffee person, but Earl Grey is divine…I think I just love the whole idea of tea. The beautiful tea pot, the silver strainer, scones, clotted cream…ahhhhh. It’s heaven on earth. A wonderfully civilized past time.
About 15, 20 years ago I worked at the American Museum of Natural History, for “Conan the Librarian,” as we called her. There was a lovely silver tea set in my office, so I sent around a memo (this was long before e-mail!) for everyone to drop by my office anytime between 3:00 and 4:00. I’d make a pot of tea, and bring in some Pepperidge Farm cookies, and we’d have a nice hour of relaxing, chatting, tea-sipping. Very civilized.
I’ve been drinking various green teas mostly, since I’m trying to keep from getting re-addicted to caffeine and the content in green tea is very low. I know that white tea is lower, but it’s rather pricey. At home, I have a couple of sizes of tea balls, as well as a spoon-style diffuser.
