I was granted a wonderful, afternoon tea with Her Majesty, the Mitt. We sipped a custom peach-rooibos-rose "tea", dined on zucchini cookies and sauteed peaches.I compiled some pointers on current etiquette, should you have the opportunity for such a momentous occasion. These tips will help ease your formal-tea-jitters:
1. Wearing a "facinator" keeps tea entertaining when no one is bothered to make conversation. If your tea-companion won't make conversation, be glad she has a doodad in her hair for you to look at.
2. Despite your misgivings, let me assure you, the casual t-shirt is OK, as afternoon-tea-apparel.
3. Sugar is the height of sophistication for tea. To keep current with the fashion and to be polite, add sugar (or let your hostess add sugar) until it stops dissolving in your tea. A heaping pile in the bottom of your cup assures a comfortable ratio.
4. However tempted you may be to get clumped sugar off the serving spoon, be sure you never, ever use your finger or dip the serving spoon into another guest's tea cup. (oh, the horrors!)
2 comments:
I have learned that any plant material not from the tea plant that is infused into hot water is a tisane.
(Thank you book writing research!)
I can make you some mini brown sugar cubes if you want. Sugar cubes are quite fancy. Not sure if you were aware of that.
I have always heard " herbal infusion" but "tisane" is shorter and sounds far more exotic! Sugar cubes sound wonderful, I'd also love a sugar cube tutorial.
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