It seems that almost everyone is into ‘tea’ these days. It’s no longer reserved for nobility or regal tastes exclusively. This delicious beverage, hot or cold, which was once associated with aristocracy and the art of living well, is now a favourite staple in every home. From delectable teas, to serving sets in fine china (see Marie Antoinette’s Gossip Guide) to tea table settings (see Tea at Trianon), tea time has been transformed from stuffy sipping to wonderful time for connecting with friends.
Now, if you want to really get serious about tea- You need to go to the expert: Etiquette with Miss Janice is a must visit. She has 14 posts written on the subject. From the first post on, she discusses tea origin, tea accoutrements, service…and, of course, etiquette is de rigueur! I particularly love her Post # 5 which discusses everything needed for the perfect tea time setting. She even uses a quilted tea cozy to keep the tea warm! It’s an absolutely charming blog filled with information and tips to avoid any unwanted faux-pas (gasp!)
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19 comments:
Hi Lucy,
Wouldn't you just love to hve a fancy tea party with all of the wonderful people you've met on here!?! You would be first on my list! Love this post (as I do all of your posts)! Ah better yet, wouldn't you love to meet in Paris for tea with all of these great people! Fantastic!
xoxo
Judith~
What a lovely idea Judith! If we had a choice...for sure Paris. Can you imagine us all in Trianon? Actually, we would just have to choose a perfect place from your beautiful posts. Thanks for making my day! You're just too sweet;-)
I love tea but it's so hard to find good teas with real flavor. Alas.
Hello Hummingbird. I think that with all the exposure that tea is getting, there is such a push for mass production. And so , this makes it difficult to find the realy good kind. There are many specialty stores that carry fine tea, here in Montreal. Also, I find that many communities sell teas from their originating countries. These make for delicious blends and tastes. Thanks
What a delightful post for a wintery day. I think I'll make myself a cuppa. I love the image of the lady teapot with legs. Can you identify the title and source?
Hi Ingrid- It's very cold here too...cup of tea sounds just right.
The leg lady is from a collection of gifs that people send me or that I find...over the years, they've taken over my computer! This one was sent to me recently by a friend of mine who loves dolls (strange ones)- But, I think it's the work of Ray Caesar- he's in New York (it's a bit creepy don't ya think?)
In The Merry Monarch's Wife by Jean Plaidy it is said that Catherine of Braganza is the one who brought tea from Portugal and made it popular with the English. I don't know if that is true but Plaidy's books are usually accurate.
In the South we loved sweet iced tea :)
Yes, apparently Catherine's father sent a chestful of tea in her dowry when marrying Charles II- but I'm not sure that it wasn't already known in England...It is true that Portugese traders imported it from the East though...
We've been discussing teas in our reenactment group. Great post. And I share your love of history and historical novels!
Hello Jennifer. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you so much for your comment and your visit. Please drop by again.
You are so kind! I'm so enjoying both of your blogs!
Hello Miss Janice. Your blog is great too and I really enjoy it- I just had to link your series on 'Tea'. The information is so interesting as well as informative, and I love the pictures. Thank you.
This is great, thanks for that link I am going to catch up on my proper etiquette. Maybe throw a party!!
You're welcome, Lauren!
Here's a virtual cup of tea for you! My favorites are the herbal teas (sometimes I need the pick me up) Now I have to go educated myself on tea etiquette...
I remember reading that Catherine of Braganza brought tea to England too....but I can't remember where? Now I am curious if it is true.
Hi Bearded Lady! I'm confused on this one too...but last I checked, it seems that tea had already been imported. Let me know if you get to the bottom of this;-)
Amazing how tea drinking has evolved over the years! The thought of "tea etiquette" is actually quite funny... People took tea drinking so seriously!!
Hi Maria mou! You're right about that...and for the younger generation this must seem a bit strange, but it does exist! Thanks!
Not much of a tea lover, but I LOVE that second picture in your post...so strange, yet wonderful!
BTW - now that I've found the song Josephine, I CAN NOT stop listening to it! It's soooo good!
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