A Tea and Scones Vermont Blog

The site I am writing about is almost in Southern Vermont. But for the Connecticut River, it might have been. During the last Foliage I took my grandsons to see The Fort at No. 4 in Charleston, NH, just across the river from Springfield, VT. Ruth, our neighbor next to Toad Hall, volunteers as a historical interpreter at the fort, and suggested that Lliam, David, and Toby might enjoy a visit.

The website for The Fort at No. 4 states the following:

• Travel back in time to Charlestown, New Hampshire in the 1740’s and have an unforgettable experience in an authentically reconstructed settlement.
• Tour with guides dressed as original settlers of No. 4 as they take you through the gates of our heritage. Meet the likes of Dr. Hastings, Lt. Parker, and Capt. Phineas Stevens.
• Demonstrations of hearth cooking, musket firings, military drills and much more are conducted daily.

I think that even during the Winter, this would be a great place to visit for both adults and youngsters. [Read the rest of this entry...]

I fiddled around with lots of clever titles and keywords for this post before I decided to just state the obvious. I’m Back! I owe those of you who have visited since September an apology. I was astounded today when I took a look at our traffic and RSS statistics. I’ve neglected my Tea and Scones Vermont blog since way back in September to do two things.

I”ve had to deal with a couple of health issues. All is now well, and I can’t wait to get back to writing about my favorite beverage and food, tea and scones, and about our beautiful state of Vermont. The good news is that Rose Arbour had a wonderful Christmas season, (I’ll post some pictures for you.) and that winter in Vermont is still spectacularly beautiful. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about a great site to visit just across the Connecticut River from Springfield, Vermont. It has great historical significance and provides a wonderful experience for the whole family.

OK. that’s just a quick update to let you know we are back in business. Please subscribe to the RSS feed, and as always, leave your comments.

Well as you can see, the colors are coming. Almost everyone I talk to says that it looks like it’s going to be a great Foliage. Doesn’t that just make you want to come up to Vermont . . . especially to Rose Arbour . . . do some serious leaf peeping and then nourish yourself for a nice Fall Foliage scenic drive. This post suggests a wonderful scenic drive and provides links to a couple of great sites to help you plan your trip to Vermont.

Come stay with us at Rose Arbour. As our web site says so eloquently, even if I do say so myself :

“During The Foliage the warm glow of Rose Arbour’s lighted windows will welcome you home with open arms from a long day of “leaf peeping.”

“At Rose Arbour we have not forgotten that the first word in Bed & Breakfast is BED. That’s why Rose Arbour provides her guests with luxuriously comfortable beds. At the end of a long day exploring Vermont, skiing, or leaf peeping sink into bed for a great night’s sleep.”

	Scenic Drive Directions Well, we think we have just the drive for you. Follow this link to a great Vermont internet site, www.linkVermont.com. There you will find complete directions for a 58 mile loop that will take through the communities of Brattleborro, Newfane, Townshend,Jamaica,Londonderry,Chester, and Rockingham.Everyone of these towns has great shops, a variety of activities and historical sites, beautiful houses , and of course great fall color.
Here’s a couple of other links I highly recommend you bookmark. If Vermont history interests you the visit the Vermont History site. Click on Link Vermont’s Fall Foliage Report to find the latest news about how the Foliage is progressing.

Since Foliage is soon upon us, let me tell you about a great activity in southern Vermont you might like to try when you come to enjoy the fall color.

One of the best ways to see color is to catch the Green Mountain Flyer in Chester or Bellows Falls and ride on restored antique rail cars on the round trip between them. The train travels along the Williams River and the color can be wonderful. If you catch the train in Bellows Falls, it’s easy to get to Rose Arbour from Chester Depot. You can take a shuttle from Chester Depot right up into Chester Village. It swings right by Rose Arbour . Just hop off and come in for a cup of tea and some gift shopping.

If you Don’t care to take the shuttle, then drive west into Chester along Routes 103 and 11. On Route 103 in Rockingham make sure you stop at The Vermont Country Store . You’ll find wonderful souvenirs and other goods. In my opinion, this newer store is not the experience you can have at the original store, so make sure after you stop at Rose Arbour , you head on over to the beautiful village of Weston and spend at least a little time in the store there.

OK. More later.

If you have a favorite site to see in Vermont, please comment an tell us about it.

If you’re wondering how the fall colors are coming along, here’s a link to an up-to-date and reliable Foliage Report .

We are thrilled to have our Rose Arbour Tea Room in Chester, VT featured in the summer issue of TEA A Magazine.

The author of the article did a wonderful job capturing both the history and the essential experience of having tea at Rose Arbour. I have to admit that the picture of Debbie and I is a bit dated. Some of my friends have asked me when I decided to wear a rug, since my hair is a lot grayer today than it was when the picture was taken.

There is one full page of pictures of Rose Arbour, and a couple wonderful pictures inline in the article text of an actual Afternoon Tea service and of Suzy, our daughter and your tea hostess, when you come to Rose Arbour.

Please take the time to visit the Rose Arbour website. Scroll down a little and you will see links to the article. Many thanks to Jobina at TEA A Magazine for permission to put the article on our site. Here’s a link to TEA A Magazine. It is always filled with beautiful photographs and knowledgeable articles about tea and the tea experience. We sell it at Rose Arbour and highly recommend it. You can subscribe on their web site.

While you clicking on links, be sure to visit the Tea and Scones Vermont online store . You can purchase the best scones in the world there and other items we thought you might like. Check back soon! I am going to be adding pictures and details about the most beautiful tea services I have ever seen. We are carrying tea services from Franz. The only word you can use to describe them is exquisite.

The Great Tradition: Afternoon Tea
Almost anyone who drinks tea has their own idea about the tea tradition of Afternoon Tea. It’s an event celebrated through decades of British poetry, books, and movies, and is an event known around the world as a result. However, few Americans understand the history of this experience and its origins, and therefore they understand little of its true significance.

The History
The 7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, is reputed to have begun the tradition. Because Victorian dinners were often served “fashionably late” she would begin to feel hunger pains around five in the afternoon. Rather than waiting until dinner to satisfy her hunger, she asked her butler to have tea served in the late afternoon accompanied by bread and butter and a few cakes or biscuits. It satisfied her to the degree that she soon made it a habit, even inviting her friends to join her in the sitting room for the event. When Queen Victoria herself adopted the practice, the tradition became even more popular. As tea eventually became more affordable, the middle class was able to join in on this ritual dessert tea as well, and when that occurred, the event quickly became an activity enjoyed by all.

Of course, this is a well known and respected tradition in the United Kingdom, and it is really a light meal. References to low tea and high tea have little to do with the elegance of this popular tea service. The terms low tea and high tea have more to do with the height of the surface on which tea is served than whether it is elegant or inelegant.

In fact, Afternoon tea can be very elegant. It is traditionally served between two and five in the afternoon and may include finger sandwiches, scones, jams, cakes, and even assorted pastries. It might very well be served on a low table in the sitting room or even the bedroom, hence the term “low tea.” Traditionally, only loose tea is served in a china teapot, possibly accompanied by milk and sugar. Occasionally, even more elaborate desserts such as trifle, a multi-layered cake, are served as well. Afternoon Tea is usually served in the more formal rooms of the house rather than the kitchen, and this elegant treat is accompanied by the best linens, fine china and silver teapots.

High Tea
As I mentioned, high tea is a different tea service. High tea is really an early evening meal, and generally occurs between the later hours of 5 and 6 o’clock. It typically consists of cold meats, eggs, cakes and sandwiches and is a more formal event. Because of the type of foods served tends to be served on the table regularly used for meals, a higher table, and hence the term “high tea.”

Which Type of Tea?
When it comes to what tea should be served at Afternoon Tea, there are many choices. Often, the hostess makes the tea using an electric kettle to boil the water. Because the water is just off the boil when it is poured over the tea more flavor is extracted. It also effectively reduces the time it takes to actually brew the tea.

The longer you brew tea, the more the tannin will be dissolved, and the tea will taste less bitter. Full leaf tea will also taste better because full leaf loose tea is not as broken as some of the the tea you might find in teabags which often include finely ground tea dust called fannings. Keep in mind that if you do use loose tea, you will need to use a tea strainer to keep from getting tea leaves in your cup. On the other hand, tea leaves in your Afternoon Tea cup gives you the opportunity to give a tea leaf reading, but that’s for another article. Tea is a delicious beverage that is enjoyed around the world and in many cultures. Why don’t you brew a nice steaming “cuppa” today.

At Rose Arbour Tea Room, we serve a spectacular afternoon tea. Call suzy at (802) 875-4767 and make a reservation for an outstanding tea event or visit our Rose Arbour Tea Room website.

There are some simple techniques for brewing tea that will make the difference between making a good cup of brew and a great one.

Sparkling Clean Equipage

Before making your tea, check to be sure your teapot and utensils are clean. While this seems obvious, kettles, teapots, cups, strainers and other tea accessories need to be gently washed on a regular basis with soap or baking soda (even if they are just used for water or tea) to remove mineral deposits and old residue that can taint the flavor of your freshly made brew.

Start with Cold, Good-Tasting Water

Since tea is comprised of 99% water, the type of water you use will affect the clarity and taste of your beverage. So if your water tastes good then your tea will taste good.

The best type of water to use when brewing tea is filtered or bottled water (not distilled water) that is free of chemicals and chlorine. If that isn’t available and you are using tap water, run your faucet for around ten seconds and until the tap water is cold before filling your tea kettle.

Water and Steeping

For each cup of tea you prepare, you will want to heat 6 ounces of water. So if you are making a pot of tea, be sure you have pre-measured the amount of water the pot holds. The water temperature and length of steeping time varies by the blend of tea you are brewing.

Here are some general tea brewing guidelines for water temperature and steeping times. Adjust the heat and time based on your individual preferences. The time it takes to brew tea correlates to the size of the leaf in your blend. This means the larger the leaf the longer the brewing time.

Black

• Water Temp: 195-210 F
• Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes

Oolong

• Water Temp: 185-200 F
• Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes

Green

• Water Temp: 165-185 F
• Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes

White

• Water Temp: 160-175 F
• Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes

Herbal/Tisanes

• Water Temp: 205-210 F
• Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes

Amount of Tea

To maximize taste, it is preferable to brew tea leaves in loose form rather than using a small tea ball or infuser (yet these accessories are popular, convenient, and yield tasty brews). This allows the leaves to fully open and release all their flavor.

Use 1 teaspoon of whole leaf tea for each 6 ounce cup you are brewing. This is the standard for compact blends. If you are brewing tea that has a lot of volume, consider using up to two tablespoons per serving.

If you want the convenience of using a tea bag or sachet, simply use one for every cup of tea you are making. The key to good tasting brew is to make sure your tea bags are always fresh.

The tea in commercially produced bags is typically comprised of small pieces of leaves or fannings that are susceptible to becoming stale faster than the well-stored loose leaf variety.

Serving

When your tea is done steeping, immediately remove the loose tea from the strainer or the tea bag and lightly stir. Then serve while fresh and hot. If your tea gets too cool, it is best to enjoy it over ice verses re-heating the brew.

Depending on your preference, you can enjoy drinking your beverage plain or with a bit of milk, lemon, honey or sugar. In Asia, people typically drink tea without accompaniments. In England, a small amount of milk is often added for extra body and smoothness. In Russia, it is common to add lemon for extra flavor or raspberry jam for sweetness.

Yet, brewing tea is all about the experience and how you take your tea is a matter of individual taste and enjoyment. Experiment until you find a combination that suits your palette “to a tea.”

This article was written by Jules Sowder. Visit www.learn-about-tea.com for more information on tea, including varieties, health benefits, selection, accessories, gift-giving and entertaining.