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
Some anecdotal histories suggest that 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.

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• Belated Christmas and Early New Year’s Greetings (0)

They are pictures of the tuberous begonias my daughter, Suzy, has growing in the bay window of the tea room at Rose Arbour. If you look at the second image you can see that it is snowing outside.

Begonias iin Vermont on December 31. May that encourage you as it has me.

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We had a wonderful Rose Arbour Scottish Christmas Tea with our friends Joan and Don Morey. Joan is THE real estate broker (Barrett & Valley Associates-Chester) here in Chester. We have purchased all our property from her brokerage, and Katy and Tom (daughter and son-in-law) bought their new house from her. It’s an 1860 farm house on 32 acres of land just north of Chester.

Of course the Scottish Tea was SCRUMPTIOUS, and Joan and Don thoroughly enjoyed it as did Debbie and I. We had other guests in for the same tea sitting, but I quelled the urge to be the paper hat enforcer. Nevertheless, everyone popped their poppers, wore their hats, told their jokes from the joke paper, and expressed enthusiasm for the toys enclosed.

The shop looks BEAUTIFUL!! I’ve included a couple of pictures of the tree Suzy put in the front window this year. The close ups are of the ornaments. Some of them are ones we sell in the shop, and others are from her own collection of classic, beautifully hand-crafted ornaments.

We want to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Happy and prosperous New Year. Be sure to take a moment to put your feet up and have a nice “cuppa.”

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Your Rose Arbour Scottish Tea experience begins with this beautifully set table. Don’t those sandwiches look delicious?

On the right is the sandwich tier we serve, and on the left is the dessert tier.
Here’s some of our customers who have made Rose Arbours Scottish Christmas Teas their holiday tradition. Notice the hats! When i at Rose Arbour during the Scottish Christmas Teas, I often have to act as the hat police to make sure everyone puts their hat on if only briefly. zzzz The hats are inside the poppers you can see on the plates in the table setting image above. Guests each help pull each others poppers to set off the percussion cap inside. After the loud pop, everyone takes out there hat and the wonderful prize inside the poppers. I’m always amazed at how much fun everyone has participating in this simple tradition.

Thought you might enjoy some closeups of the two three tiered trays that comprise the Rose Arbour Scottish Christmas Tea.

Finally, as I promised, here are the details of Rose Arbour’s Holiday events.

Join us for our
Scottish Christmas Tea
$22.50 per person
Sat. Nov. 29 and Sun. Dec. 6, 13, 20
Sittings at 1 PM and 3 PM
Reservations Required
55 School Street, Chester VT
Call Now! (802) 875-4767

HOLIDAY SALE
Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve
Celebrate the Holidays with a friend!
Unique and beautiful
gifts in all price ranges
Check us out at www.rosearbour.com

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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.

When we arrived at the gate we greeted by a young man dressed in authentic colonial garb. He explained a bit about the history of The Fort at No. 4. (be sure to ask them why it’s called that.)

Our historical interpreter explains the history of The Fort at No. 4 to David, Toby, Lliam (and Grandpa).Notice the gaps between the pales of the palisade. They included them to prevent snow from piling up against the wall, to prevent the pales from burning together, and to provide a gap to shoot through.The massacre at the village of Deerfield was made easier because the pales were close together and when the snow piled up against the wall, the Indians and French were able to snow shoe over the wall into the village.

The interpreters at The Fort at No. 4 are very well versed in the history, culture, and behaviors of the early pioneers who settled this area of New England during some very difficult times. The history of the fort and its inhabitants is tightly connected to the history of the French and Indian War. The reconstructed buildings, rooms, and the displays are an outstanding presentation of our country’s pre-revolutionary period. Following are some pictures of the fort and some of its rooms and directions on how to get there. Check the website for details about when they are open and the special events they hold.

Ruth Holleran, my neighbor in Chester, with her son in colonial costume, and my three grandsons. Ruth showed the boys how to card wool so it could be spun into yarn on the spinning wheel. She then explained how the spun yarn was used in the loom to make cloth and other fabric items.Ruth also acts as an interpreter in the kitchen display and can cook up a colonial dinner with the best of them.

Here are a few other pictures and comments on our experience at the fort. I look forward to reading your comments.

Of course, the colonial settlers were not the first inhabitants of the area. The Abenaki village display and presentation was delivered by a member of the Mohawk tribe.Get your preconceptions of Indian life and culture corrected here. The tribes in this area had cultural practices that were far more forward thinking and practical than did the colonists. This was one of the best parts of our visit.

Finally, just a couple of photos illustrating more of the life inside the fort. Of course, the boys loved the cannon. Just beyond the cannon is a door leading to the guard tower. There is a fantastic view of the Connecticut River from a window in the tower.

Following are a couple of maps to the fort, one showing a satellite view of the road to it. Just follow the sign promionently displayed on the Springfield Road.

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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.

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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 .

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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.

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If you do like tea drinking, but simply never had the opportunity to learn more about it beyond the fact that you enjoy it, you should know that there are thousands of kinds of tea offered on today’s market.

Shades in flavor derive from the region of cultivation and the method of processing the tea leaves. It is the processing techniques that produce the four simple tea categories are considered the art of tea making. In its most basic form, processing is the taking of the raw green leaves and deciding whether or not, and how much oxidation (or fermentation) should take place before drying them out. Oxidation is the reaction of the enzymes contained in tea leaves when they are broken, bruised or crushed.

The first category is that of black tea. Black tea is nothing more than the leaves of the camellia sinensis after being exposed to 8-24 hours of open air. After the leaves are picked up they are spread out to let the water they contain evaporate. You have probably witnessed it happening to a flower that is left without being watered. The foliage curls up and begins to dry. After this part of the process, the tea leaves are balled into rolls that encourage oxidization. When fully oxidized, the leaves turn into a rich black color. Tea producers then put the tea leaves into the final drying period before sorting and packaging them. Oolong tea is another tea category and is considered to be the most difficult of the four types of teas to process.

The best way to describe oolong tea is that it is somewhere in between green and black tea. This is because the leaves are only partially oxidized during the processing. As with black tea, the leaves are spread out to dry for 8-24 hours, but after that, they are tossed about in a basket in order to create a bruising and partial exposure to the air. The final step involves steaming the leaves, which neutralizes the enzymes in the tea and prevents further oxidization. Green teas, like white teas, are closer to tasting like fresh leaves of grass that the other two tea categories. This type of tea is also lower in caffeine and has higher antioxidant properties.

The whole process of creating green tea revolves around preventing oxidization from taking place in the leaves. Though the tea leaves are sometimes laid out to dry for a few hours, then, in order to neutralize the enzymes and prevent further oxidation, the leaves are steamed or pan fried. It is this very technique which results in the preservation of the enzymes which have recently become the focus of medical research. After steaming, the leaves are rolled up, still quite green in color.

Finally, white tea has recently become a popular item in the west as it is the least processed tea and thus tastes the most like fresh leaves or grass. White tea is made of the little buds of the tea plant. Again like green tea, white tea is steamed or pan fried to prevent any kind of oxidization, and great care is taken to avoid bruising or crushing the tea. The dried buds have a silver-like appearance because the tiny white hairs of new growth are still present.

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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.

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