7 Tips for Hosting the Perfect Tea Party for Friends and Family

Tips for Hosting the Perfect Tea Party! Whether hosting a formal event or a casual get-together, a tea party is a wonderful way to make a lasting impression on your guests. If you put in the time and effort, you can create an atmosphere that will impress your guests and make a lasting impression.

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To ensure that your tea party is a spectacular success, consider the following seven tips:

Tips for Hosting the Perfect Tea Party

1. Choose a theme and setting

The first step in hosting a successful tea party is deciding on a theme. The mood of your tea party, whether it’s a traditional one or one with a modern twist, is entirely up to you. After zeroing in on a subject, consider potential venues. It must be appropriate for the atmosphere you want to create. Your home, a garden, or a sunny terrace are all suitable locations for a pleasant tea gathering.

7 Tips for Hosting the Perfect Tea Party for Friends and Family - Plattershare - Recipes, food stories and food lovers

Southern Sweet Iced Tea Recipe | Best Southern Sweet Tea Recipe | Old Fashioned Southern Sweet Tea

What is Southern Sweet Tea?
If you are familiar with iced tea, you have likely heard of sweet tea. This variety of iced tea is commonly consumed in the United States, especially in the Southern United States, earning it the name Southern Sweet Tea.
When people mention sweet tea, they often refer to the bottled version. This refreshing recipe is perfect for making at home every summer.
Sweet tea is more than just adding sugar to a glass of iced tea. It involves adding sugar to tea bags brewing in hot water while the mixture is still hot, allowing the sugar to dissolve easily. This process saturates the tea with sucrose. Baking soda is an optional ingredient used to reduce the drink’s acidity.
Just a pinch of baking soda can make a significant difference in a pitcher of freshly brewed sweet tea, neutralizing the tannins and giving it a smoother taste, thus reducing the tea's bitterness. Traditionally, sweet tea is served ice-cold with sugar. Chilling the tea enhances its flavor.
It may also be flavored with lemon, mint, peach, or raspberry. Simply pour the tea over ice cubes and drink it straight or with mint leaves or lemon wedges.
The History of Sweet Tea
Sweet tea has a sweet history. It began as a luxury item due to the expensive nature of tea, ice, and sugar. Ice was the most valued ingredient at the time, as it had to be shipped from afar, unlike today where it can be made quickly in large quantities.
The oldest known recipe for sweet iced tea was published in 1879 in a cookbook called "Housekeeping in Old Virginia" by Marion Cabell Tyree. This recipe mostly used green tea. However, during World War II, the major sources of green tea were cut off from the United States, leading Americans to drink predominantly black tea.
Sweet tea was once consumed as a punch mixed with hard liquor, mint, and cream. In 2003, the Georgia House introduced a bill, supposedly as an April Fool’s joke, making it a "…misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature" to sell iced tea in a restaurant that did not also offer sweet iced tea on the menu. However, the bill never went to a vote.
How to Make Southern Sweet Tea
If you are making sweet tea for the first time, start with this recipe and adjust it to your taste. Whether you steep the tea for a longer duration, squeeze the bags to make it stronger, or add some flavorings, you will love your sweet tea. This recipe yields approximately 2 quarts of tea.
The preparation takes about 30 minutes, followed by refrigeration for chilling. The tea is best when refrigerated for 4 to 5 hours or overnight, as this improves the flavor.
Equipment Required:
1. Small saucepan
2. Long-handled spoon
3. Large pitcher or multiple small pitchers
4. Glass bowls big enough to brew the tea
Check out this recipe

2. Plan the menu thoughtfully

Tea is the lifeblood of any tea celebration. Provide a selection of teas to appeal to a wide range of customers. Black, green, herbal, and fruity teas are all included in this category. Those who enjoy iced tea may appreciate the availability of cold brew tea packs. Finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and various delicate pastries and desserts should be ready to serve alongside the tea. Make sure there’s a good mix of sweet and savory treats.

3. Send elegant invitations

Craft your invitations to reflect the theme of your tea party. Elegant fonts, pastel colors, and delicate designs work wonderfully. Ensure that the invitations provide precise details about the date, time, venue, and any dress code, if applicable. Sending out these invitations well in advance will give your guests ample time to mark their calendars.

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7 Tips for Hosting the Perfect Tea Party for Friends and Family - Plattershare - Recipes, food stories and food lovers

Fennel Tea

Herbal Tea is made when flowers, seeds, roots or herbs and spices are pounded or crushed and boiling water is poured on top of these so that the aroma and taste of these ingredients infuse in water.
These tea do not contain any type of caffeine, unlike black, green, white or yellow tea which has some amount of caffeine in it. So if you want to start a caffeine-free day switch to herbal teas which can be easily made at home.
At Plattershare, We would share series of Herbal Teas which can be made and enjoyed any time of the day especially if consumed after meals it helps in faster digestion. it's always recommended, in the case of sore throats, Here is the Second recipe of the series – Fennel Tea.
Check out this recipe

4. Attention to detail in the decor

Decorations play a vital role in setting the mood for your tea party. Use floral arrangements, lace tablecloths, and vintage teapots to enhance the ambiance. Remember to incorporate the theme into your centerpieces and place settings. Small details like name cards and charming tea cozies can add that extra touch of elegance.

5. Create a relaxing playlist

The perfect tunes playing in the background may do wonders for the mood of your tea party. Choose low-volume music, such as an acoustic guitar or piano, so people can still discuss. The idea is to make everyone comfortable enough to sip tea and have pleasant chats.

Have fun with tea-related games to keep your visitors entertained. Having a tea-tasting station at your party where attendees can try out various blends is a great way to get them involved and have a good time. You might also hold a short session on proper tea etiquette, during which you’d share some fun facts about the culture of tea.

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7 Tips for Hosting the Perfect Tea Party for Friends and Family - Plattershare - Recipes, food stories and food lovers

Bubble Tea (Boba Tea)

Bubble Tea or Boba Tea as the world knows it, originated in Taiwan but is now a popular ice-cold beverage in America.
The name Boba comes from the black tapioca pearls also known as boba balls or boba pearls which settle down at the bottom of the cup of the boba drink. These boba pearls are made from made cassava plants.
Initially Sago or white tapioca pearls were used to make the boba drink but later on, black boba pearls which are bigger in size were used to increase the popularity of the bubble tea.
Bubble Tea comes in many flavours and can be served hot or cold but this chewy super delicious sweet drink is high in calories due to the sugar syrup and the boba (These are high in carbs).
When you want to make homemade boba tea, buying black tapioca pearls can be an expensive so here is a simple trick to make white tapioca pearls to black in colour and enjoy the same flavour which you get in any boba shop near you.
Let's learn how to make Boba tea.
Check out this recipe

7. Farewell gifts

Give your family and friends something modest to show them how much they mean to you when they leave. It might be anything from a delicate teacup and saucer to a bag of loose-leaf tea with a handwritten note of appreciation. Such consideration will have a long-lasting effect on your guests.

Final words

The memories you make with your loved ones at a tea party will last a lifetime. You can make an event that everyone will remember fondly if you put in the time and effort to plan it out. Now is the time to start arranging your tea party and brewing the perfect cup of tea.

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