If you are having loose tea, you'll need a way to brew it, if you do not already have one. I like to use french presses because I like to see the color of the tea when I serve. If you have a Boscovs near you, you can get a nice looking french press there for like $5. (Or order online, free shipping for orders over $25). I have a bunch of these because I brew multiple pots of loose tea regularly

My favorite loose teas:
1. Irish cream (from Culinary teas)

2. Aged pu-erh (this is a really neat one that I just ordered, very unique and has a wonderful flavor)

3. Frontier organic indian white

4. Creme brulee tea (we have a little local tea shop we get this from, but I am sure that you could find it somewhere online)

5. Silver needle white tea: This one is hand-harvested only two days of the year.

For bagged teas, my favorite is Numi White Rose and Numi Breakfast Blend.

How many women would you be entertaining? While the French Press is a nice way to make tea you might not want to purchase 4 or 5 presses since you won't use them for yourself. Although you could always give them the presses as a gift when they leave.

The other option is to purchase several assorted teas - either in bags or loose - and then display them in a little basket or container so that each can select the one they want. If you purchase loose tea you'll need teaballs - one for each person.
There's nothing wrong with tea bags and they are easier to use.

My go to favorite is Republic of Tea. Lots of choices for herbal or regular teas.
Since you are not a tea drinker, I would ask the women for suggestions. This way you are sure to buy what they will enjoy.
Are you planning to have high tea? If you make the sandwiches, you might want to know if there are vegetarians in the group.
With so many different diets, allergies etc, it's nice to know things in advance.

How nice!

As a tea drinker, the most important thing to me is that the water be made in a dedicated teapot (ie not anything ever used for coffee), and that it be made with spring water. Tea can be delicate (especially for those of us who like it very lightly steeped) and there is nothing worse then tea that is spoiled by extraneous flavors.

I also appreciate raw sugar or honey, and lemon, and i would serve milk or cream.

Since you are not a tea aficionado, I don't think it is necessary to buy all the various accoutrements we tea drinkers favor (but they are so very fetching), like individual pots, sterling strainers, etc etc. I think the vast majority of tea drinkers would be fine with teas that come in high quality silk or cotton sachets (some supermarkets will have these brands, or gourmet stores). You may also want to have little saucers or somesuch for the used sachet.

To my mind there are three types of tea I would have on hand:

1. One or two traditional black teas (such as Assam or English Breakfast)

2. A green tea

3. A fruity tea, such as a Rooibos

All that said, the food could be almost as important when one thinks of "coming for tea". You could go all out with crustless sandwiches, scones, preserves, berries and clotted cream. Or simply a tray of good cookies, tartlets, etc.

Lastly, to me, a tea is also about an unabashedly feminine table. Lace, pinks, florals, everything delicate ladlylike and OTT!

I am willing to bet that your friends just want to see you and don't want you to go to any trouble. I myself love an excuse to do a ladies' tea!

If you're having afternoon tea (low tea) then typically you'd serve the items Mtnrdredux suggested. All the food can be prepared ahead of time, the table set and the tea items laid out so when your guests arrive the only remaining task is boiling the water and preparing the tea.

One of the neat tricks is that your table setting can make it look elaborate yet it's really fairly simple affair. It's such an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon with your friends. I have one planned for the week between Christmas and New Year's and it's a wonderful opportunity for my girlfriends to relax and spend time together.

My Irish Grandmother referred to high tea as 'meat tea' because it was heartier fare and the main meal served in the evening.

Thank you all for your suggestions! I have spent an enjoyable evening visiting Beagle's suggested websites. I feel somewhat more informed. I really appreciate all the advice. Tomorrow I'll search through my china closet. I believe I may have a few individual porcelain pots tucked away. I'm going to visit a specialty market, if I don't find some of the recommended teas I'll order online. I love the idea of the silver needle tea! Thanks again!

Everything Mtr said! I personally do not like fancy flavored tea but some do. I used to hate Tetley tea until they came out with the British Blend premium black tea bags and now that is my favorite. The main thing is to have a pot of decaffeinated for those who cannot partake for health reasons.

I always feel sort of bad when people buy me all these fancy flavored tea's as gifts because I just like my black tea.

Love all the suggestions so far except for the cream-mtn, do you put cream in tea? I have never met anyone who does that. Milk is the go-to for tea usually. When people talk about Cream Teas, they are referring to the food served with clotted cream. Just curious, really and didn't want Nan to offer cream for tea as one might with coffee.

Cyn,

It's so funny you should say that, because I paused as I typed it. I take my tea very lightly steeped and with a 1/8 t of raw sugar (I have a pretty vintage looking silver msr spoon i keep in the sugar, that's how I know!). I never use milk. As I typed, I thought, hmmm ... most people use milk or cream or half and half in coffee ... i guess they do in tea, too?

But I stand corrected! So people just use milk? But whole milk right? I know skim looks odd in tea.

I love milk in my tea, but I did read that it can inhibit the positive health effects of tea. Sadly, Mtn, I use skim-that is all we have in the house. Your question has me thinking that perhaps I should splurge on whole milk for the holidays! ;)

I use 2% milk with my tea. I really don't know anyone who uses whole milk anymore.

Hi Cyn,
We drink 1%; the kids were not crazy about skim and when they were littler their Dr. wanted them to have 1% anyway.

Doesn't skim look a little ...off...blue ... in tea? But why should you change if you like it?

My mom was born and raised in London, England. The following is what my mom, her sisters, and my British cousins did and do when they made a cuppa. The process was never broken, so i haven't attempted to fix it when I make tea.

Tea:
1. boil water
2. Rinse the ceramic pot with hot water before brewing tea, warms the pot which keeps the tea warmer longer.
3. loose tea in a tea ball, place in pot. Tea bags are fine, too. Pour boiling water in pot over the tea. Let steep at least 5 min, 10 makes a richer flavor.
4. Whole milk in tea. No cream, no 1/2 and 1/2 - yuk. Sugar if you must.

Flavored tea is silly. A really really good tea today is Taylor's of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold Tea. We load up on our travels and we gladly accept it as a gift when the relatives come to visit. Can be purchased on Amazon as well.

Enjoy.

Exactly, jmc.

jmc01, I just ordered some Taylor's of Harrogate Yorkshire gold, I am looking forward to trying it.

One of my Amazon subscribe & saves is Taylors of Harrogate English Breakfast Tea, which is one of my favorite teas. Have you tried that one?

Re: milk in tea. We went to a tea at a tea house once where they told a story of the history of high tea. According to the story they told, the first time the tea was served by Catharine of Braganza (who I guess is generally credited with bringing the practice of afternoon tea to England) the teacups all broke because the tea was too hot. The next time, a little bit of milk was put into the bottom of the tea cups to cool the tea down just enough so the cups didn't break. So the "traditional" way is to put a dollop of milk in first before pouring tea.

I don't personally like milk in tea so I don't do this. If I did though, we use whole milk only in our house (or preferably raw milk), so there are still people who buy whole :)

This post was edited by beaglesdoitbetter on Mon, Dec 16, 13 at 22:13

Sitting here with another mug of tea! :) With a McVitie's Digestive Biscuit ....

I have tea with skim milk and two heaping teaspoons of sugar (or Splendas) I usually add my milk and sugars first!

I only drink basic black tea ... Tetley .... right now ... brought back from Canada ...

a)Recommend Teas: Ty-phoo; Tetley; Barry's -- I usually buy from Amazon ....

b)Lovely bits to have with tea: Quick breads are excellent -- Krusteaz makes the best mixes: try their Cranberry Orange or Blueberry (fat-free) or their banana nut ....

c)Also: Sconces are truly brilliant -- but Southern flaky biscuits can be lovely too!

d)Butter and jams would be nice too!

e)Afternoon teas can be fancy affairs OR very homey/cozy/comfy ....

f)Cucumber sandwiches are nice (no crusts of course!); also chicken salad or salmon salad sandwiches .... or even smoked salmon on thin toast ....

g)Carr's Biscuits -- their Lemon Ginger biscuits (cookies) are wonderful!

h)Don't forget to have something with chocolate -- like chocolate-covered Digestive biscuits .... LOL!

I am from England and a lifelong tea drinker. I am no expert but these are the tea traditions I inherited. Black tea only, no flavored teas, my favorite tea bags are Yorkshire Tea. Loose tea would usually be Assam or occasionally Earl Grey though Earl Grey is not....ahem...everyone's cup of tea. I do sometimes drink green tea when I am being extra health conscious, or feel like drinking a compost heap!
Tea always made in a tea pot that is heated by boiling water. Water to infuse tea or tea bags must be boiling and the tea should be allowed to steep or "mash" for several minutes. China cups only, with a saucer, milk first (0% for me, anything else tastes of fat!).
I personally enjoy almost any type of food with tea but scones, shortbread, biscuits (cookies) especially digestives, chocolate digestives, sponge sandwich cake, pastries and delicate sandwiches etc are traditional.

Sis where are you from in England? My husband was born in Edinburgh but raised in south London. We will be going back in June before Croatia. I was thinking to pay attention to what percentage of milk fat people drink with their tea over there. I know that on my last visit my very proper father in-law reduced the fat percentage in his milk and used it for his tea.

Ooooooo ... a Victoria sponge cake is just gorgeous with tea! :) Looks so nice on a cake stand! :)

(two layers of light vanilla sponge cake with a middle layer of jam and whipped-type cream -- then the finished cake is sprinkled with icing sugar -- usually through a paper lace doily)

True ..... tea should be "piping hot" or heat the pot! :) Having a cozy for the teapot is rather handy too! :)

Or Madelienes, which were of course famously dipped in tea.

Or Madelienes, which were of course famously dipped in tea.

Teavana.com has some incredibly delicious teas. They're pricey but I think they're worth the money. I do mine just like jmc01 does. My Dad was from Scotland and Mom from Canada and tea was our main hot beverage. Now I want a cup just reading about it but I'd be up all night if I drank some.

haven't tried the T of H English Breakfast....We like the Yorkshire Gold too much.

Another good one, almost as good is Barry's ....Irish. We get that at our local Irish shop so it's convenient if we run out of T of H.

In my family , being served tea with milk will automatically happen UNLESS you ask for it black.

Two of my grandparents were from Ireland and the other 2 from Scotland and Wales and all 4 made tea the same way - very much as jmc described. The only difference was my Irish grandparents wouldn't purchase British tea and relied on relatives to send them Barry's or Bewley's. Now of course those brands are readily available.

I usually drink Irish Breakfast Tea which is fairly strong since it's a blend of several black teas and heavily Assam. But I've never learned to appreciate Earl Grey, there's something about the oil of bergamot that I can't abide - even the aroma bothers me. My DD on the other hand now drinks Stash's double bergamot. DD's significant other moved here from London and he prefers P.G. Tips and of course his digestives.

When we were in Dublin we often had tea at Bewley's on Grafton. How delightful to sit by the window in the late afternoon and watch the world pass by. For some reason I've segregated my coffee and tea - one cup of coffee in the morning before I begin my day but I seem to reserve my tea for late afternoon or evening when I'm relaxing. And we always had a cup of light, sweet tea when we weren't feeling well.

I've eagerly accepted an offer of a cup of tea only to be asked: " green, pomegranate or mango?" And then I have to quickly decide which would be the least disgusting.

Whether to put the milk in first or last has been debated. I put milk in last as it's easier for me judge how much to splash in. Not because I am afraid to be called a mif (a lower-class person who would put "milk in first")

The ritual of warming the teapot first assumes a teapot is used; but I would say most people here make their tea by the cup, whether with a tea ball or sachet.

LOL Maureen. I have tried to like green tea, but even if I can manage to drink it, it is not "tea" to me but more like medicine. But I often have guests who prefer it; I suppose it is an acquired taste. As for flavored teas, I certainly don't like any tea that purports to be something else (we have a David's Tea bar nearby and they serve chocolate tea, ewww.) Rooibos is of course not tea, but it has also become very popular for people who want some sweetness, and who like to be able to pronounce it and talk about their time in the bush. The only other non-tea-teas that I like are chamomile (for its possibly psychosomatic calming) and a Republic of Tea Black Ceylon with (yes) Mango. It primarily tastes of black tea. I agree with the poster above in re Earl Grey, which to me tastes of perfume.

Jterrilyn I am from Yorkshire. For most of the 40 years I lived in England there was only whole milk available. Tastes have changed for many people and though some still cling to whole milk, most of our English family and friends now prefer reduced fat or zero fat milk in their tea. I wonder if, like me, your DH and his family like real Scottish shortbread with their tea. Delicious and what a luxury! Also at this time of year a cup of tea and a mince pie are hard to beat (for this English girl, anyway!)

As I said, Earl Grey is not for everyone but once in a while I enjoy its smoke and perfume flavor. I also enjoy a good cup of china tea, sans milk.

Of course -- there's Walker's Ginger Shortbread here in the kitchen cupboard -- and the DH has already found it! (I'm sure that the cats told him where I'd hidden the box) Lovely with tea!

And Walker's mincemeat tarts for tea too! I do miss Eccles cakes ....and butter tarts from Canada! :)

Not a fan of ANY flavored teas or herbal tisanes -- especially Earl Grey ....