• Food - Tea Things

    Fall Afternoon Tea at Salamander DC in Washington, D.C., United States

    I will probably not be back at Salamander DC for afternoon tea after the ridiculous experience I had, but I might still book the hotel for its excellent location. It happened like this: I noticed that Salamander DC, my scheduled hotel in Washington, D. C., offers Afternoon Tea in their lounge. I would be in time for the very last day of Fall Afternoon Tea in 2024. The cost was US$95.00 per guest excluding tax and gratuity. I immediately ran into a potential problem: I wanted to possibly apply $100 of hotel experience credit (which I received for booking through…

  • Food - Tea Things

    Afternoon Tea at the Windsor House Tea Room in Lafayette, NJ, United States

    The Windsor House Tea Room and Bakery in Lafayette, New Jersey, United States, is open from Thursday to Sunday. Afternoon Tea, advertized as “an authentic British tea session (with a few American twists!)”, is served in the tea room on Thursdays at 1 PM; Fridays and Saturdays at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM; and Sundays at 11 AM and 1 PM. The Windsor House does require reservations. My husband was able to make a reservation on Thursday for Sunday at 1 PM. He was allowed to choose 11 AM or 1 PM. He notified the Windsor House of…

  • Tea Things

    White Tea

    White tea is renowned for its delicate flavor and health benefits. Unlike black tea or green tea, white tea is minimally processed. The leaves are harvested while still young and tender— before they fully open. This gentle processing method gives white tea a subtle, mild flavor. Unlike black or green tea, white tea has low caffeine. Flavor Profile: delicate, light. Uses for White Tea White tea is one of my favorites. A plain white tea where one just enjoys the quality of a deceptively frail but definitely present tea. What is Commonly Combined with White Tea? White tea is lovely…

  • Food - Tea Things

    Sugi Bee Garden Honey – Flavoured Honey for your Water

    Sugi Bee Garden honey has been around for decades and presumably popular, given the number of locations they are sold at in their home country, Japan. In Taiwan, this honey seemed to be a popular souvenir gift for older people from their relatives who had stopped in Japan. I usually saw one of these containers in my grandmother’s fridge in Taiwan when I visited. To enjoy adding this to your drink, you should like honey and fruit flavours. Yuzu is the most common type you can find from other brands, so Sugi Bee Garden decided to set their honey apart…

  • Food - Tea Things

    Afternoon Tea at the Bar Artefact / Auberge Saint-Antoine in Québec City, Canada

    When I am in Québec City, Canada, again, I will strongly consider returning to the Bar Artefact in the Auberge Saint-Antoine for Afternoon Tea. Thé à l’anglaise, as they call it, is served on weekends between 1 and 3 PM. In 2024, the price per person was CA$49 (~US$36.40) if 13 or older, CA$29 (~US$21.54) if between the ages of 6 and 12 inclusive, and free if 5 or under. Reserving afternoon tea was very simple. We visited the front desk to ask for 1, they let us know they were full and could take me at 1:30, and I…

  • Food - Tea Things

    Afternoon Tea at Sally Lunn in Chester, NJ, USA

    Sally Lunn’s Tea Room & Restaurant in downtown Chester, New Jersey, United States, is a small tea room with a Victorian theme and very good scones. No matter the flavor, they have a nice texture and they serve some of the nicest clotted cream I have found in the US. One important thing to note is that they are dedicated to the Victorian theme. Victorian-era people thought it was bad taste to have bare walls and tried to cover every surface with things. This restaurant tries to do that while still making it possible to run a restaurant that is…

  • Food - Tea Things

    Afternoon Tea at the BL. T 33 / InterContinental Kaohsiung in Taiwan

    Afternoon Tea at InterContinental Kaohsiung in Taiwan ended up being in the back area of what looks like a bar. The BL. T 33 seemed to share space or be right next to the SEEDS Restaurant, but that could also have been because I brought a 2-year-old with me. They allowed me to place her stroller behind the seats. My cousin phoned to make the reservation for me at the BL. T 33 the day before. It is also possible to make a reservation online. The cost for one set of afternoon tea in November, 2023, was NT$1680 before the…

  • Food - Tea Things

    Halloween Afternoon Tea at the Tokyo InterContinental in Japan

    When I looked at the delightful pictures of attractive spreads of afternoon tea, I felt that I really, really wanted to have experience a nice one before leaving Japan. Besides, I was with a friend who I knew could appreciate it. In Japan, many things need reservations. The online website would only allow me to book for the next day and asked that I call in for the day of. We decided to just walk over and check for afternoon tea at the Atrium Lounge of the “InterContinental – ANA Tokyo, an IHG Hotel” (located at 1 Chome-12-33 Akasaka, Minato…

  • Tea Things

    Lavender

    Lavender, or lavendula, is a versatile and fragrant member of the mint family that has been used for centuries in various medicinal, and culinary applications— including, of course, tea. Back in Roman times, it was highly prized and quite expensive, as in one month’s wages for one pound. Today, it is not quite so expensive, which is why it is accessible to everyone as lavender honey, lavender-scented water, lavender icing for lavender cupcakes, etc. Flavor Profile: Delicate, floral. Tea Uses for Lavender Lavender can be used to complement other teas. Other ingredients with a similar flavor profile will tend to…

  • Tea Things

    Orange Peel

    Orange peel, also known as citrus peel or zest, is the outermost layer of the orange fruit. Its delicate and floral aroma makes lavender a popular ingredient in herbal and floral teas. Flavor Profile: citrus, bright, fresh, zesty. Tea Uses for Orange Peel Orange peel is typically used to add a zesty or tangy flavour. The peel itself can vary from dark to light, so orange peels in general can be used in many combinations. I would caution those of you who wish to create your own orange peel teas to make sure that the orange peel is thinly sliced…