Knives, forks and spoons used for either eating or serving food are referred to as silverware. These utensils do not need to be made out of silver, but they should not be plastic. Most silverware, also known as flatware, is made of stainless steel, silver plate or sterling silver. The latter is very costly, and if you own or have inherited any sterling silver pieces, by all means use them, even if they do not match the rest of your flatware.
As we have pointed out, the British Victorians designed a stunning array of clever flatware for specific purposes such as pickle forks, butter knives, jam spoons, and so on. Many of these items can be found in antiques and second hand stores today, and it’s fun to include a few of these when hosting Afternoon Tea. They do not need to match your everyday flatware, as they have a charm all their own.
While specialized Victorian silverware is delightful, it is not really necessary. A teaspoon, a small salad sized fork and a small butter knife for each guest would be the ideal combination for Afternoon Tea. If you do not have salad forks and butter knives, just use the larger dinner forks and dinner knives that you use for ordinary meals instead. The teaspoon is used to stir the tea after milk or sugar has been added. It then rests on the saucer. The host will provide a separate spoon, perhaps a Victorian sugar spoon, to accompany the sugar bowl. The guest should use that spoon to add sugar to her tea, then stir with her own teaspoon, which should never be inserted into the sugar bowl while it is wet with tea. Neither should the sugar bowl spoon be used for stirring tea, as it will cause the sugar to clump when it is used again to add sugar to a teacup.
Small knives and forks are preferred for Afternoon Tea because the foods served are small. While most Afternoon Tea food, such as finger sandwiches, scones and cookies, are meant to be eaten with the fingers, other food items, such as cakes and trifle, will require a fork. A small knife such as a butter knife is helpful in adding butter, jam or clotted cream to a scone. The host will provide a butter knife and spoons with the jam pots, butter dish and clotted cream bowl. These should be used to transfer these condiments to the guest’s plate, not for spreading directly onto the scone. Once the butter or jam has been placed on the plate, the guest carefully breaks the scone apart with her fingers and applies the butter, jam or clotted cream with her own butter knife, not the serving knife. Her used butter knife can then rest on the edge of her plate and can be reused for adding condiments to a second scone.
The idea is that each guest’s knife, fork and spoon only touch her own food, creating a comforting sense of cleanliness.
The host will provide silverware for serving the foods offered at Afternoon Tea. These items might include a large, pierced spoon for serving fruit salad, a triangular trowel-like implement for cutting cake or pie and lifting a piece onto one’s plate, a small specialized knife for slicing cheese and placing it on a plate, etc. Finger sandwiches, as their name suggests, can be retrieved from the serving plate with the guest’s fingers, as can scones, cookies and small pastries. However, the host should place the appropriate implement next to the serving bowl or plate containing food that might make a mess on the guest’s fingers. With potentially very messy foods, such as trifle, the host should place a small plate under the large spoon or other utensil to prevent the tablecloth from being soiled.
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THE TEA BOOK
The Road Back to Civilization
A Brief History of Tea
Philosophy of Tea
Harmony
Humility
Respect
Creativity
Guidelines for the Host/Hostess
Gathering and Greeting
Sharing Stories
Sharing Food
Sending the Guests Home
Respect your Hostess/Host
Bring a Gift if You Wish
Practice Humility
Monitor Your Conversation
Arrive With a Grateful Attitude
Help if Help is Needed
Do Not Criticize
Leave Gracefully
Send a Thank you Note
A Checklist for Planning a Tea Party
Teas of the World and How to Make Tea
A Sampling of Teas
Herbal Teas and Tisanes
How to Make Tea
Making Iced Tea
Tea Concentrate
Brewing Tea for a Crowd
Tea Kettle
Tea Pot
Tea Cozy
Teacups
Plates
Silverware
Teacart
Tea Strainer
Tea Infuser
Three-Tiered Server
Cream Pitcher and Sugar Bowl
Cake Pedestal
Trifle Bowl
Jam Pots
Serving Dishes, Platters, and Trays
Silver Tea Set or Silver Tray
Linens
Kitchen Equipment for Food Preparation
Sandwiches and Savories
Savory Spreads and Dips
Scones and Tea Breads
Afternoon Tea and the Four Seasons
A Spring Tea
An Outdoor Summer Tea
A Winter Afternoon Tea
An Autumn Afternoon Tea
January:A Japanese New Year’s Tea
February:Valentine’s Day Tea
March:A St. Patrick’s Day Irish Tea
April:An Easter Tea
May:Mother’s day Tea
June:A Wedding Reception Tea
July:A Picnic Tea
AUGUST:A FAMILY REUNION TEA
A North American Family Reunion Tea
An Eastern Mediterranean Family Reunion Tea
A Kosher Family Reunion Tea
A Scandinavian Family Reunion Tea
September:An Ozark Farm Harvest Tea
October:A Tea to Honor Our Ancestors(Dia de los Muertos)
November:A Post Thanksgiving Tea
December: A Christmas Tea
In Defense of Fruitcake:Fruitcakes and Candied Fruit
A Chinese Dim Sum Tea
A Portuguese Tea
A Classic British Afternoon Tea
An Indian Chai Party
A California Tea
A Hawaiian Tea
An Italian Tea
An American Southern Tea
A Russian Tea
A French Afternoon Tea
A Kosher Teawith Traditional Jewish Foods
Afternoon Tea for Special Occasions
An Afternoon Tea for Children
A Tea for Our Elders
A Honey Bee Tea in the Garden
An Urban Tea on the Go
Tea for One
Afternoon Tea For a Large Group
A Vegan Tea
A Rose Tea