I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since I hosted a tea for the Victorian Tea Society (VTS)! As mentioned previously, I always have so many ideas for themes but it’s a matter of grabbing the inspiration when it hits me! As it turns out, the timing and inspiration were ripe for an afternoon tea focused on personal wellness. 
The last VTS tea I hosted was online, shortly after we were forced to shelter-at-home during the pandemic. I hemmed and hawed about hosting my next tea at home and in the end, with D.’s encouragement, I decided to exercise my emotional and financial wellness by hosting at home where it is quieter and less crowded and everyone could save a few dollars. Additionally, I had always wanted to create an entire menu using tea as an ingredient and my wellness theme was ideal for showcasing all the benefits of tea! It certainly allowed me to expand my intellectual wellness as I learned so much about cooking with tea and how to use it more creatively.
I really wanted to host a spa tea or pajama tea party where we didn’t have to get dressed to the nines and guests could just show up for tea in their PJs, bathrobes, or yoga pants. Wouldn’t THAT be fun? 😉 But since most of us have been staying at home, who needs a better excuse than afternoon tea to get dressed up and go out on the town? A major part of personal wellness is loving-, feeling good-, and celebrating our bodies and ourselves. To foster emotional and spiritual wellness, I encouraged guests to wear something that made them feel pretty and confident! It was nice to see all the ladies dressed in a way that made them feel good about themselves!
I was trying to go for simple elegance with my tea table, something that would feel relaxing and comfortable and contribute to my guests’ emotional wellness. I chose a simple 2-pocket fold napkin to display the menu, hold a pen, and a pocket-sized notebook with an inspirational motivational saying. The pen was a digital stylus and ballpoint pen in one (when retracted, the pen is a stylus). I love these 2-in-1 pens! I keep one in my purse all the time and use it to sign paper receipts, electronic digital pads, push buttons in an elevator, etc. In addition to being extremely useful, I did provide the pen and notebook for another reason that will be revealed later!
My favorite part of planning this tea was designing the menu which I mindfully curated to promote environmental and physical wellness with mostly vegan dishes.
Since every dish on the menu contained tea as an ingredient, I chose 2 herbal teas and one rooibos tea for drinking: iced Strawberry kiwi, Nutty almond cream (aka Roasted almond & fruit), and Chocolate ginger turmeric spiced cocoa rooibos. These teas claimed to promote stress relief, relaxation, and immunity, respectively.
Roasted almond & fruit tea
I decided to serve the genmaicha tea rice soup as the first course. Genmaicha tea is a Japanese green tea with roasted brown rice. According to Senbird Tea, genmaicha is low in caffeine so you can drink it throughout the day. Some of the many benefits of drinking genmaicha touch upon physical and intellectual wellness:
- Balances Blood Sugar
- Lowers Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease
- Improves Dental Health
- Regulates Thyroids and Removes Toxins
- Helps with Relaxation and Concentration
Japanese genmaicha rice soup (by Lady Henni)
Vegan Japanese Genmaicha rice soup
(recipe adapted from A Cup of Life)
4 c. water
4 tsp. Genmaicha
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 block of silken tofu (about 4-6 oz.), small dice
Green onions, sliced (to garnish)
- Heat the water to 175° F in a large pot. Add the Genmaicha and let it brew for 3 minutes. Do not over steep or have the water temperature too hot as the tea will be bitter.
- Remove the leaves from the pot.
- Add the soy sauce and dried mushrooms. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in the pureed tofu and reheat broth to a near boil.
- Portion out the rice into a bowl and pour the Genmaicha tea broth over it.
- Garnish with green onions. Slice the mushrooms before adding to soup, if using.
The 2nd course I served was Burmese tea leaf salad. The unique tea leaf dressing (laphet) is what makes it special. I first encountered this dish at Burma SuperStar over 15 years ago. Before I started making it at home, I could only enjoy it whenever we visited San Francisco! Now Tea leaf salad kits are available online which is a testament to the popularity of Burma SuperStar’s signature dish.
The hallmark of the salad is the sum of its crunchy bits so it can’t be dressed in advance or else the salad will get soggy. Therefore, the dish must be assembled as close to eating time as possible. In any case, I was fortunate to have Lady E. as my co-hostess because I had so much to prep before the guests arrived that I needed an extra hand to assemble the salads. She did a beautiful job!
Burmese tea leaf salad (La Pat Dok or Lahpet Thoke)
(inspired by Burma SuperStar)
(Yield: 1 serving)
2 heaping Tbsp. chopped Romaine lettuce or cabbage
1 Tbsp. roasted peanuts
1 cherry tomato, chopped
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. fried mung beans
1 tsp. roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
1 tsp. fried onions
1 tsp. fried garlic (sliced or granules, your choice)
1 1/2 Tbsp. fermented tea leaves (store bought or homemade recipe below)
1 lemon wedge (to serve)
Arrange ingredients on a plate with the tea leaf dressing in the middle. To serve, let guests mix their own salad. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to finish it.
Tea leaf dressing (lahpet)
My tea leaf dressing recipe is vegan and adapted from many different recipes. Some recipes have a lot of oil, some have none. My quick mock version has a small bit of sesame oil for flavor only. I have not tried fermenting my own tea leaves because I’m not confident enough to try it. Supposedly, you can ferment the tea leaves by leaving them out, covered, at room temperature for 2 days which makes it rich in beneficial probiotics. My mock version has lemon juice and vinegar to make up for the natural tang that would have resulted from the fermentation process. While it’s lacking in all the goodness that comes from fermentation, it still has the benefits of green tea (or sencha in this case).
Tea leaf dressing (Lahpet)
(AKA pickled tea leaves, fermented tea leaves)
(adapted from many recipes)
(yield: generous 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup loose leaf green tea
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. rice or white vinegar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce* or soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp. water, as needed to thin out the dressing
*I used vegan fish sauce
Soak tea leaves in hot water (175°F, not boiling) for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse. Save tea for drinking if desired. Soak green tea leaves in cold water for 1 hour, then drain and rinse again. Squeeze out any excess liquid. In a food processor, add tea leaves and all other ingredients until well chopped and mixed. Store in the refrigerator right away.
Photo by Lady J.
I was quite excited about the tea sandwiches and they were both delicious! The cucumber tea sandwiches were so pretty! Lady P. said she preferred the Chinese tea egg salad to the regular egg salad because it was tastier and I had to agree!
Chinese tea egg salad sandwich (by Lady T.) and Cucumber sandwich with matcha cream cheese (by Lady H.)
To make matcha cream cheese, add 2-3 tsp. matcha powder to 8 oz of cream cheese or regular cream cheese. Your choice of bread.
Though black tea does boast of being rich in antioxidants and being beneficial for health, it is the spices in masala chai that give it extra health properties. Some of the spices contained in masala chai are: cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper and cloves, star anise, coriander seeds and peppercorns. My original recipe for masala chai scones included black tea but I decided to omit it for my tea party to reduce the amount of caffeine consumption. Lady L. shelled her cardamom pods and hand ground the seeds. The results were delicious as the cardamom seeds added a delightful crunch and pop of flavor to the scones. I added a recipe for an optional black tea glaze below for those who prefer sweeter scones or who want to omit serving with cream. These vegan masala chai scones would be great served with a coconut based vegan cream (which can’t be said of most other flavored scones)!
Vegan Masala chai scones (by Lady L.) with Devon double cream (photo by Lady J.)
Vegan masala chai scones
(adapted from many recipes)
(yield: 10 scones)
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar (if glazing, reduce to 2 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 black tea bag or 2 tsp. loose leaf black tea (such as English breakfast) (optional)
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. neutral oil (grapeseed, canola, vegetable, etc.)
3/4 c. unsweetened nondairy milk*
*May use 1/2 sourdough starter, 1/2 water instead. Increase milk to 1 c. for drop scones.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
- Add the oil and milk and stir gently until flour is incorporated.
- Using a silicone spatula, fold the dough a few times until it comes together and the sides of the bowl are clean. Do not overwork the dough.
- Using your hands, gently flatten dough into a 1/2″ thick circle.
- Cut into wedges or use a 2.5″ biscuit cutter to cut out circles.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
2 Tbsp. brewed black tea
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Ahhh, Lady P. outdid herself with the fresh fruit salad which came housed in their own biodegradable, compostable, edible cup! This was so elegantly presented with a fuschia voodoo flower that we may as well have been at a spa. Definitely spa food at its finest! By the way, did you know that fuschia berries were edible? They look like small oval blueberries and taste like them too!
Fuschia berry
Fruit salad (blueberries, strawberries, nectarine, fuschia berry, and fuschia voodoo served in a hollowed out golden kiwi half) with Paris infused tea syrup (by Lady P.) (photo by Lady J.)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. tea leaves or 1 tea bag (your choice of tea)
To inspire my own personal wellness journey, I asked my guests to share one thing they have been doing to achieve personal wellness this past year, related to one of the 8 dimensions of wellness. I have been working on all 8 dimensions of wellness but most recently made progress on emotional and spiritual wellness. After trying in vain to get into the habit of doing daily meditation and not being successful (40 days was my longest stint), I finally did something different: instead of trying to make time for meditation, I found meditation and yoga classes that fit into my existing schedule! For years, my teachers have been saying that I needed to make a commitment to carve out time for meditation but inconvenience was always too powerful an excuse. The option of virtual classes during the pandemic has given me accountability and made it possible for me to fit in classes during hours when I don’t have other obligations. Convenience has made a world of difference for me (no pun intended as I’ve been able to practice yoga and meditate with people around the world)!
Most of the ladies were working on achieving physical wellness as many had weathered health concerns (including COVID) during the pandemic and used this time to get their health and fitness back on track. Lady H. had just moved to a new city during the pandemic and was cultivating her social wellness by joining clubs and making new friends. Both Lady P. and I admitted that we had embraced our introverted tendencies a little too much during this pandemic and could learn from Lady H.’s example! 🙂 Lady E. was working on her intellectual and financial wellness (getting ready for her senior year and getting her driver’s permit). I was humbled by everyone’s openness and willingness to share their personal experiences. I was especially encouraged to know that regardless of our differences in age, health, socioeconomics, educational background, and beliefs/values, we all shared the common desire and motivation to constantly strive for our full potential. It’s nice to know that I can count on the VTS ladies to keep me on my toes and moving forward!
Just before serving dessert, I engaged the ladies in an ice breaker game of Listography to challenge our intellectual wellness, further inspire, and help us get to know each other a little better! This is where the pens and pocket-sized notebooks came in handy for guests to compile their notes and lists. Some of the lists we made included:
Ways to help you fall asleep:
- Drink warm milk
- Crossword puzzles
- Read a boring book
- Listen to Calm sleep stories
- Meditation and yoga
- Benadryl
- Wake up earlier
- Food coma
- Watch TV
- Take a warm bath
Comfort foods:
- Chocolate
- Pasta
- Pho
- Pizza
- Bread and cheese
- Cookies
- Cake
- Mac and cheese
- Mashed potatoes
- Rice soup
After 5 rounds, Lady L. was the lucky winner of a set of reusable food storage bags for environmental wellness.
Matcha has a reputation for being a healthy tea and is probably the most popular tea used in food. So popular that I featured it not once but twice on my menu! My favorite way to enjoy matcha is in a matcha latte or in any dessert, and this vegan matcha pound cake certainly fit the bill!
Vegan matcha pound cake (by Lady S.)
(yield: 1 loaf)
2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. matcha
1 c. unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 tsp vinegar (apple cider vinegar or white)
1/4 c. oil or unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp.vanilla extract
⅔ cup powdered sugar
½ – 1 tsp. matcha powder, to taste
1 – 2 Tbsp. unsweetened nondairy milk
1 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. nondairy milk
1 Tbsp. strawberry jam
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
There was so much tea on the menu that I decided to include one dish that used herbal tea as an ingredient instead. This vegan lemon tart was great since I didn’t serve lemon curd with the scones. With chamomile as an ingredient, this was a good dish to end the tea party since it helps lower blood sugars and aids in relaxation and sleep. I wanted guests to go home feeling relaxed and without a sugar crash! Also, this was the very first time that Lady J. ever made a pie or tart! Definitely a successful first effort!
Vegan lemon tart with chamomile crust (by Lady J.)
Vegan lemon tart with chamomile crust
(recipe adapted from the Plant Based School)
Shortcrust pastry
2⅓ c. flour + 1 tablespoon for kneading and rolling
½ c. sugar
⅓ c. water
⅓ c. vegetable oil (or other neutral tasting oil such as canola or grapeseed)
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. chamomile leaves/flowers or contents from 2 chamomile tea bags (crushed with mortar and pestle until fine)
Lemon custard
2½ c. nondairy milk (cashew, oat, soy, or coconut milk work best)
⅔ c. sugar
⅓ c. lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
⅔ c. cornstarch
1 pinch turmeric or a couple drops of yellow food coloring (optional, for color)
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the sugar, water, oil, flour, baking powder, and crushed chamomile to a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs are formed.
Transfer the dough to a worktop and knead just enough to bring everything together into a ball. Do not knead too much. Add a little flour if the dough seems too sticky. Sprinkle the worktop with flour, then with a rolling pin roll out ¾ of the dough into a 4 mm thin disk.
Put the rolled out crust into a 9″ pie dish. Cut off the excess dough and poke holes in the bottom and sides with a fork.
Bake the crust, without filling, at 350º F for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove it from the oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
LEMON CUSTARD FILLING
In a saucepan, add the strained lemon juice, milk, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until there are no lumps. Add the lemon zest and simmer while whisking over medium heat until thick and smooth. Stir occasionally to avoid lumps. Add a pinch of turmeric or a couple drops of yellow food coloring to give it a yellow color.
Fill the baked pie crust with the lemon custard. Serve when cooled to room temperature or chill overnight. Before serving, optionally dust with chamomile-infused powdered sugar (recipe below).
(Optional) Chamomile-infused powdered sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon chamomile tea
Whiz the granulated sugar and chamomile tea in a blender until it turns into a fine powder. Dust onto the cooled lemon tart.
I sent the ladies home with a self-care package of a relaxing herbal tea Nutty Almond Cream (aka Roasted almond & fruit tea) and Body Restore shower steamers, so they could keep their personal wellness momentum going and enjoy a spa-like experience at home.
Hosting this tea was a step in the right direction for my own personal wellness and I am grateful to the VTS ladies for sharing this day with me. Being out of practice with entertaining, I could not have pulled off this tea party without D. and my co-hostess, Lady E. Lady E. helped prep, serve, and plate food, brew tea, and keep time during Listography, while D. was there behind the scenes, before, during, and after to ensure that all went smoothly and that our guests felt welcome, comfortable, and happy. Thank you! ❤
Finally, I couldn’t resist sharing this as a nod towards my vocational wellness. One of the things I have really enjoyed about working from home has been my tea ritual every morning. Conversely, it has been a challenge going back to work in the office again since we are no longer allowed to eat or drink at our desks. It is especially brutal to work on the days without my tea in the morning but hey, I’m still alive and I’m still employed! Thankfully, I am grateful and can laugh about this one. 😉
Thank you ladies for attending my wellness tea! It was a delightful day and I wish you continued progress and success in your personal wellness journey!
Disclaimer: Tastes Like Tea is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Tastes like tea 