tea party

I feel like I've been riding some right-brainwaves recently. No, I haven't taken up a new art form, but I've been doing domestic, crafty, outside-my-normal-box things. I owe the readership at least one, if not two Thanksgiving posts, which will reveal my domestic attempts at this American holiday once again. I told you all about our autumn craft night, and at the time of this writing, I'm just hours away from two separate Christmas Craft events with the girls. And on the expanding-my-horizons front, I recently had the privilege of attending Tea Time in Cayman's very first tea party, hosted at Grand Pavilion on a lovely Saturday afternoon.

And by "first tea party", I mean the first of four, so this relaxing and educational experience was just the beginning in terms of future premium tea experiences here on the island.

So, full disclosure up front: Kadi and Kelli, who own Tea Time in Cayman, are friends of mine, and they gave me two free tickets in exchange for snapping a few photos and blogging about the tea party. However, all opinions in this post are purely my own.

  photo credit: AK

The 2N twins enjoying a little girl time over a spot of tea.

And here's my first opinion: Kadi and Kelli sure know how to throw a classy party.

From the glossy tea party booklets explaining all the teas, to the welcome blueberry iced tea accompanied by homemade "Got the Blues?" tea-infused cookies, to the Frank Sinatra big band music that serenaded us throughout the afternoon, to the clean table settings and tempting food pairings from Bay Market in Camana Bay, I was impressed from "hello".

It was all I could do to keep from devouring the pre-plated food upon sitting down in Grand Pavilion's courtyard. How gorgeous is this place setting?!

And because we were attending a tea party, we enjoyed a nearly endless supply of blueberry tea biscuits and cubic lumps of sugar.

Top: I can't turn down homemade shortbread.
Bottom: I'm a sucker for symmetry.

Kadi and Kelli came with an organized strategy for educating those of us with limited tea backgrounds as to the proper methods and materials used when drinking loose leaf tea. I was all ears - a willing and eager student, ready for a tea adventure!

To keep our nine tea pairings straight, we were provided with an organized tasting chart, which I faithfully used while comparing nine of Tea Time's premium teas.

My favorite pairings? I didn't turn my nose up at anything. But if I had to rate the offerings, I'd rave about the the following combos:

1. Hibiscus Vanilla Delight (rooibos tea served over ice - smooth, fruity vanilla flavor that was totally refreshing!) with Turkey Cranberry Sandwiches. I loved the seasonality of this pairing, as we enjoyed it over the Thanksgiving weekend.

2. Spice It Up Cayman (loads of flavorful ingredients--including cinnamon, yerba maté, cardamom, and cloves--with mega health benefits, like mental clarity and appetite suppression) followed by a Cucumber/Lime Palate Cleanser.

3. Genmaicha "Popcorn" Tea (involving toasted rice, per the traditional Japanese brewing method, providing a nutty twist to a traditional green tea) and a Mixed Nuts/Seeds Popcorn Ball.

Most of the tea was brewed for us, but one unique experience was "cupping" our own Silver Needle tea. Touted as one of the top ten teas in China, Silver Needle is harvested by hand only two days of the year when the tea buds are young. We were provided with special cups to contain this delicate white tea, along with tea thermometers to ensure we steeped the tea for the appropriate length of time.

Once the timer went off, we poured the contents of our single-serving tea pot into a cup, resulting in white tea of the highest quality ready to be sipped and enjoyed.

Silver Needle tea, properly cupped and ready to be paired with
Bay Market's Carmelized Onion Lamb Wonton

In addition to proper cupping techniques, the ladies gave us a side-by-side comparison of two oolong teas ("Jade Oolong" and "Easy like Sunday Morning"). I preferred the latter, but both varieties are touted to boost your metabolism. Count me in!

Comparison of the wet and dry appearances of two of Tea Time's oolong teas.
Quite the comprehensive tea education, if you ask me!

One thing I'll always love about Grand Cayman: You run into friends, even when you don't expect to. I enjoyed seeing every face in this group of four, which were seated just behind our table.

And smiles abounded as K&K awarded door prizes and raffle prizes throughout the event. It seemed like nearly every table had a winner!

It's no secret that I'm excited about this tea. I've been converted by the health benefits, the fresh quality, and the overall infectious positive energy that exudes from these two ladies. Thanks again to Kadi and Kelli for inviting me to their first tea cupping and tasting party. I'm only days away from Tea Party #2, which involves chocolate from Cocoa Couture. Premium loose leaf tea + gourmet chocolate? I think I might be weak at the knees.

To buy your tickets for the next three tea parties, visit Bay Market in Camana Bay, or check out teatimeincayman.ky for additional details. See you there; pinkies in the air!