Tea Society meets to explore Middle Eastern tea culture

AMENIA — The monthly meeting of the Library Tea Society is steadily growing in popularity as the word spreads. The gathering on Saturday, Nov. 9, explored the teas, cuisine and tea culture of the Middle East, served with grace and polish in the Amenia Free Library.

“It’s delicious and healthy,” said Teresa Sullivan of Amenia who came a few minutes early with apparent enthusiasm, having attended earlier monthly teas. Past teas had explored teas and treats of England and China.

The Middle Eastern menu featured Cardamom Tea (a black tea) and Lemongrass Chamomile Tea (herbal alternative). On the menu were rose pistachio bundt cakes, date mamoul, baklava, tabouli, pistachios, pomegranate seeds, falafel, pine nut hummus and chocolate hummus, much of it prepared by the library’s program assistant, Megan Marshall, who set the table in the old library reading room with china cups and saucers, along with china teapots. Much of the Middle Eastern fare is vegetarian-based.

Asked about the origins of the idea to create the Tea Society, Marshall recalled that during her college years at the University of Buffalo, she joined a tea club and enjoyed learning about different countries’ teas and their cultural cuisine. Since coming to her position at the Amenia Library in June, she imagined that Amenia library patrons might also be drawn to the idea.

Attendance has been growing each month. The next meeting, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14, will feature Indian teas and cuisine. The featured tea will be Chai, maybe with lemon, Marshall said. The tea will begin at 12:30 p.m.

In January (the second Saturday), the theme will be Africa and will feature a beautiful purple tea, Marshall said, to complement the cuisine offerings.