Acclaimed certified tea specialist and food historian Judith Krall-Russo will highlight tea customs and rituals from around the world during an Afternoon Tea to be presented by the Kenilworth Historical Society on Sat., May 20, 2023, at the Kenilworth Veterans Center (Kennedy Room), 33 South 21 Street.
The event, “Around the World in a Teacup,” will begin at 12:30 p.m. and feature an enlightening “tea journey around the world” plus a gift auction, 50/50 raffle and door prizes. An array of assorted international teas, tea sandwiches, savories and desserts will be served. Admission is $30. Advance reservations are required (by May 1 recommended), as seating is limited. For reservations/tickets, please call 908-709-0434 or visit Love You More floral boutique (13 North 20th Street, Kenilworth), where tickets for the event are being sold.
Featured speaker Judith Krall-Russo will lead participants in the Tea on an enlightening, entertaining journey to discover the evolution of “tea-time” around the world and to learn about tea traditions in such countries as China, India, Japan, Russia, Turkey, Africa, South America and the British Isles. On display will be items from Krall-Russo’s extensive collection of tea accoutrements, including a Russian samovar (c. 1900), Chinese Gong Fu tea set, Turkish teapot and Tibetan tea bowl.
Proceeds from the Tea and gift auction will benefit the Kenilworth Historical Society’s Oswald J. Nitschke House (c. 1880) “living history” museum and cultural arts center by helping defray operating expenses, including the cost of an elevator that makes all levels of the site (“living history” museum, exhibition center and cultural arts center) fully accessible to everyone.
Krall-Russo began studying the customs and traditions of tea 30 years ago and earned certifications as a Tea Specialist by The Tea School of Pomfret, Conn., and The Specialty Tea Institute of New York. She has studied at Boukakuan Tea House in New Jersey, learning there about the Japanese Tea Ceremony, and at the Urasenke Chanoyu Center in New York City. Additionally, she has taken lessons in the gong fu Chinese tea ceremony at The Tea Gallery in New York City. As a result of her independent studies and vast knowledge of the history and trends surrounding tea and many popular New Jersey foods and beverages, Krall-Russo is a regular speaker and seminar organizer across the state.
The Kenilworth Historical Society (www.kenilworthhistoricalsociety.org) is an independent, volunteer-based, non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to the research, preservation and interpretation of the Oswald J. Nitschke House (c. 1880), local history and culture.
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