To a tea… Omani ritual-inspired drink reimagined for state banquet
Pomegranates from Windsor Castle’s Venus Garden also took pride of place at the base of a gilded St George and the Dragon candelabra.
An after-dinner drink inspired by the Omani ritual of Kahwa – traditionally shared as a gesture of hospitality – has been reimagined for the Windsor Castle state banquet in honour of the Sultan of Oman.
Kahwa is usually an aromatic spiced Arabic coffee, but chefs at the royal residence adapted the concept using British teas and Windsor honey.
Guests will be invited to choose from an iced Earl Grey and date, an iced mint and rose, or a warm cardamom-spiced blend sweetened with honey for their post-banquet drink on Tuesday evening.
A royal aide said: “We are following an Omani tradition of Kahwa, which is a lightly roasted Arabic coffee normally spiced with cardamon, saffron or rose water, and served as a symbol of hospitality across Oman.
“We’re combining that tradition with the very British tradition of drinking tea.”
Pomegranates from Windsor Castle’s Venus Garden on the East Terrace also took pride of place at the base of a gilded St George and the Dragon candelabra, in front of the Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said and the King’s place settings.
The vibrant red fruits were picked from a tree planted by the King’s father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, more than 50 years ago, with the warm summer meaning there was an abundance of produce this year.
A new touch for the first time was the impression of the King’s cypher stamped onto the salt served at the table.
The 47-metre mahogany table in St George’s Hall was decorated with hundreds of flowers, including pink dahlias, purple asters, and red Guernsey lilies, as well as red rowan berries.
The King and Queen personally inspected the scene in the afternoon, examining the blooms and the place settings.
Eight working members of the royal family are attending the banquet, with the King, Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales joined by the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Other guests include Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who will be placed between Omani author Jokha Alharthi and senior Omani military officer General Sultan Mohammed Al Nomani.
Mr Burnham is attending his first state banquet as PM, with a dress code of white tie and tails. He will be accompanied by his wife Marie-France van Heel, who is placed next to Victoria and Albert Museum director Sir Tristram Hunt.
Among the 160 guests will be the bosses of Shell, BP and Airbus, as well as chef and food blogger Dina Macki – who is seated next to William.
Kate is placed between the Sultan and the minister of Diwan of Royal Court, Sayyid Khalid Hilal Al Busaidy.
The menu will begin with croute of Scottish langoustine and Cornish crab with avocado, tomato consommé and celery, followed by pot-roasted Windsor pheasant with spiced quince, with stuffed cabbage and braised fondant potatoes in a Dijon mustard sauce and selection of seasonal vegetables.
Dessert is an individual baked Alaska with Balmoral plum and Windsor Estate honey ice cream.
The Sultan is Muslim and does not drink alcohol, but wine is available to those who do drink.
The Sultan’s state visit to the UK is the first by an Omani ruler for 44 years.
The silver gilt grand service being used for the occasion consists of 4,000 pieces and was commissioned by George IV as the Prince of Wales.
On the table were 480 knives, 480 forks, 160 spoons, 124 cruet spoons and 208 pieces of service cutlery.