A l’heure du thé

British writer Thomas de Quincey once said that “tea, while ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities, will always be the favorite beverage of the intellectual“.

As a Brit myself, I was quite naturally born with a cup of tea in my hand.

A hardened tea drinker, I spent a fair few years gulping down tea without ever really taking time to savour it. It is only with age and experience that I have managed to appreciate tea on the more intellectual level mentioned by De Quincey.

After considerable travels, both real and imaginary, I hope to share with you, whether tea fanatics or simple amateurs, my most precious findings. Why not join me on a whistestop tour of the best Parisian maisons?

Bare essentials

Any self-respecting tea drinker will have a teabag or two to hand at all times. These are what one might call the « bare essentials », teas of which you’ll never tire to be enjoyed at any time of day.

There are two teas I simply can’t do without : Jasmine green tea and Soleil Vert from Dammann Frères.

Jasmine green tea may well be a highly traditional blend, but finding the right balance between the fruity notes of green tea leaves and the floral bouquet of jasmin is no small feat. Dammann Frères’ mix is by far the most harmonious I have had the pleasure of tasting.

The evocatively named Soleil Vert is undoubtedly the most successful and imposing of the Dammann essentials. Blood orange essential oil adds a real zest to this green tea delicately flavoured with candied orange peel. This tea is to be enjoyed early in the morning or late in the afternoon on a sun-drenched terrace.

The essentials collection is completed by two complementary blends from Kusmi : green tea with rose petals and black tea with violet petals.

The height of refinement, these two teas are gently rolled in hand-picked rose and violet petals. From the moment they are infused, these teas release an enchanting fragrance, hinting at rich flavors.

For a real treat, head to the nearest Ladurée and combine these teas with a rose and raspberry Saint Honoré or a violet Religieuse.

Exclusive blends

Whether you are celebrating an important event or just feeling a little indulgent, there is nothing better than an exclusive blend.

For those of you with more educated palettes, I recommend Robe Rouge by Mariage Frères : simply delicious. Rich in earthy notes, this partially-oxidized blue leaf tea has an excellent woody flavor, with hints of chestnut and hazelnut.

Back at Dammann Frères, two flavoured oolongs – Jardin des Tuileries and Jardin du Luxembourg – are noteworthy. Both are exquisite floral blends which evoke the Parisian gardens to which they owe their names

Jardin des Tuileries is relatively subtle, its helianthus and cornflower petals offering both fruity and smoky tones. Jardin du Luxembourg, meanwhile, is far more potent from the outset : rose, jasmine, hawthorn and waterlily come together for a surprisingly powerful impact.

An exclusive blend par excellence, the Label Impérial by Kusmi is the fruit of a interesting collaboration. Originally thought up for New York cosmetics brand Kiehl’s, Label Impérial is a homage to the Imperial Body Balm.

Inspired by a traditional Russian beverage served as early as the 12th century, Label Impérial brings together Sencha green tea and a spicy mix of orange, cinammon, liquorice roots and sea buckthorn berries, finished off with a hint of vanilla.

Pleasant surprises

Over the course of my journey in search of the world’s greatest teas, I came across a fair few pleasant surprises.

I only discovered yellow tea very recently. Essentially a variant of green tea that has undergone an additional fermentation process, yellow tea is often sold in tightly-rolled pellets.

It is a true feast for the eyes to watch this dense mass slowly unfurl as the different notes become apparent.

Hand-picked in the Hunan province, Mariage Frères’ yellow tea leaves are quite simply divine. As the leaves infuse, apricot and mandarine notes give way to a floral bouquet with a spicy kick.

When rooibos red tea from the South African plateau meets a typically Russian fruity blend, the result is necessarily explosive!

Rouge Ruschka is a naturally theine-free blend with tangy citrus flavors. The potent attack of the initial spicy and peppery notes soon dies down, leaving behind a pleasing blend of bergamot and citrus fruits.

As far as bergamots go, it would be unthinkable to leave out Earl Grey, the finest of which has to be Great Earl Grey from Mariage Frères.

This particular blend owes its success to the fact that the black tea traditionnally used for Earl Grey blends is replaced by Pai Mu Tan white tea. Rather than settling for bergamot essential oil, Mariage Frères opts for Bergamot rind lovingly dried under the Calabrian sun in order ensure a fresh and full flavor.

Whatever your tea of choice, the conditions in which you enjoy it must remain the same : whether in good company or alone, seek out a quiet corner and sit down for a good quarter of an hour, long enough to forget the world.

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