mars 29, 2013
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The best way to make a cup of first flush Darjeeling

For those of you who are getting your first taste of a first flush Darjeeling, I’d like to remind you that these are rare and fragile teas that need to be prepared with care. The infusion time, for example, should not exceed three minutes and 45 seconds. A fine tea is all about harmony. We look for a balance between the textures, flavours and aromas. With first flush Darjeelings, the best way to find this harmony is to keep the infusion time to between 3’30 and 3’45.


Posted in Country : India by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : ,
mars 26, 2013
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The first flush Darjeelings have started to arrive

The Darjeeling Hillton DJ1 “SFTGFOP1 clonal” that I chose ten days ago has arrived at Roissy airport. It’s one of the very first Darjeelings harvested this year, and this batch of just 95 kilos is worth trying. In the cup, it develops subtle floral notes amidst vegetal aromas of cut grass, raw vegetables and stems. A bouquet of fresh almond, vanilla and yellow fruit accompanies a delightful finish in the mouth, with vegetal, camphor, fresh and vanilla notes.


Posted in Country : India by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : ,
mars 22, 2013
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Memories of South Africa

Some South African farmers have just sent me this photo taken last month during the rooibos harvest. I’m in the middle, and the temperature was close to 40 degrees. The working conditions aren’t easy in this region, which is so arid in the summer that almost the only things that grow are stones and sand.
When, in the evening, I drink a cup of this infusion that is completely free of caffeine and theine, I think of them and the joy it gave me to discover such wonderful landscapes and people.


Posted in Non classé by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : ,
mars 19, 2013
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The job of tea researcher

If I had to choose one image to illustrate my work, I’d choose this one. A picture of a bridge. A footbridge. A bridge linking two worlds: the world of tea producers on one side with the world of tea enthusiasts on the other.
A bridge between East and West. A bridge between those who cultivate slow living with those who want to return to it. By drinking tea, for example.


Posted in Non classé by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags :
mars 15, 2013
3 Comments

The tea harvest in the south of Sri Lanka

Sometimes the people who harvest tea don’t have the necessary equipment to process the leaves. In this case, they sell their crop to another farmer who is able to process it.
This is what happens in the south of Sri Lanka, where each tea factory dispatches vehicles to collect bags from small producers.


Posted in Country : Sri Lanka by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : ,
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The author

François-Xavier Delmas is a passionate globetrotter. He’s been touring the world’s tea plantations for more than 20 years in search of the finest teas. As the founder of Le Palais des Thés, he believes that travelling is all about discovering world cultures. From Darjeeling to Shizuoka, from Taiwan to the Golden Triangle, he invites you to follow his trips as well as share his experiences and emotions.

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