Inspirations – Page 2 – Discovering Tea

Worthy withering

19 May 2023

Withering is essential for the production of many teas. During this stage, the camellia leaf, which starts out being 80% water, gradually loses its moisture. French people often ask what the word fletrissage, for withering, means, as it is rarely used in our language. However, it appears in the most famous monologue in Corneille’s play, Le Cid, albeit in a different context, as Corneille is referring to withering laurel leaves. Moreover, far from adding value to the wreath on Don Diègue’s head, their withering signifies the loss of a proud appearance, a kind of dishonour.
But tea is not theatre. We have never heard anyone lament the withering of tea leaves and declaim: “O rage! O despair!”

Live free!

12 May 2023

The gaiwan works as follows: after placing a large quantity of leaves in it, equivalent to around a third of its volume, the water is poured in. The first – short – infusion is poured into a “fairness cup” or directly into the drinking cups, and is followed by a second and then a third infusion.

The leaves are completely free during this series of brief infusions. Watch them unfurl. They are at home in water. Have you ever looked at tea leaves as they infuse? Have you ever seen them so relaxed? The gaiwan is not just a vessel for brewing tea, it’s a spectacle in itself. The object is beautiful, and the leaves inside are beautiful as they infuse. When we gently lift the lid, we can admire their colour, their shape, the way the water brings them back to life. And, of course, we can appreciate the aromas that emanate from them, which we can smell by lifting the inside of the lid to our nose.

The simplicity of the gaiwan

5 May 2023

Apart from the tasting set, which is sometimes used by professionals, there are different ways of brewing tea. In China there is the zhong or gaiwan; in Japan the shiboridashi or kyusu. In the West, the most commonly used vessel is the teapot. But why not explore lesser known objects? Today, I would like to talk to you about the gaiwan. It’s a very simple thing, consisting of a kind of bowl with a lid. Let’s take a look at it from the outside while the tea is brewing inside. The beauty of the gaiwan lies in its radical simplicity. What is the principle of brewing tea? It involves bringing the tea leaves into contact with water. As the leaves unfurl, they release their aromas and other elements. I can’t think of a better place to brew tea leaves than in this remarkable object. I could show you the inside of the gaiwan right now, but I’d rather wait. What I enjoy most while my tea is brewing is appreciating the vessel in which it’s brewing: its colour, the way the changing light plays on its surface, its material. I observe the roughness of the clay and my contemplation transports me to distant landscapes. This gaiwan was made in the Périgord region of France by a talented ceramist, Manon Clouzeau. Let’s have another look at our tea brewing under this delicate lid, which is so easy to hold. I’ll leave you to look at it and will see you soon. Next week, I’ll take the lid off.

Pairing tea with savoury food

28 April 2023

The French TV channel M6 came to see me this week to ask me about tea and food pairings; more specifically, savoury food. Tea is an ideal partner for something sweet like cakes or biscuits – think of that quintessential English tradition of afternoon tea. It’s a different matter, and perhaps more challenging, when it comes to savoury foods. My first recommendation for those who want to try it is to serve the tea at room temperature. With the right selection, tea can go well with, say, cured meats or cheeses, but it’s best to avoid pairing hot with cold. So here’s what you do. Take the tea of your choice, add the usual amount of tea leaves to a jug or carafe and pour over filtered water at room temperature, then leave it to brew for an hour. From left to right: Pu Erh Impérial (pair with a mature Comté), Bancha Hojicha (pair with a Brie), Shiraore Kuki Hojicha (pair with a Pont-l’évêque), Butterfly of Taiwan (pair with an Ossau-Iraty), Dharamsala Smoked (pair with a smoked cheese or cured meat), and Chine Long Jing (pair with a fresh goat’s cheese). Bon appétit!

Des accords salés

La chaîne de télé M6 est venue me voir cette semaine pour m’interroger à propos d’associations de thé et de mets. Et pas n’importe quelles associations ! Uniquement celles qui ont à voir avec du salé. En effet, marier le thé avec le sucré, y compris pour les néophytes, cela coule de source et ça s‘appelle par exemple le « tea time ». En revanche, avec le salé, c’est différent, disons plus osé, alors ma première recommandation est celle-ci, pour celles et ceux qui souhaitent se lancer dans de tels accords, il est souhaitable de privilégier une infusion à température ambiante. La raison en est que si charcuterie et thé ont des choses à se dire, si fromage et thé aussi à condition de bien choisir son cru, il n’est pas conseillé ici de confronter le chaud au froid. Pour votre infusion, voici comment procéder : vous prenez le thé de votre choix, vous mettez dans une carafe la quantité habituelle à savoir deux grammes par tasse, vous versez de l’eau filtrée et vous attendez une heure. De gauche à droite, Pu Erh Impérial (pour un Comté 36 mois), Bancha Hojicha (pour un brie), Shiraore Kuki Hojicha (pour un pont-l’évêque), Butterfly of Taiwan (pour un ossau-iraty), Dharamsala smoked (pour un fromage fumé, une charcuterie), Chine Long Jing (pour un chèvre frais). Bon appétit !

What’s the best model for Darjeeling?

21 April 2023

Owners are complaining, workers are grumbling, buyers are gradually turning away because of repeated price hikes, and fake Darjeelings are flooding the market. If you love Darjeeling and its people, you can’t just stand by and watch.So what can be done? What bright future can we imagine for this town that likes to call itself the “Queen of the Hills”, for this prestigious tea that makes the dubious claim of being the “champagne of teas”?If we want the workers to stay on the plantations, they must be happy, otherwise their children will leave. So they need to be treated better, and their pay is one of the factors to consider. Looking to the future, the plantation owners need to be prepared to invest. This is happening less and less at the moment because the type of owner has changed, and many are looking for a quick return on investment rather than taking a long-term view. Lastly, we can’t accept that Darjeeling tea is being blended with other teas to reduce its cost price, or that the buyer is always the variable in the equation who has to adapt.
One solution could be fewer but better trained and better paid workers, and more mechanisation, providing it doesn’t affect quality, especially in the peak season. Another possible solution would be for the plantations to buy the leaves from the farmers, who would be given back the land. The farmers would be responsible for all harvesting activities and would negotiate the price of their freshly picked tea leaves with one of the factories. The plantations would concentrate on processing and marketing the leaves. If you’re as devoted to the Land of Thunder (dorje ling) as I am, if you dream of a bright future, these are possible solutions. Surely there are others.

The dark side of tea

31 March 2023

With all the demonstrations and riots going on in France right now, these might seem like dark times. Tea has a dark side too. Pu-er cakes are made from fermented tea, or dark tea, as the Chinese called it over a thousand years ago. After the leaves are steamed, they are compressed into a brick, a cake, or a more rustic bird’s nest. These compressed teas improve with time. To drink them, you break the side of the block and the leaves crumble off. They can now be brewed, preferably in a gaiwan, several times in a row, until they have given us all they have to give.

Don’t waste your journey

10 March 2023

In India, Henri Michaux wrote, if you don’t pray, you have wasted the journey. This is particularly true in the city of Benares, which Indians now call Varanasi. Here, religion is on every street corner and draws huge crowds to the banks of the holy river in the evenings. You have to stay up late until all that remains are the ghosts of the city and the fervour that is still palpable in the incense smoke and the candles glowing with love for the departed. When it comes to ablutions, whatever the time of day, everyone has their own style.

In Malawi, the Satemwa plantation is celebrating its 100th anniversary

17 February 2023

In Malawi, the Satemwa plantation is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It took me a long time to start exploring Africa – I was already busy in Asia. But after receiving many requests and to satisfy my own curiosity, to see if I could find tea as good in Africa as in Asia even though the plantations are much younger, I went there. I started in Malawi, a country of rare beauty: tea fields bathed in a different light, red earth, unfamiliar faces. The children were the same as I meet everywhere, running after me, bursting with energy and laughter. Alex, the planter for three generations now, has created a space in the impressive building to develop rare teas. It is the start of an exciting venture and a wonderful discovery for me. Happy anniversary to all at Satemwa.

Tea isn’t blooming in Peru

3 February 2023

In Peru, tea is so cheap and in such low demand that half the production is sold to florists. Tea branches stay in bloom for a long time. It is a depressing situation for the farmers, who are deprived of precious income because of a lack of expertise and demand. These would allow them to earn a decent living and develop their business. It is my role, and that of Palais des Thés, to help them produce better, even excellent teas, and to promote their work.