Blog – Page 4 – Discovering Tea

Ship ahoy!

22 December 2023

On a tea plantation, unless you do everything by hand, from toasting the leaves in a wok to drying them (a truly titanic task), you need an engine to power the machinery. Those lucky enough to visit the Badamtam factory in India are in for a surprise. An authentic antique ship’s engine sits at the back of the building, and has been powering the various tea processing machines for years. Today, the engine gleams like a new penny next to a small Hindu temple. The gods watch over it to make sure it runs smoothly.

It’s all about the people

15 December 2023

I love inviting employees to join me on a tea research trip. This is a unique opportunity for me to show the people who contribute to the success of Palais des Thés where tea comes from, how we source it, and who harvests and processes it. Here in Darjeeling (India), for example, they can immerse themselves in the world of tea, in direct contact with the leaves, and understand every stage of their transformation. Above all, they will discover how the work of the tea researcher is all about the people. We know the men and women who live on these mountains – some of them for decades – and we love them. Here, between tasting teas and visiting plantations, Audrey, Camille, Geoffroy, Laurence, Laurie and Marc realise that picking tea is not as easy as it seems.

Tea reporter

8 December 2023

Before I started working in tea, more than 36 years ago, I wanted to be a journalist. Since then, I’ve combined this original dream with my work in my own way, through my search for rare teas. I try my hand at reportage with this blog and with my podcast, Un thé, un voyage, which is another way of taking you on a journey.

When I meet villagers living in such poverty, like here, the reporter in me takes over and wonders: does the tea they harvest help them to live, and would they be worse off without it? Or does the tea – poor quality, worth little or nothing – help keep them in this situation?

A Master Tea Sommelier is like a combination of an oenologist, a sommelier and a wine merchant

1 December 2023

What does it mean to be a Master Tea Sommelier? A Master Tea Sommelier is first and foremost an enthusiast and expert who loves to share their knowledge. They train their colleagues, educate their customers and work with Michelin-starred chefs, for example. A Master Tea Sommelier knows their teas like the back of their hand – or tongue! From black and green teas to white, blue-green, yellow and dark teas, they know all the techniques involved in making them. The history of tea, its geography, the grape varieties and cultivation methods, the sensory analysis while tasting, the knowledge and mastery of the objects used to prepare tea – nothing escapes them. They know which tea to pair with which dish, and which tea to use in which recipe. A Master Tea Sommelier is like an oenologist, sommelier and wine merchant all rolled into one. To date, Palais des Thés has awarded 53 Master Tea Sommelier diplomas. One of these passionate enthusiasts may work in your favourite store, so don’t hesitate to ask!

(Photo : Louise Marinig)

Master Tea Sommeliers: a shared passion

24 November 2023

Once a year, Palais des Thés brings together its Master Tea Sommeliers. These connoisseurs represent the highest level of expertise. They have acquired an impressive amount of knowledge and earned this coveted and demanding diploma. We are proud to dedicate a day to these experts, a day of shared and diverse experiences. Together, we taste teas and celebrate a mutual passion.

(Photo: Louise Marinig)

Small producers and large estates

17 November 2023

In Darjeeling, a region I’m particularly fond of and have visited many times, there are large estates built by the British in the mid to late 19th century, as well as a number of small, local producers who own a few acres or collect the leaves harvested by neighbouring farmers. Some work on abandoned plantations. In these cases, the whole family harvests and then processes the leaves using artisanal methods, sometimes with great success. These initiatives include the Yanki Tea Farm and the Niroula Tea Farm.

A lifetime

10 November 2023

I will spend my life photographing the people who work with tea. Observing them, loving them, walking beside them, sitting next to them. Paying close attention to their every move. Waiting for the right light. Saying a few words in their language, if I can. Finding things to share. Or just staying silent and taking in all the air I can into my lungs, then even more, and feeling that air circulate around my body.

I will spend my life photographing people looking at me, people blushing or laughing. People who want more, who rush over to see the screen of my camera when I’ve taken a photo. And others who are more distant. I walked behind this woman carrying a full basket for a long time, trying to capture her attention, but she turned her back on me and walked away.

The second nose

3 November 2023

One of the trickiest stages in making black tea is achieving the right level of oxidation. The leaves are left to wither for a good ten hours or so, then tossed to bruise them and break down their structure. Then it’s time for the oxidation process, which requires humid conditions. During this stage, the leaves change colour from green to brown. Their aromas also change radically, developing notes of wood, stewed fruit and spices, among many others. When should oxidation be stopped? In Darjeeling, producers use the “second nose” principle. At the beginning of the oxidation process, the tea leaves give off an intense aroma that gradually fades after a few minutes, only to return in full force a while later. This return of aroma is known as the second nose. It signals that it’s time to stop oxidation as the perfect level has been achieved. All that remains is for the leaves to be dried, sorted and packaged.

Strike day

27 October 2023

Today, on the eve of the biggest religious festival in the Indian state of West Bengal, workers at this plantation in the Dooars are on strike. They are demanding an increase in their annual bonus, which they use to buy gifts for their family and friends. The bonus is a significant part of their annual salary. Meanwhile, the tea bushes proudly support the bags and umbrellas. A few hours later, having achieved what they wanted, everyone returns to their belongings and the picking resumes.

Tea shapes us

20 October 2023

Yesterday, I had a long chat with Jeewan Prakash Gurung, one of Darjeeling’s oldest planters. He has been in the tea business for a record 48 years! He welcomed me to his plantation in Seeyok and together we tasted teas and talked until it grew dark. I was impressed and moved by his words: “Tea is not a product, it’s a culture!” His pride shone through when he talked about himself and his fellow tea growers: “I’m proud of Darjeeling teas, they’ve made us what we are today.” On the winding road back to Mirik, as I looked out of the wide open window of the Jeep at the mountains in the misty night sky, I thought about his words and realised something important. For some people, it is enough to make tea and to shape the tea leaves, while for others it is the tea itself that has shaped them and made them who they are. This reminded me of Nicolas Bouvier’s quote: “You think you are making a trip, but soon it is making you.