DES THÉS D’EXCEPTION À DÉGUSTER COMME DES GRANDS VINS
France, proud of its wines, has long despised tea drinkers. It was ignoring that tea also has its terroirs, its exceptional collections and its prestigious vintages. Red, black, green, white or blue, cultivated at altitude or on tiny plantations, this beverage has conquered the hearts of the French for a few years. While there are of course inexpensive teas, some vintages can fetch astronomical prices. Emperors' tea will cost you 1,200 euros per gram.
Tea, the most consumed drink after water
Around 25,000 cups of tea are drunk every second around the world. Over two billion people consume this amazing drink. The heaviest tea drinkers live in producing countries like China, India and Japan. Europe is also increasingly being seduced. In France, teas blended with other ingredients are growing. As for green tea, recognized for its antioxidant properties and used as a medicinal plant for over 5,000 years in Japan, it has conquered Europeans. The most prestigious green teas are Gyokuro (Japan) or Long Jin (China) and their prices can soar.
The terroir and the harvest guarantee the quality of the tea
It is the same with tea as with wine, the terroir is essential. China’s most famous tea, known as "Dragon Well Tea" is cultivated in the Hangzou region. In Japan, Gyokuro tea, the quintessential luxury drink, accounts for barely 1% of production and is grown only around Kyoto and Fukuoka. Its cultivation in the shade, in the shade of bamboo mats, gives it an inimitable taste. In India, in the region of Darjeeling, the "Champagne of tea" is collected in four prestigious harvests from spring to summer. This excellent tea consists only of young leaves and is even more valuable when it is made of buds. In China, the bud called “pekoe” is collected during “imperial” pickings and constitutes the most refined beverages.
Find exceptional teas
For the past thirty years, several brands have positioned themselves in the luxury tea niche. This is the case with "Mariage Frères" or "Damman". Their boutiques compete in refinement with the greatest jewelers. "Mariage Frères" offers nearly 600 varieties with an exceptional line made up of rare teas, of which sometimes only ten kilos are produced per year.
"Au Palais du thé" is a veritable gold mine where all teas come directly from their country of origin and where there are great vintages called "Pu Erh". In Paris, rue St Médard in the 5th arrondissement, there is a veritable tea temple over which Master Yu-Hui Tseng, a world-renowned expert, reigns. "La Maison des Trois Thés" offers you very high-end teas and tastings according to the rules of the art.
The most expensive teas in the world
In the Chinese province of Fujan, Da-Hong-Pao is harvested from tea plants dating from the Song dynasty (AD 960-1279). They are constantly watched by armed guards. Its price can reach 1,200 euros per gram, or more than thirty times its weight in gold. Symbol of luxury par excellence, the bag of "PG Diamond Tea" is encrusted with diamonds and sells for 15,000 euros each. The sacred white tea of Ceylon is made from buds harvested with golden scissors and sells for a low price of 68 euros for 20 grams. As for "Yellow Gold Tea Buds", once cut from the shrub, its buds are pulverized with real gold. Sold for 3,000 euros per kilo, this tea can be consumed in complete safety.
LECOBEL VANEAU
lecobel@lecobel.be
+32 2 346 33 55