When we are smelling the Marco Polo sample from the fabulous, famous Mariage Frères tea store in the Marais, Gigi says -- and this is word for word -- "Buy this one, Mommy! It's got hints of chocolate and raspberry!" And darn it if she isn't right.
I know, I know: You don't think of France when you think of tea. But then perhaps you haven't tried Mariage or Dammann Frères. Both sets of brothers trace their claim to be the best tea in France to the 17th century. Mariage Frères claim to have been sent to seek out great teas from the Orient around 1660, by King Louis XIV (though they place their business founding date in 1854). Dammann Frères claim their ancestor Monsieur Damame was granted an exclusive right to sell tea in 1692 by, also, King Louis XIV. Evidently, during his 72 year reign, the Sun King had quite a thing for tea.
The Marco Polo box (13€ for 100g) describes it as a "marvellous fruity & flowery black tea," so Gigi didn't get "hints of chocolate and raspberry" from there. I'm afraid that, like most things that come out of kids' mouths, it originates with the parents. Oh no! Are we those Bay Area people that the rest of the US mocks? The kind who swirl our wine and talk about its legs and bouquet? I don't think we are, yet Gigi got it from somewhere.
But at least we're not such snobs that we have a preference for one of the high-end teas over the other, thereby proving (to ourselves at least) that we are not complete and total wankers. I must admit, however, to having a preference for one of the stores itself -- the Dammann Frères store on the Place des Vosges -- simply because they've made all the samples easier to sniff. The store has an old-fashioned apothocery feel (much like Mariage Frères, frankly) but with a huge table of wooden boxes filled with the various teas. This would be another great use of smellovision, if it existed, because the aroma of some of these teas is too, too delicious for words.
Once we buy these teas, I am torn between wanting to use them slowly and make them last (especially at that price point) versus wanting to drink them up quickly so that I will have an excuse and room in the pantry to go buy more flavors.
I know, I know: You don't think of France when you think of tea. But then perhaps you haven't tried Mariage or Dammann Frères. Both sets of brothers trace their claim to be the best tea in France to the 17th century. Mariage Frères claim to have been sent to seek out great teas from the Orient around 1660, by King Louis XIV (though they place their business founding date in 1854). Dammann Frères claim their ancestor Monsieur Damame was granted an exclusive right to sell tea in 1692 by, also, King Louis XIV. Evidently, during his 72 year reign, the Sun King had quite a thing for tea.
The Marco Polo box (13€ for 100g) describes it as a "marvellous fruity & flowery black tea," so Gigi didn't get "hints of chocolate and raspberry" from there. I'm afraid that, like most things that come out of kids' mouths, it originates with the parents. Oh no! Are we those Bay Area people that the rest of the US mocks? The kind who swirl our wine and talk about its legs and bouquet? I don't think we are, yet Gigi got it from somewhere.
But at least we're not such snobs that we have a preference for one of the high-end teas over the other, thereby proving (to ourselves at least) that we are not complete and total wankers. I must admit, however, to having a preference for one of the stores itself -- the Dammann Frères store on the Place des Vosges -- simply because they've made all the samples easier to sniff. The store has an old-fashioned apothocery feel (much like Mariage Frères, frankly) but with a huge table of wooden boxes filled with the various teas. This would be another great use of smellovision, if it existed, because the aroma of some of these teas is too, too delicious for words.
Once we buy these teas, I am torn between wanting to use them slowly and make them last (especially at that price point) versus wanting to drink them up quickly so that I will have an excuse and room in the pantry to go buy more flavors.
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