Mariage Freres: The French Art of Tea

Mariage Frères : The French Art of Tea is part history of the Mariage Frères Tea Company and part catalogue of their teas.

Tea first became popular in France during the reign of Louis XIV. In the 1660s, Nicolas Mariage embarked on several voyages to Persia, the East Indies and the Moghul Empire as part of an envoy sent by Louis XIV and the French East India Company. Nicolas’ brother travelled to Madagascar with the same company. In the 18^th century, Jean-Francois Mariage was still trading in tea. In 1854, Henri and Edouard, grandsons of Jean-Francois, founded the Mariage Frères Tea Company on June 1^st. The name has been and still is synonymous with the highest quality teas.

The descriptions of various teas from around the world and the teas sold by Mariage Frères is a catalogue of superlatives, some of them exaggeratingly hilarious. Teas are described as “precious”, “charismatic”, “most civilized”, “paradise”, or even “evidence of a peerless marriage.”

I do love the fact that there are teas for every taste and occasion. These are teas I want to try:

T221 Lung Ching or Dragon’s Well “Produced on the summits of the Tieh Mu Mountain chain near the western lake of Hangzhow in Zheigang. The garden boasts white sandy soil and a perfect climate for growing tea. Lunch Ching’s liquor resembles liquid jade, and has a delicious aroma that fills the palate with a delicate fragrance. An ideal tea while reading” (41).

T227 Long Zhong Cui Lu “A tea of fine pedigree, with an orange-yellow liquor and highly pronounced aroma. A subtle tea, appropriate when curling up with a book” (42).

 A white Darjeeling tea with a description too great to miss

T144 Neige de jade “‘Jade Snow’ was conceived like a precious work of art on the Arya estate in Darjeeling. It is a unique white tea from the land of the finest black teas—the leaves, plucked as dawn, are carefully spread in the sweet morning air, then each leaf is wrapped in silk cloth and rolled by hand, and finally placed in gentle sunlight. The crystalline liquor yields a refined taste of young growth with overtones of white flowers. The subtle fragrances of this grand tea last long in the mouth, whispering of rare pleasures” (63).

The name of this next tea immediately called to mind Agatha Christie and Poirot

T955 Thé sur le Nil « A whiff of adventure: this blend will take you to the ends of the world, where the thoughts of enchanted voyagers dwell. Citrus fruit from forgotten lands and refined spices wonderfully scent this fine green tea. A flight of fancy—a timeless tea” (102).

And lastly,

T962 Thé des Impressionnistes “In the wild, rocky, maritime region of Provence in southern France, nature’s shimmering colours create rare and intense harmonies that delighted Impressionist artists. This green tea, scented with mild spices and white flowers, is also dotted with mauve flowers as a visual echo of the sizzling and powerful; fragrance that fills the mouth. A colorful tea” (103).