le palais des thes: 6 posts

Le Palais des Thés has launched a collection of non-caffeinated teas based on fruit. Each blend includes pieces of dried fruit, herbs, and flowers.

Jardin Suspendu is fresh and acidic. It’s a blend of apple, orange & orange peel,  hibiscus flowers, rosehip peel, lemongrass, cornflower petals, sunflower petals, rose petals, mallow petals, and notes of mango and bergamot.

Jardin Tropical is sweet and tropical. It blends mango, pineapple, papaya and peach with rosehip peel, lemongrass, and cornflower petals.

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As much as I love tea, and would be more than happy to drink almost any tea you could put in front of me, I must admit that I am not typically a fan of flavored teas. Most of the time I find them to taste artificial, with the flavor overpowering the natural flavor of the tea leaf. However, many tea-loving Bois de Jasmin readers have recommended various flavored blends from Le Palais des Thés. My curiosity was piqued and, eager to test these teas myself, I ordered the Teas and Flavored Blends Box Set.

Much to my delight, all of the teas are scented delicately enough to accent the flavor of the tea, but strongly enough to be clearly tasted. I like some more than others, but overall, I’m happy with the purchase. The beautifully boxed set includes twelve screw-top metal tubes that each contain enough tea to prepare about six cups. Also included is The Théophile Guide, a small paperback book complete with detailed information about tea history, preparation, and detailed descriptions of all the teas sold by Le Palais des Thés.

I found the samples to be generously sized and conveniently packaged, with brewing time and temperature labeled on each one. All in all, this set would make an excellent gift for a tea lover, and could be equally appreciated by someone new to tea or to a seasoned tea drinker. Below are my impressions of each tea in the set, which includes Thé des Moines, Thé Vert à la Vanille, Thé du Hammam, Fleur de Geisha, Thé des Fakirs, Thé des Alizés, Thé des Amants, Blue of London, Thé des Lords, Thé des Sables, Thé des Concubines, and Thé des Songes.

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This summer Le Palais des Thés is launching a new line of teas packaged in extra large tea bags, a convenient way to brew a pitcher of iced tea.  The muslin bags are also large enough to allow for the tea leaves to unfurl completely (that’s essential for the best flavor). Each XL tea bag  makes 16 oz of tea (a quart size pitcher requires two bags). There are currently 4 flavors available: Thé du Hammam, Thé des Sources, Thé des Alizés and Wu Long 7 Agrumes.

Thé du Hammam (sweet)

“Inspired by a Turkish recipe, Thé du Hammam evokes the characteristic fragrances used to perfume the hammam: rose, green date, berries and orange flower water. It’s a subtle combination of Chinese green tea and rich, fruity aromas.”

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Hot chestnut honey, smoky leather, waxed woods… This may sound like a perfume description, but what I’m talking about is tea, and to be more precise, Yunnan d’Or tea from Le Palais des Thés. As I sniff the amber colored liquid in my cup, I get a bright and sparkling top note of sticky buds and caramel, but a sip reveals a voluptuous leathery richness. It’s a revelation. I knew that tea, like wine, chocolate and other complex flavors, has numerous layers, but to experience a perfume pyramid in a tea cup feels exciting.

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In Arabic, instead of the standard “good morning,” you can wish someone a morning of light, sabah al noor, morning of cream, sabah al ashta as well as morning of sleep, sabah al noum. My favorite greeting remains a morning of roses, sabah al ward. When I say it out loud—the thorny Arabic ‘h’ softly scratching my throat — I imagine a shower of red petals and their voluptuous honeyed fragrance. The only thing that can awaken me though is the annoying beeping of my alarm clock, so I’ve resolved to creating mornings of roses by other means.

One of my favorite ways to start a day is a strong cup of tea. I love the smell of coffee, but I save the boost of caffeine for those days when I absolutely need it. On most days, a cup of tea is enough to make me feel energized and uplifted. Some people are tea purists, but I don’t mind experimenting with flavored teas from time to time. As long as the flavor is not too strong or artificial, it can be an interesting foil to the tannic richness of tea.

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