Tea Time

Behind the Louvre, through Place de Colette, and past the Comédie Française lies a quiet street called Rue Chabanais, and an oasis of calm called Zen Zoo Thesaurus, a charming Salon du Thé in the authentic Taiwanese fashion. I was fortunate to be invited to a tasting by Madame V, and as soon as we entered the celadon green salon I sensed this would be no ordinary afternoon of tea and cake! The beautiful strains of the pipa, a Chinese lute, immediately transported us into another world, a world of peaceful garden paths and graceful birds, gentle brooks and bonsai, and the ancient Gong Fu Cha ritual du thé. Our expert guide was Madame Hsieh Yu-hsin, who demonstrated that there is more to a cup of tea than boiling water - much, much more! The ritual is choreographed like a classic ballet, each movement performed exactly as it has always been, with a specific logic and purpose. Madame explained what each utensil was to be used for as she set the table, then excused herself to prepare samples of Formosa's finest Oolong tea for us to choose from. The experience is rather like a wine tasting, one takes in the aroma of the dried leaves as Madame explains their location of origin, percentage of fermentation, and undertones of flavour. The scents were delicate, and it was explained that the infusion process would bring the aroma to life. We also learned that most fragrant teas on the market have parfum added unnaturally. (That is why the first cup of my raspberry tea always smells so good, but I only get one infusion per sachet!) We lingered over three infusions, filling our little clay teapots with water heated to an exacting 90-95° C. Did I mention this was a science? Once the tea is properly infused, one pours the entire amount into the first of three ceramic vessels. Then, burning ones fingers on the piping hot container, one pours a portion into another, shaped like a shotglass. From here, the tea is poured into the third and final cup - but before tasting one takes in the aroma from cup #2. This is not a ritual one performs on the fly, Madame V and I were there nearly two hours, sipping tea and munching on delicious gateaux lichee. It was a wonderful experience, one that I hope to pay forward and share with other friends! You can take part in the Gong Fu Cha ritual du thé Monday - Saturday from 12h to 19h30 by reservation 01 42 96 17 32. Tariff 12-20 euro per person. (French spoken, but little english.) Zen Zoo Thesaurus, Salon du Thé 2 rue Chabanais metro line 1 Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre. You can also visit the online boutique @ http://www.thesaurus-boutique.com/