Le Thé Mariage Frères

I could not agree more with Amy. Tea from Mariage Frères is one of those things that just make life a whole lot better. The beauty of the tins it comes in does nothing to hamper my feelings, nor does the beauty of the boxes the tins themselves come in!

And the names, indeed, the names! If you can't make it out on the pic above, I have : "Thé sur le Nil" (fruity and lemony green tea), "Casablanca" (Morrocan mint and bergamot) and "Jasmin Mandarin" (sweet jasmine green tea). The last two I received as a gift from our friend Chacha on my last birthday...

I might add that they have a beautiful website. The English section unfortunately seems to be down today, but the French section does allow you to order their products and have them shipped anywhere (except to Japan, as they have an outlet in Tokyo). And also, there is a recipe section in there! Check out the "Prawn Salad with Tea on the Nile vinaigrette" recipe! And the "Earl Grey Madeleines"!

And while we're on the subject of good French sources for tea, I am a great fan of the Palais des Thés as well. A more modern zen-like approach, but a very wide and high-quality selection nonetheless. And don't even get me started on their tins.