Mariage Frères Tea. And then some.
Canister Love
When I last posted about Mariage Frères, I had just bought my first one.
The love affair continues.
I guess there are worse things to be obsessed with.
Oh, I know you're wondering if some of them aren't really all that good.
Well that's just crazy talk for skeptics and non-believers.
I just won't invite them to my next tea party.
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Tea Info
There are 3 Mariage Frères tea salons in Paris.
It's about half the price to buy the tea in the bags as it is in the canisters. The canisters are great, but it's harder on the pocketbook if you are obsessed like I am.
Across the street from the location in Le Marais, there is a second MF tea shop where you can sniff the teas at your leisure. You can also buy bags of tea already packaged on the shelves, as opposed to getting them packaged by the staff from bulk bins at the other locations. In other words, there is no fighting with other customers for the staff's attention. It's as self-serve as it gets.
Having tea at the salon may seem pricey to some. A pot of tea costs approximately 7 euros. But I have discovered that it provides about 6 cups of tea, so if there are 2 of you, its 3.50 each, for 3 cups of tea each, which is actually a great deal. And it is perfectly ok to just go for tea and nothing else.
It's possible that I may have a problem...
The servers provide you with a huge book filled with all the descriptions of the teas (available in many languages) so you can select one before ordering. Or sniff some in the shops attached to the salons to decide what you want to try before going in .
Word of warning: they charge 4 euros for a single madeleine. Ahem.
My current tea collection:
Boléro, Thé a L'Opéra, Vanille des Iles, Vanille Impériale, Bouddha Bleu, Thé des Impressionnistes, Sankar Bop, English Breakfast, Ruschka, and my absolute current favourite: Surabaya.
And I am a happy girl.
But I still want more. Is that wrong?
Tags:
Mariage Frères
Paris Tea
Paris
Labels: mariage freres, Paris, tea
posted by Michèle at 6:15 PM
36 Comments:
I am so envious. I would love to be able to go to the salon and shop, sniff and ponder, and have a pot of tea (without the gilded madeleine).
I 'm really enjoying the tea you sent-especially the Bolero. I shared it with some friends who were here for dinner. After we ate, I made a pot, and then another.They loved it. I thought they might have a third pot and began anxiously looking at the level of tea in the shiny black tin.
Is Surabaya a green or black tea? What is it like?
Thanks again. It was a great prize!
Oh that is sooo not wrong ;)
I agree tea is great!
I have the biggest tea collection, I can't buy tea with my mum as she gives me crap about it LOL
very impressive selection you have there. I'm jealous!! I only have Marco Polo and love it! will definitely have to give the others in your stash, a try. ;)
That is quite a collection! John's stepmother has an impressive collection all her own and I have been enjoying sniffing and sampling the various canisters lately. There are indeed worse things to be obsessed with.
I'm regretting my coffee choice this morning, shoulda gone with the tea! Though what I have at home pales in comparison to the beautiful Mariage teas, and their beautiful packaging too!
(aside: where in the world did you find that benny and joon thing? that is a total riot-i love it!)
I was just recently introduced to Mariage Frères tea myself, and am in love with the Marco Polo -- all fruit and flowers, and gorgeous to boot, with little violet blooms in the tea. Not to mention very grateful to the friend who suggested it! (In Toronto, it's available at the Holt Renfrew cafe.)
What a great blog. I am off to Holt Renfrew tomorrow for some of this much hyped Mariage Freres.
Your tea collection and J of Kuidaore's teapots & cups collection have hit me with major Mariage Freres envy! I'm in love with their Casablanca (Moroccan mint & bergamot). Dying to try my as yet unopened canister of Thé a L'Opéra. Have been ever since you first posted about it. Thank you for the fabulous advice. Will put it to good use when we're next in Paris.
Lindy, Im so glad you enjoyed the tea. There is nothing worse than having someone try a favourite of yours and then having them not like it. I can imagine you are dreading the end of your supply, I can't imagine what I will do if I move away and have no access to it anymore. I've become a tea freak since discovering it. The Surabaya that I like so much is a red tea from South Africa, it is herbal without caffeine. It has a subtle fragrance with a very slight hint of roses and oranges but the more earthy side of those smells, not overpowering. I love it!
Clare, oh your mom is funny. You tell her that at least you are not collecting whiskeys or something. What kind of tea is your favourite? Is there a fancy pants Australian brand that you love?
K & S, Im a bit too proud of my collection. You should see me stick my nose in each one every day trying to decide which one I'm in the mood for. I've turned into a real dork about my tea! If you like green tea (and fruity flavours) I definitely recommend Boléro and Thé a L'Opéra. Thé des Impressionistes is also a green one with a subtle flavour of mint, its a nice calming green tea whereas the other two really pep me up because they smell so fab.
Gemma, nice to have you back! I think half the fun of owning the tea is in the sniffing. Its really aromatherapy in itself. That's why I love that little shop in Le Marais, where I can stick my nose in every single one of them.
Mona, well it took me a long time to jump on the tea bandwagon but I must say that Mariage Freres has me fully converted. Although I will have to start buying more of their non-caffeinated herbal teas just so Im not overdoing it on the caffeine. A girl needs to sleep sometime ;)
Rachel, Im surprised and thrilled to know that you can get the tea at Holt Renfrew. Im curious what kind of a selection they have. I tried the Marco Polo at one of the tea salons and really liked it too. Why isnt it in my collection? Gee, I guess I'll just have to go back and get some..
Robert, thanks! If you pick some tea up let me know what you think. I'd love to hear which one(s) you decided to bring home with you.
S, you know J's teapots have been on my mind lately since I've gone insane over tea. I think it is going to be on the top of my birthday list this year. The Casablanca tea sounds great, I will check it out because I love bergamot. As for the The a L'Opéra, Im thrilled you picked some up. Let me know what you think once you've tried, I really hope you like it!
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She is HOPELESS!
T2 is really good, but really expensive *sigh*
They have a really cute one called gorgeous geisha
I am currently loving some l'epicer hawaiian tea Reid sent me :)
Hey, we all have obsessions. If I could get canisters like you have, I would be obsessed too! I like your new tea collection! FAR better than those old ones that grow tasteless because they have been kept for too long...hmmm...must go clean out tea drawer...
hi michele, wonderful post! how i lust after your plentiful collection, not to mention your ready access to their ever changing selection. i think we really should start a support group for mariage freres addicts ;) if held at gunpoint and asked to choose just one, i would have to say the earl grey french blue (i've never tasted another earl grey quite as silky) is my absolute favourite.
There are definitely worse things to be obsessed about, Michele:) I always use the same excuse when someone questions the reasonability of my cooking/cookbook/baking/blogging hobby:)
Those tea canisters look absolutely gorgeous. I guess it's time to upgrade from my Whittard of Chelsea teas..
Clare, Gorgeous Geisha is a fabulous name, that alone would make me buy it!
Michelle, The canisters are fab, but too pricey to get them every time. You know when I bought all those teas I didnt know that they grow tasteless after a time! My friend informed me of that too and I just had to laugh when she told me.. I guess I'll just have to drink them quickly, which shouldnt be a problem!
J, I'm definitely going to take my nose over to Mariage Freres and sniff out that Earl Grey French Blue. It sounds great. And the support group sounds like a great idea, I could really use it!
Pille, I agree, we have such respectable obsessions! I'll just have to make sure I don't overdose on caffeine ;) Arent the canisters great? I would love to have a whole shelf full of them. But perhaps that is really going overboard..Still, I'd love it..
Oh, I'd love to have a sip, at least.
Paz
That looks simply excellent. I don't think I could find that here in the states.
What S also didn't mention is that she's been building up a collection of Mariage Freres teacups.
I kick myself when I realize that one of the two hotels S and I stayed in during our honeymoon was around the corner from a MF store (in the Marias)and we never went in.
no, of course it's not a problem. I ended up with about 4 types after my first visit! I just had to keep my fingers crossed that we could get them past Australian customs (really strict!). I ended up with one of their teapots too but no cups because it was just getting way too expensive.
Paz, oh I wish you could too. If you come to Paris you can come over and try all of mine!
Tom, well I have just discovered that the tea can be found in Toronto, Canada so I would almost bet that somewhere in the US there is a hidden treasure of MF teas!
CH, S has been holding out on us! I would love to see a picture of that collection. On your next trip you'll definitely have to venture in, if only to get S another teacup!
Cin, you lucky girl for having one of their teapots! I am just starting to get the itch to have a look at them.. this is turning into a very.serious.obsession.. ;)
Update - this post whetted my appetitite to refresh the Mariage Freres tea I already have. They're still serving it at Holt Renfrew's cafe, but not selling it retail anymore. I discovered today, though, that Williams Sonoma carries a small selection -- Eros, Marco Polo, Vanille, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, and a few others. I went to the Bloor St location.
Chances are that some WS stores in the US carry it as well.
I still remember our afternoon spent in the MF salon as one of the most pleasurable (and relaxing!) events of my stay in Paris. At the time I felt like I had already accumulated enough junk to fill my bags on the way back, but now of course I regret that I didn't buy at least one little bag as a souvenir, especially as they're so cheap sans canister. I'm very impressed at how your collection has grown. I told you about the betjeman and barton they sell at edinburgh's plaisir du chocolat - maybe we'll have to send each other tea care packages!
Michèle - I did find a place I can order this online. I think I'll try their Lapsong Souchong first.
hi! Michèle
I find your blog through google with the word "Mariage freres" :D
I'm also kind of obsessed with tea these days.. Mariage's Wedding Imperial and Vivaldi are my best!
I recommend you to taste it ^^
I really enjoy your essays :D
Have a nice week!
Wonderfull blog!
I've gone ino the salon in the Marais several times and have always walked out with bags full of tea. It's one of my favorite tea companies and I have even looked & found it in the states. Their "catalog" that they send out, is a simple list of teas - as in they don't even bother with pictures or descriptions - because they expect you to just know your teas. I love it...
Clotilde at C&Z was the first to clue me in on the existence of a MF shop in Tokyo. Heaven on earth!! Not only do I dreamily look at the canisters of teas lined up for display, the gorgeous teapots, and the equally gorgeous all-male staff (don't ask me why, but it is ALL men in there, and they are hot!), but I feel transported to a place so very far from the crowds of Tokyo. MF has a special place in my heart.
Oh, that Marco Polo Rouge!!!
Rachel, thanks for the update. I'm happy to hear that the teas can be found there after all my ranting and raving about them. It's good to know that I won't be without my supply next time I'm in Canada!
Melissa, how did you escape Paris without a suitcase full of tea? It must have been because your bag was already loaded with a million jars of jam huh! So let's definitely get on that tea exchange my friend!
Tom, let me know what you think of it. Next time I'm in the shop I'll search it out and give it a good sniff!
Paa, thanks for the recommendations. I will definitely check them out next time. I think my collection is going to get absurdly large in no time ;)
Piperita, thank you!
Radish, a tea lover after my own heart. Since I posted this I have even accumulated a few more, it's just too hard to resist. That is strange about their catalogue, they sure are mysterious about their teas aren't they!
Jen, I second the rave about Marco Polo Rouge. It is my latest purchase and I absolutely love it. I'm glad you have found a little MF sanctuary in Tokyo. Tea and hot men? It doesnt get any better does it?!
I really enjoy your blog! I'm also living in Paris and in love with MF teas. I don't think anyone has mentioned it, but I absolutely love Pleine Lune, their vanilla and almond flavor tea. The aroma is amazing! It's my new favorite.
Hi Michele, just stumbled upon your blog and read through some of your entries. Wonderful! I love your site. I love tea just like you. Am wondering if mariage freres sell their products online? Their website is in French and the English one didn't have any content on it. Do you know of any shop that might carry them in London? Or you any idea if MF tak order online and ships them to any European country? Thanks so much! Keep up the good works!
There's a great place in Dallas TX to order Mariage Freres teas from. They mail order bulk, in boxes and cannisters. I order many of my teas from them....The Cultured Cup website www.theculturedcup.com
Check this place out for Mariage Freres tea via mail order. THe Cultured Cup in Dallas, TX...they ship all over the place, bulk, boxes and cannisters. They have a website www.the culturedcup.com I get most of my MF teas from them. Enjoy!
Ahh, you have my favorite: a la Opera! I always have at least two cannisters of it in the house at all times. I agree with you, I always want more!
Finally...it's nice to have someone who has the same obsession! I myself have The rouge Bourbon, Ruschka, Wedding Imperial (MY FAVOURITE), Montagne D'or, The Des Legendes, Breakfast Earl Grey, and Casablanca. I also brought home 2 more (Esprit de Noel and Pleine Lune), with the Marco Polo jam when I was in Paris in October. I don't think...I know I have a problem because I was trying to resist the urge to open the new ones until I had drank more of my others...but I'm starting to cave!
i am in love with MF tea's, i look for them everywhere in LA, however WS is the only place and they only carry the loose leaf tea,not the tea bags, would anyone that is currently living in Paris be willing to send me a few boxes of the Marco Polo and Casablanca, I would be willing to pay you up front through paypal...please let me know...
Mariage Freres tea lover
Anon, I feel your pain! Unfortunately I myself have recently moved back to Canada, so I am in the same boat as you are. I took quite a supply home with me but I am guarding it with my life!
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