As I recall, I have promised a while ago to write some sort of a culinary report from Paris. Since there is definitely a nip in the air that feels like the first snow will fall anytime now, it seems appropriate to write about a good cup of tea.

On our last visit to Paris I had sworn to visit a proper teahouse but did not make it to one. This time I was not going to miss the chance. Mariage Frères is the oldest tea importer in France and has three fabulous teahouses in Paris. We enjoyed our afternoon tea in their Marais location.

            Picture from here

Mariage Frères offers more than 500 varieties of tea to try from. Needless to say, it can be a little daunting. Since we had not done our research beforehand, we leafed through Mariage's tea guide, 'The French Art of Tea' and I must confess I chose mine because it sounded so exquisite:

'The height of perfection among Formosa Oolong teas. The rarest, most subtle, most distinguished and most highly appreciated Formosa Oolong has been dubbed 'Oriental Beauty' by true connoisseurs... The harvest, which takes place in June, is considered to be the finest of the year. The plucking of the youngest leaves is scrupulously done by hand... The long elegant leaves with their numerous white tips produce a grand fragrance evocative of wild orchids.'

With our splendid teas we enjoyed an assortment of sandwiches beautifully prepared with fois gras, smoked salmon and shrimp, scones and tea jellies. The jellies came in little ceramic bowls, and when John offered me a taste of one of them with a bite of a scone my taste buds started a frantic dance. Succulent! Sweet! Fragrant! Stimulating! It was a distant memory of a flavour, fruit, fragrance... flower? Yes! It was like eating petals of magnolia. Later we found out it is actually hibiscus that is used for this unbelievable jelly called 'Eros'. Quite an appropriate name, since it tasted like an aphrodisiac.

Though you cannot wrap up the Mariage atmosphere complete with waiters in white jackets carrying silver trays, you can purchase your favorite tea from their eye-popping variety, along with any needed accessory for your own private tea ceremony. They have teapots, canisters, cups, tea candy, books... and of course the jellies. Try Eros, you will be seduced.