You’re more likely to find a wine list than a tea menu in a French café, but tea has its moments too.

Blue bloods

As with many countries in Europe, France began its affair with tea in the mid-1600s when luxury goods from the exotic east would make their way to upper class households. The Dutch were the main purveyors, and France loved tea – for a time.

Tea, like many things connected with the elite, fell out of favour during the French Revolution, and it was not until it lost its lustre as a luxury good that it returned to the good graces of the French public.

With its growing popularity came a few challenges, however. As the demand for tea began to outstrip supply, unscrupulous vendors would adulterate tea leaves with other plant leaves, or even dye spent tea leaves with chemicals. Parisian institution Mariage Frères (the brothers Mariage), on the other hand, turned blending into an art.

The Mariage family had been in the tea trade since the 17th century; brothers Pierre and Nicolas worked for the French East India Company. In 1854, their descendants, brothers Henri and Edouard Mariage, founded the company. As master blenders, they added exotic fruits and flowers to tea leaves, unwittingly creating a signature for French tea – a delicate balance of flavours akin to their cuisine.

White porcelain

Speaking of delicate, the French were also the first to drink tea with milk, as they were the first to use fine porcelain for tea. At the time, European porcelain was not robust against hot liquid, so milk would be poured in the cup first to temper the hot tea that followed. Even after porcelain was developed to withstand higher temperatures, people came to prefer the taste of tea with milk. Salon madame Marguerite de la Sablière is often credited as the progenitor of the custom.

Red of the rising sun

Just as Mariage Frères was getting established, France become besotted with the orient, particularly Japan. Japonisme became a trend and the refined rituals of Japanese chanoyu (tea ceremony) not only introduced Japanese-style tea to France but many of the fine bowls, cups and utensils.

But perhaps the biggest contribution to tea France has made is one of fraternity: the tea salon, an alternative to a cafe as a place for afternoon tea and gossip. The hour of afternoon tea, usually around five o’clock, was reserved for the consumption of delicate morsels of food while showing off one’s porcelain collection. Some may claim English noblewoman Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, invented afternoon tea, but the practice was well established in France before she was born. Today you will find a salon de thé in every French town serving tea and a range of sweets. Bon appetit!