The taste of tea

Forget the teapot and kettle for the time being, and let's get down to business. François-Xavier Delmas, founder of Palais des Thés, regularly accompanies pastry chefs in their quest for tea pairings. "When we think tea, we think steaming infusion. In pastry-making, it's a completely different matter. To take advantage of the richness of tea flavors, you have to work from the leaf and play with the different teas."

The leaves, ground to a powder in a mortar or simply with a pepper mill, can be used as a sprinkling on cookies or cake after baking, but also in an appliance - pastry, cream. If we know how to use matcha, appreciated as much for its color as for its bitterness, we rarely think of the other varieties of tea. For example, three turns of ground Earl Grey tea leaves will enhance the taste of a lemon tart, giving it a long finish. In a cake icing, tea adds intensity.

And anything goes. At Christmas, a spiced chai will create the illusion, sprinkled with tea as you would a pepper on cookies or infused in a cream. For chocolate, roasted teas such as Bancha Hojicha or Sarrasin (Sobacha) are a sensation. "With dark chocolate, a Lapsang Souchong with smoky notes, or a jasmine tea with milk chocolate, create an enchanting pairing. Strawberry, meanwhile, expresses itself alongside jasmine. "With teas, it's also important to prefer cold infusion or infusion in a liquid at a moderate temperature. It takes time, but the result is incredible", explains François-Xavier Delmas.

For Matthieu Carlin, head pastry chef at the Hôtel de Crillon, the choice of infusion varies. " I usually make my infusions in milk or cream, lowering by a few degrees the temperature that would be used if I were preparing the drink, as the fat concentrates the aromas", explains Matthieu Carlin. And since a pastry requires an appropriate pairing, why not consider serving the tea used to flavour the cream as a beverage? "It's interesting to surprise by serving the tea pastry with the same tea, prepared in room-temperature water and served in a liqueur glass. It's a disconcerting experience", assures François-Xavier Delmas.

• "Fleur de Jasmin", Matthieu Carlin, Paris

A new spring-summer collection, the "Fleur de Jasmin" tart features milk chocolate with surprisingly fresh notes. "I wanted to bring more sweetness to the chocolate, as a change from the intense dark chocolate we can enjoy in winter. So I came up with this version of seasonal milk chocolate enhanced with a hint of dark chocolate. The jasmine accord amplifies the composition's light, floral notes."

The tea is infused in the cream for a few minutes at the recommended temperature, then expressed in the namelaka, a smooth and velvety cream without eggs or flour. It also lightly soaks the soft cookie. To be enjoyed, as the chef recommends, with jasmine tea, of course!

Pâtisserie Butterfly. 6, rue Boissy-d'Anglas, 75008 Paris.

• Earl Grey tea puffs, Desty Brami, Ferrières-en-Brie

For International Tea Day, May 21, pastry chef Desty Brami and his demi-chef de partie Léandre Pillenière have come up with an original creation. Together, they imagined an Earl Grey tea puff that would leave no one indifferent. "We chose to combine it with hazelnuts. This creates a delicious balance between the two flavors."

An elegant chou, somewhere between a headless nun and an XL profiterole, featuring a multitude of textures: fresh bergamot jelly, hazelnut and Earl Grey tea cream, silky milk chocolate and Earl Grey tea ganache montée, tea and bergamot veil, crushed and roasted hazelnut chips. Who can do more, can do tea!

Madeleine by Ferrières. 1, avenue Joseph-Paxton, 77164 Ferrières-en-Brie.

www.madeleinebyferrieres.fr

• Iced tea, Nina Métayer, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

For the summer months, Nina Métayer launches her first tea bags with a taste of Provence. "I draw my inspiration from the tall herbs of my childhood in Provence, the scents of orchard, thyme and rosemary, and the pleasure of iced tea." In this new creation, the chef combines elderflower, thyme and dried apricot pieces with a green tea. "I use elderberry as a seasoning. It adds that little extra soul that changes everything."

Served slightly warm with a saint-honoré, the tea soothes the opulence of the cream. Just as delicious with a peach or apricot puff pastry tart. Discover it at Les Halles d'Issy-les-Moulineaux.

Délicatisserie. 1, rue Rouget-de-l'Isle, 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux.

www.delicatisserie.com

• "Cake Greysha", Hugo & Victor, Paris

In memory of his childhood, Hugues Pouget imagined an Earl Grey tea cake combining in one bite everything we love about a snack: tea and a slice of cake. "I infuse the tea in cream before adding it to the cake. I add a few slivers of candied orange to emphasize the tea notes. On top, a slightly crunchy milk chocolate icing contrasts with the softness of the cookie." Beautifully sprinkled with tea powder, tea leaves and cornflowers, "Cake Greysha" is as beautiful as it is delicious.

40, boulevard Raspail, 75007 Paris.

www.hugovictor.com

• Theine-free version of cereal infusions, Apollonia Poilâne, Paris

For Apollonia Poilâne, barley and buckwheat are cereals that can be used to make theine-free infusions that can be enjoyed like tea. "I don't make tea bread because the flavors are broken by baking. On the other hand, I love toasted buckwheat as an infusion. I also use roasted buckwheat and barley seeds to coat my buns. The seeds add crunch and flatter the palate."

We draw on Apollonia's advice for tasting. In the style of an English tea time, the bun is served savory with hummus and fermented vegetables, and sweet with lemon curd and fresh raspberries. Accompanied by a cereal infusion, of course!

8, rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris.

www.poilane.com