According to legend, in a secret garden in Ceylon, pickers wearing light gloves gather only the buds with golden scissors, between moon and sun, so that the leaf never touches the hand. Mariage Frères has turned this tale into a tea: Thé Blanc Sacré, a natural white tea from Ceylon, presented in a white lacquered box with a double lid containing 4 envelopes of 5 g.

White tea is the least processed family: the buds are simply withered and dried, without rolling or deliberate oxidation. The composition consists of tea alone, with none of the fourteen allergens subject to mandatory declaration. The tea appears in our catalogue under the Jardin Premier label. Caffeine content is low.

The gentle infusion of the buds releases a white flower aroma, then something deeper and rarer for a white tea: a note of truffle and undergrowth, earthy and delicate, which gives the cup an unexpected dimension. The liquor is crystalline, velvety on the palate, and leaves a soft, long finish.

It is an afternoon tea, for a calm moment, to be drunk alone and plain, without any accompaniment that could mask its finesse. Each 5 g envelope makes one 200 ml teapot: the box allows four infusions, each of which can be renewed a second time on the same buds.

Allow 5 g per 200 ml of water at 85 °C and seven minutes of infusion. The moderate temperature preserves the delicacy of the bud; the long time is needed for it to release its flavour. Keep the envelopes closed in their box, away from light and any odour.