2015-07-14
FLAVORED TEAS? A QUESTION OF TASTE
In the 1950s Jean Jumeau-Lafond, owner of Dammann Frères, created an orange-flavored tea for his wife’s enjoyment. This Goût Russe Douchka blend has grown in popularity over the years to become a huge favourite with consumers, and marked the start of the renaissance of modern flavored teas.
Here at Dammann Frères, the process of creating and developing flavored teas takes place entirely within the company. Like any artist, our flavorist uses her sensitivity and emotional responsiveness to give form to the desired blend through various flavors and fragrances. The first step in this creative process is to choose the «canvas», meaning the single tea or tea blend used as the starting point. Next, the core characteristics of the selected tea need to be harmonised with the tones and flavors chosen.
This is the sort of work she is passionate about. For every new creation, our flavorist draws on her olfactory and gustatory memory. Like an artist building up his canvas with touches of colour, she adds flavors one by one, combining fragrances – generally using essential oils, natural flavorings and spices – until she achieves the right balance and desired flavor. The head note can sometimes be sharp when the blend’s aroma is first inhaled, but, according to Dammann Frères, the secret of a successful flavored tea lies in enhancing the tea’s natural gustatory characteristics. The aromatic composition adds to, highlights and amplifies these qualities, revealing a balanced, harmonious, refined cup in the mouth.
Since our wonderful adventure started 60 years ago, more than 3,000 recipes have been developed and carefully built into a catalogue of teas envied by many.
