Three-Michelin-star chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who recently unveiled her wax statue alongside renowned pastry chef Pierre Hermé, is now diving into the world of premium teas. This exquisite collection emerged from her collaboration with Maki Maruyama of Paris's Jugetsudo tea house. It embodies her renowned culinary vision, masterfully blending innovative flavors while balancing acidity, bitterness, and subtle iodized notes. A lifelong tea aficionado, Anne-Sophie first fell in love with matcha during a trip to Japan at age 20 and frequently incorporates Japanese green teas into her Michelin-starred dishes.
The collection features five artful blends, each pairing exceptional teas with her favorite ingredients:
– Genmaicha & Rose Geranium: A natural pairing drawn from her dessert “Wild Strawberries, Light Cream, Genmaicha Tea, Coconut, and Rose Geranium.” The green tea's gentle bitterness mingles beautifully with the floral elegance of rose geranium. Irresistible!
– Sencha & Smoked Vanilla: Japan's everyday sencha delivers vibrant green notes of iodine and fresh-cut grass, with a lingering bitterness softened by the woody depth of smoked vanilla.
– Genmaicha & Tonka Bean: Genmaicha's earthy vegetal tones and roasted puffed rice meet the vanilla-hay and forest-floor nuances of tonka bean—perfect for gourmet tea lovers.
– Hojicha & Cubeb: Roasted hojicha offers woody, toasted flavors reminiscent of coffee, infused with Japanese green tea's signature iodized edge. Cubeb spice adds a refreshing minty lift.
– Bohojicha & Café des Monts Amaro: Bohojicha's cereal-like roasted profile pairs with refined Ethiopian Arabica coffee, bursting with red fruit, floral, and licorice aromas.
Available at Anne-Sophie Pic's Épicerie de Valence, Jugetsudo tea house in Paris, and online at www.anne-sophie-pic.com.
Price: €14.90 each.
