Tea Lovers in the Alps
Sandro Muller, left, and Nianqiu Farkas
SWITZERLAND
The Swiss Tea Club is the country’s association for tea lovers, and is the only such organization in a German speaking country. Tea lovers naturally develop a dedication to the Far East and to the countries that produce tea and have a heritage of amazing tea cultures. The club sees part of its mission as bridging Eastern and Western cultures and it is, therefore, no surprise that earlier this year, a group of club members celebrated the New Year of The Cock at Switzerland’s highest rated Chinese restaurant with excellent food from chief cook Mister Luo.
Two young Swiss musicians, Nianqiu Farkas and Sandro Muller, played traditional Chinese tunes on the Erhu harp and the Guzheng, the Chinese zither. They created a celebratory ambiance for the event, but the most important role was played by tea. Top quality harvests, such as Anji Bai Cha and Long Jing greens, and Qi Lan and Da Hong Pao oolongs delighted the 30 tea lovers with their fantastic aromas and complex flavours. In April, the club visited Thé Santé in Martigny, close to the Matterhorn in Martigny, a town that lies in the French part of the Swiss canton of Valais amongst Alpine peaks that rise to 12,000 feet.
Philippe Bonnet of Thé Santé welcomed the group in his lovely tea shop before they headed off to a local wine maker and a chocolatier. The club has also recently announced its upcoming visit to Japan, guided by one of Europe’s foremost experts in Japanese teas, Thomas Grömer of Kissa Tea in Vienna. The trip will take participants to a new generation of organic tea farmers, state-of-the-art factories, and to the spiritual tea places in Kyoto.