Page 16 - Thirst Magazine Issue No. 3 Coffee & Tea

PREMIUM TEA

1 teaspoon of tea in 250ml water. Story and photos by Kim Choong

RONNEFELDT TEA COUTURE (1823)

Johann Tobias Ronnefeldt founded the teahouse
in Frankfurt am Main after acquiring his tea
knowledge in Rotterdam and London. Trading
of tea with China has been substantial since
the 1900s till today. Herwarth Westphal, the
grandson of the founder’s grandson Rudolf
Ronnefeldt passed the business on to Frank
Holzapfel in 1984 and to his son, Jan-Berend
Holzapfel in 2002. The brand specialises in
importing and blending teas and supplies to
luxury hotels and restaurants
around the world. Only
two leaves and one bud are MORGENTAU
plucked from every plant and Sencha green tea
no chemicals are used in the with mango and
production of their teas. Black citrus flavour.
and green teas are currently
cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Sencha green tea
China, Indonesia and Kenya. from China, packed
in Germany.
Brew with boiled and
cooled down water
to 80˚C, infuse tea for
THE NOIR FUME at least 2 minutes.
Distributed by
DAMMANN FRÈRES (1925) Lapsang Suchong Exclusivitea Sdn Bhd
Black tea from China
In 1925, Robert and Pierre smoked with pine wood,
Dammann founded the packed in France.
tea trading company that Infused in 100˚C water
would later supply teas to for 2-3 minutes.
luxury grocery stores such Distributed by Classic
as Fauchon and Hediard. Fine Foods
The company produced
the first modern flavoured
tea in the 1950s, an idea that came from Jean
Jumeau-Lafond’s Russian first wife, who mixed
his hot tea with pressed orange juice. He then
created more signature blends. In 1980, the
company developed the crystal sachet that
is their signature tea bag design today. Since
2005, the brand has launched its own range of
prestigious teas and started to export. The brand
is now a subsidiary of the Italian group illy.

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