Talk&Taste: An ode to tea

Tea is more than a beverage; it is a lens through which landscapes, histories, and human imagination converge. The celebrated 'Dictionnaires amoureux' series welcomes a new volume devoted entirely to tea in all its splendour.

In the 'Dictionnaire amoureux du thé' (PLON, 2025), François-Xavier Delmas, founder of Palais des Thés, moves from Japan to Malawi, from the remote valleys of China to the Açores, following leaves, vapours, and rituals. Each brew becomes a way of reading seasons, soils, and centuries of craft.

The event will open with a cold brew tasting led by François-Xavier Delmas, setting both palate and mind. The conversation that will follow will trace the many roads of tea — its complexities, its subtleties, and its ability to hold tasting, emotion, intimacy, and sociability, all touched by a quiet reverie that extends to the objects around it.