“ Tea is given a stage, a mise-en-scène, where it is protected, nurtured and admired – before it is even infused – thereby sparking an emotion, an anticipation, and a promise.”
Madame Yu Hui Tseng is widely considered the world’s foremost expert on tea. She is one of only ten recognized Gongfu Tea Masters across the globe, and is the only woman among this venerated group, as well as the sole one based in the Occident. A true custodian of the ancient Way of Tea, Madame Tseng was raised in a family that has been growing and selling tea for generations, and learned the art of tea in Taiwan with the legendary Master Zhang Tianfu, before moving to Paris where she established the acclaimed La Maison de Trois Thés in 1994. This renowned and atmospheric boutique holds over 1,000 varieties of tea - some of which outprice gold per gram. La Maison de Trois Thés also boasts the largest tea cellar in Europe, in which over 500 varieties of tea are stored and aged under optimal conditions.
For over two decades Madame Tseng has been a prominent ambassador of tea, raising awareness of its status as an art of living, and as a field of great complexity and sophistication. With her unrivalled palate and nose for the exquisite aromas and notes of tea, Madame Tseng is much sought-after by her peers in comparable fields of connoisseurship, who have solicited her expertise to incorporate into their own gourmet specialities. She has collaborated closely with Château Pétrus' Jean-Claude Berrouet, its winemaker of four decades, as well as Dom Pérignon's Richard Geoffroy - having made several high-profile appearances with both of them to discuss the shared language and affinities of wine and tea appreciation. Her cordial working relationships with 3-starred Michelin chefs, including Pierre Gagnier, Joël Robuchon, Guy Savoy and Olivier Roellinger, et al, are well known. As are her creations with self-taught rebel chocolatier, Jacques Génin, macaron maestro Pierre Hermé, and master cheese-maker, Philippe Olivier. Nestlé Water (with brands like Perrier, San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Vittel in its portfolio) has long used Madame Tseng’s refined palate to evaluate its waters.
Lotusier is proud to have earned Madame Tseng’s personal seal of approval for its luxury Tea Humidor and innovative storage solutions, and it is a great honour to have someone of such world-class authority to say (translated from French*):
