Welcome to Fabulously Delicious, the French Food Podcast, where we explore the cuisine that laid the foundation for modern cooking. I'm your host, Andrew Prior, enchanté. After competing on MasterChef Australia, I now live in France, sharing my love for French food, meeting local chefs and food producers, and indulging in amazing wines and over 1500 varieties of French cheeses with you, my fabulously delicious audience. Today, we delve into the world of Mariage Frères, one of France's most prestigious tea brands. The company's history dates back to the 17th century when King Louis XIV encouraged exploration for exotic goods. Nicolas and Pierre Mariage's voyages for the royal court laid the groundwork for their family's involvement in the tea trade. In 1854, Henri and Edouard Mariage officially founded Mariage Frères, and for 130 years, the family maintained a wholesale tea business, introducing innovations like the tea-flavored Chocolat des Mandarins. In 1976, the company was sold to Kitti Cha Sangmanee, who opened the first retail tea house in 1983 on Rue du Bourg-Tibourg, Paris. Today, Mariage Frères operates ten tearooms in Paris and additional locations in the UK, Germany, and Japan. They offer over 650 blends of tea, some exclusive to their Parisian stores, and their original tea house includes a museum dedicated to the history of tea. Looking to deepen your culinary journey beyond the podcast? Andrew's latest book, Paris: A Fabulous Food Guide to the World’s Most Delicious City, is your passport to gastronomic delights in the City of Lights. Packed with recommendations for boulangeries, patisseries, wine bars, and more, this guide ensures you savor the best of Parisian cuisine. Find Andrew's book Paris: A Fabulous Food Guide to the World’s Most Delicious City and explore more at www.andrewpriorfabulously.com For a signed and gift-packaged copy of the book, visit https://www.andrewpriorfabulously.com/book-paris-a-food-guide-to-the-worlds-most-delicious-city  Also available on Amazon and Kindle. For those craving an immersive French food experience, join Andrew in Montmorillon for a hands-on cooking adventure. Stay in his charming townhouse and partake in culinary delights straight from the heart of France. Experience French culinary delights firsthand with Andrew's Vienne residencies. Visit https://www.andrewpriorfabulously.com/come-stay-with-me-vienne-residency for more information. Have your own Meadowsweet recipes or stories to share? Connect with Andrew on Instagram @andrewpriorfabulously or via email [email protected] for a chance to be featured on the podcast or his blog. You can also sign up for my substack newsletter and get more fabulous French food content and France travel tips as well as updates on life here in France. https://fabulouslydelicious.substack.com/ Tune in to Fabulously Delicious on the Evergreen Podcast Network for more tantalizing tales of French gastronomy. Remember, whatever you do, do it Fabulously! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices