With a Cup of Tea

07/01/08 15:33:06

I like drinking tea, it is a habit from my childhood, as we usually grow fond of everything we liked when we were young. Tea means, first of all, mingling with people. In the beginning I did not like it because of its taste; I did not care about it, I just wanted to sit and talk with my family. I drank tea with sugar, since this was the only way to stand it. My uncle told me later that mixing sugar with tea meant destroying two good products – tea and sugar. I gave up old Russian tradition, sweet tea; I tried other sorts, since tea is so various!

This is how my "cultural refinement" about tea began. Please excuse this comparison with Serge Lutens, the Master, who said the same thing about his tea experience. Tea does not matter, actually. What matters is to learn something, to understand and enrich oneself this way.

Ginger tea, Five O'Clock Au Gingembre , is his personal discovery after several years. It is one of numerous examples of 'cultural elevation' (of happy people), when he understood beauty of something he used to think was disgusting. He tried ginger tea in the 1970es in Vietnam.

Serge Lutens, who lives in Morocco (in the city of Marrakech), created a magical collection of oriental fragrances. His new fragrance reminds of English manners and alludes at English tea tradition, which is, according to his words, indivisibly connected with East and West, i.e. its colonial past.

Five O'Clock Au Gingembre , no matter its title, is very important for Serge Lutens and does not stand out from his oriental fragrances with a typical gourmet note, since it is first of all very sweet, but also rare and sophisticated as all other his creations.

Serge Lutens wanted to highlight elegance of ingredients mixture, sweet side of ginger and rare pleasure of such an event as drinking ginger tea. A perfume for knowers, i.e. connoisseurs.

To be honest, Five O'Clock Au Gingembre is a perfume difficult to describe. As usually, I paid attention to its colour, which is warm, but strict, elegant and comfortable in a typical English way; nothing is overboard. Perfection and consistency from all sides! Now we open the bottle... I must mention another fine detail: possibility of choice that Lutens left to its clients: bottle has two tops – splash and spray.

I can feel ginger from the first, refreshing notes. Ginger is multifaceted and sophisticated, composed of cold and warm thin notes, but it is slightly sweet here, with pleasant bitterness of tea, i.e. bitter, dark cocoa, patchouli and pepper. Patchouli introduces naturality, pepper brings depth, honey comfortableness and all together – an enjoyable atmosphere of refined pleasure in the moment you get familiar with good tradition of the Ancient World.

All the curious can make sure that Lutens was right when it comes to ginger tea. You can make it yourself by using ingredients from the perfume:

Ginger Tea Recipe

Boil water (5 cups or 1,2 liters) and add rended ginger (3 large spoons), remove from source of fire and add honey (in accordance with your taste). Leave it for about 10 minutes to cool. Wring the tea afterwards, add a pinch of pepper and citrus juice (lemon or orange juice, perfectionists can try to find bergamot). Drink it hot. For fans of cold drinks – add more citruses, honey, ice and mint.

The curious but the careful can limit themselves on water, ginger and honey, but still get a tasty drink. Do not drink it in the evening, since this tea is very invigorating! It is also good as medicine for curing cold.

Inspiration: personal experience and Interview with S. Lutens