The history of China Blend is part of the legend of the great tea routes, those that connected East to West, from the misty mountains of Fujian to the plush salons of Europe.
It all began around 1590 in China, in the hills of Fujian. An imperial army requisitioned a tea factory, forcing the farmers to hastily dry their leaves over a pine wood fire. From this constraint was born an invention: a black tea with a smoky, resinous aroma. Lapsang Souchong was born, a product of chance and necessity. Woody, intense, almost sensual, it quickly captivated European merchants, fascinated by this mysterious beverage, a symbol of an Orient that was both wild and refined.
Two centuries later, more than 600 kilometers to the north, a young scholar named Yu Ganchen was inspired by this success. In the Qimen Mountains, in the heart of Anhui province, he dreamed of creating a black tea capable of rivaling the treasures of Fujian. In 1875, he developed Keemun, the first black tea from his region. This tea of unprecedented finesse, with notes of orchid, honey, and cocoa, captivated even the British royal courts and became the basis of some English breakfasts. Thanks to Yu Ganchen, China entered a new era of tea, where the art of terroir combined with a spirit of innovation.
Between Fujian and Anhui stretches the Tea Road, a legendary trade route that crosses Mongolia and Siberia to Saint Petersburg. Caravans travel slowly along it, for weeks on end, across the frozen steppes. The crates of tea absorb the smoke from campfires, blending the aromas of Lapsang and Keemun in an unintentional yet extraordinary union. Thus was born the legend of Russian Caravan tea, a tea of travel, adventure, and mist, a symbol of prestige in the aristocratic salons of Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
When Victorian Britain took over the world tea trade, this caravan tradition inspired London blenders: combining the strength of Lapsang with the delicacy of Keemun became an art, that of the perfect blend.
And it was this heritage that Arthur Betjeman brought to Paris in 1919. Passionate about these legendary routes and distinctive teas, he opened a shop of a new kind on Rue de Surène. In 1927, he partnered with Percy Barton, giving birth to Betjeman & Barton, the first Parisian tea shop where French refinement and British curiosity blended.
The China Blend you hold in your cup today is the direct heir to this epic tale. A blend of Keemun and lightly smoked Lapsang Souchong, it recounts four centuries of journeys, inventions, and encounters. It carries within it the memory of fire, the wisdom of Yu Ganchen, the spirit of caravans, and the elegance of Parisian salons. With each infusion, it's almost the history of the world that comes to life in your cup.
