De l'or vert à la Réunion
Texte par Lola Fourmy, journaliste, et photos/légendes par Bastien Doudaine.
It is the second most drunk drink in the world after water: tea continues to seduce and expand its empire. And if when we think of tea, our imagination turns to the green valleys of China or Vietnam, there is a huge production of tea in France. It is in the heart of Reunion Island, perched on the village of Grand Coude at an altitude of 1100 m, that the Guichard family has been cultivating a tea of great finesse for nearly ten years. Their organic farm is the largest in France.
At first considered "crazy" when they started growing tea, Johnny Guichard and his wife Emmanuelle are now at the head of a flourishing business with 15 employees. Last year, they harvested 10 tons of tea and exported to the four corners of the world. Their farm, called the Labyrinth in the Tea Field, welcomes up to 20,000 people a year, even leading the family to set up tours in English to meet the high demand. Meeting with this giant with a soft heart of 2m02 passionate about tea and all his team in the wilderness of Reunion Island.
Two other farms have recently opened in La-Plaine-des-Palmistes. The village was the other place of tea production in the 50's and 60's before knowing the same fate as Grand Coude. Aided by Armand and Popeye, the fifty year old tea trees are being revived on their respective plots of land.
2022, Ile de la Réunion.
The green tea
Text by Lola Fourmy, journalist, and photos/legends by Bastien Doudaine.
It is the second most drunk drink in the world after water: tea continues to seduce and expand its empire. And if when we think of tea, our imagination turns to the green valleys of China or Vietnam, there is a huge production of tea in France. It is in the heart of Reunion Island, perched on the village of Grand Coude at an altitude of 1100 m, that the Guichard family has been cultivating a tea of great finesse for nearly ten years. Their organic farm is the largest in France.
At first considered "crazy" when they started growing tea, Johnny Guichard and his wife Emmanuelle are now at the head of a flourishing business with 15 employees. Last year, they harvested 10 tons of tea and exported to the four corners of the world. Their farm, called the Labyrinth in the Tea Field, welcomes up to 20,000 people a year, even leading the family to set up tours in English to meet the high demand. Meeting with this giant with a soft heart of 2m02 passionate about tea and all his team in the wilderness of Reunion Island.
Two other farms have recently opened in La-Plaine-des-Palmistes. The village was the other place of tea production in the 50's and 60's before knowing the same fate as Grand Coude. Aided by Armand and Popeye, the fifty year old tea trees are being revived on their respective plots of land.
