It's usually Parisian pastry techniques flowing outward — this time, it's the reverse. A Saint-Honoré infused with Taiwanese Jin Xuan tea will be sitting in the display case at the Champs-Élysées flagship come September.
Ann Li, Ladurée's executive pastry chef, won first place at the brand's 6th Global Pastry Chef Convention. Each year the competition assigns a classic French dessert as the theme, and this year it was the Saint-Honoré — a structure of puff pastry base, choux, crème pâtissière, and whipped cream layered together, notoriously intricate and a real test of a chef's control over texture and proportion. Competing against chefs from around the world, Ann Li skipped the traditional recipe and instead built the dessert's core around Taiwan Tea No. 12, better known as Jin Xuan oolong.
Named "Saint-Honoré Jin Xuan & Apple," the piece is built on Jin Xuan's signature creamy, floral notes, layered with tart green apple and spicy green cardamom, finished with fresh nasturtium leaves. Tea aroma, fruit acidity, and spice stack together within the French pastry's structure — a combination that ultimately won over the panel of international judges and secured this year's championship. It marks the first time Taiwanese tea has taken the spotlight on Ladurée's world stage in this way.
Jin Xuan is a tea cultivar developed in Taiwan, known for its natural creamy notes and delicate floral aroma. It's been catching the eye of international pastry and chocolate brands in recent years, but having it featured directly in a brand's global competition-winning creation is still a rare feat.
The brand has confirmed that the winning dessert will be available as a limited release this September, simultaneously at the Paris Champs-Élysées flagship and Ladurée stores in Taiwan. The official launch date, sales period, and pricing have yet to be announced.
