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All Portugal São Miguel Violet Volcanic Tea
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Violet Volcanic Tea

When Azorean green tea meets volcanic hot springs water, a luminous brew is born.

São Miguel, Portugal

Added By
Reina Gattuso
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A cup of tea outside at Chalet de tia Mercês.   Ayla Harbich for Gastro Obscura
Purple tea at the Chalet de tia Mercês.   Ayla Harbich for Gastro Obscura
Preparing a tea experience outside at Chalet de tia Mercês.   Ayla Harbich for Gastro Obscura
Outside, reading the temperature of water.   Ayla Harbich for Gastro Obscura
Preparing the tea experience indoors, at the Chalet de tia Mercês.   Ayla Harbich for Gastro Obscura
Inside at the Chalet de tia Mercês.   Ayla Harbich for Gastro Obscura
Preparing a tea experience outside at Chalet de tia Mercês.   Ayla Harbich for Gastro Obscura
  Rachel Rummel for Gastro Obscura
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About

São Miguel, the largest island in the Azorean archipelago, is home to many natural delights, from the emerald hills of tea plants that grow in its lush, subtropical landscape, to the hot springs and calderas that thicken the air with steam. In the island’s small town of Furnas, these wonders combine in a strikingly purple tea. 

A great place to experience this unique brew is Chalet de tia Mercês, a Furnas-based space that provides educational experiences on the Azores. The Chalet, located in a former 19th-century bathhouse, offers classes and tastings on everything from the area’s geothermal wonders to local honey, water, wines, and tea. As part of their tea-tasting, servers mix Azorean green tea leaves with Furnas hot-springs water. The combination of the tea and the mineral-rich spring water yields a luminous, violet-hued brew with earthy, with clay-like notes.

Geothermal heat is employed in making more than just tea at the Chalet. Though the menu varies by season, availability, and what experience visitors choose, past offerings have included rhubarb and citrus-banana cakes, savory puddings, and spiced oatmeal—all delicately steamed to perfection inside Furnas’s calderas. The Chalet also offers a masterclass in geothermal cooking where guests can learn to make cozido das caldeiras, a stew that gets slow-cooked in the area’s calderas.

Related Tags

Tea Volcanoes Hot Springs Colorful Consumables Beverages Geology Water

Know Before You Go

The parent company that runs the Chalet, Azores Essentials Lda, requires booking all of their experiences in advance, via their website. While they require booking a minimum of 48 hours in advance, some experiences book quickly, so they recommend booking at least a month ahead.

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Community Contributors

Added By

Reina Gattuso

Edited By

rachelrummel, winnielee

  • rachelrummel
  • winnielee

Published

January 18, 2019

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Sources
  • https://www.geekyexplorer.com/azores-climate/
  • https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/nov/23/british-tea-producer-tregothnan
  • https://gorreana.pt/en/
  • https://matadornetwork.com/read/azores-islands-tea-volcano/
  • https://www.visitazores.com/en/the-azores/places-to-visit/terra-nostra-park
  • https://mic.com/articles/180549/how-chinese-tea-arrived-and-flourished-on-an-island-in-portugal#.cts9wnhaC
  • https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/europe/portugal/volcanic-azores-hot-springs-make-purple-tea/
  • https://matadornetwork.com/read/azores-islands-tea-volcano/
  • https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-tea-capital-of-europe-isnt-where-you-think-it-is
  • https://qz.com/1176962/map-how-the-word-tea-spread-over-land-and-sea-to-conquer-the-world/
  • https://www.pinterest.com/pin/13510867602258490/?lp=true
Violet Volcanic Tea
R. Das Caldeiras s/n
São Miguel, 9675-045
Portugal
37.771963, -25.303759
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of São Miguel

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Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias

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São Miguel

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