Ronnefeldt

A selection of Ronnefeldt Exquisite Teas (14 July 2017)


Ronnefeldt is a brand of exquisite teas. The company was established by Johann Tobias Ronnefeldt in Frankfurt am Main in 1823, and is today regarded as one of the finest tea brands in the world. Although it is presently not available to the retail market in Malaysia, Ronnefelt has made its appearance at a selected number of discerning hotels such as Hotel Equatorial Penang.

Ronnefeldt's operations in the Asia Pacific region is ably led by Miss Stephanie Mölders, whose role is to establish and grow familiarity to the Ronnefeldt brand. In Malaysia, Ronnefeldt teas are distributed by beverage specialist ExclusiviTea.

In collaboration with ExclusiviTea, Ronnefelt held an exclusive Ronnefeldt Tea Experience at Hotel Equatorial Penang on 14 & 15 July, 2017. The event comprised the Ronnefeldt Tea Cocktail Night at Nadaba on 14 July, and the Ronnefeldt Surf & Turf Buffet at Nada Lama on 15 July. A select group of individuals from social media was invited to the experience, and my wife and I were among those privileged to an invitation.

Ronnefeldt Tea Experience (15 July 2017)

Ronnefeldt Teas available at Hotel Equatorial Penang

Although Ronnefelt market a wide range of teas globally, only six types are available at Nadaba, Nada Lama and the Executive Lounge at Equatorial Penang, as well as a select number of other upscale hotels in the country.

Ronnefeldt Green Chinese Spring (15 July 2017)


Ronnefeldt Japan Sencha Kiyomizu (15 July 2017)


Ronnefeldt Masala Chai (15 July 2017)


Ronnefeldt Masala Chai (15 July 2017)


Ronnefeldt Splendid Spring Darjeeling (15 July 2017)


Ronnefeldt Royal English Afternoon (15 July 2017)

Ronnefeldt Tea Cocktail Night

The Ronnefeldt Tea Cocktail Night offers tea enthusiasts and connoisseurs an opportunity to experience cocktails infused with exquisite Ronnefeldt teas. It was held at Hotel Equatorial Penang on Friday, 14 July, 2017.

Ronnefeldt Tea Cocktail Experience (14 July 2017)


Joining me at the Ronnefeldt Tea Cocktail Experience were the Hotel Equatorial Penang's Director of Sales & Marketing, Miss Rina Mariani; Ronnefeldt's Director Asia-Pacific, Miss Stephanie Mölders; Equatorial's General Manager, Mr Andreas Knüssi; and Equatorial's Director for Food & Beverages, Mr Albert Jan Van Beusekom.

There were four different cocktails, each using a different type of Ronnefeldt tea. They include the Ronnefeldt Precious Earl Grey, Ronnefeldt Royal Afternoon, the Ronnefeldt Masala Chai and Ronnefeldt Splendid Spring Darjeeling. Earl Grey Mule using the Ronnefeldt Earl Grey tea, vodka with fresh squeezed lime, orange juice and honey. Golden Prosecco uses the Ronnefeldt Royal Afternoon tea, Prosecco with lightly sweetened fresh lemon juice. Gin Chai uses the Ronnefeldt Masala Chai tea, gin, honey, lemon juice and simple syrup, and finally, Darjeeling Tea Rum, as its name suggests, uses the Ronnefeldt Splendid Spring Darjeeling tea, rum with lemon juice, orange juice, egg white and simple syrup.

Ronnefeldt Tea cocktails: Earl Grey Mule (left), Golden Prosecco (middle) and Gin Chai (right) (14 July 2017)


Darjeeling Tea Rum (14 July 2017)


Gin Chai (14 July 2017)


Stephanie Mölder of Ronnefeldt, with the ExclusiviTea team (15 July 2017)

Ronnefeldt Surf & Turf Buffet Experience

The Ronnefeldt Tea Experience offers diners an opportunity to experience six different dishes paired with six Ronnefelt teas. It was held at Nada Lama, the main f&b outlet at Hotel Equatorial Penang on Saturday, 15 July, 2017. The dishes infused with Ronnefeldt teas include the following:

- Lobster Bisque infused and paired with Ronnefeldt Green Chinese Spring tea.
- Roast Beef Tenderloin with egg and béarnaise au gratine, infused and paired with Ronnefeldt Precious Earl Grey tea.
- Prawns with assorted vegetables, infused and paired with Ronnefeldt Splendid Spring Darjeeling tea.
- Ayam Rendang, infused and paired with Ronnefeldt Masala Chai tea.
- Braised Japanese Octopus, with vegetables and sea moss with crispy garlic, infused and paired with Ronnefeldt Japanese Sencha Kiyomizu tea.
- Steamed Fish Fillet, infused and paired with Ronnefeldt Royal English Afternoon tea.

In addition to the main dishes, two dessert items were likewise infused with Ronnefeldt teas.

- Panna Cotta, infused with Ronnefeldt Masala Chai tea.
- Crème Brûlée, with Ronnefeldt Precious Earl Grey tea.

Ronnefeldt Surf & Turf Buffet Dinner (15 July 2017)


I embarked on my Ronnefeldt Tea Experience with an analytical, almost clinical, approach. As the dishes selected for the pairing range from the light and subtle to the heavy and strong, I decided to sequence the dishes I partake likewise. They are as shown below.

It was a wonderful dining experience, to pair and to match various Ronnefeldt tea with Nada Lama's incredible array of dishes. I started by following the suggested pairing instruction. Once I have done that, I started to experiment, trying similar dishes that were not in the listing, for example, pairing smoked salmon with Ronnefeldt's Japan Sencha Kiyomizu tea or the Green China Spring with braised crabs. This is a wonderful culinary opportunity that has to be savoured and enjoyed slowly, and I hope every diner at the event enjoyed it as much as I did.

My thanks to ExclusiviTea for having invited my wife and me, to Ronnefeldt for creating such fine teas, and to Hotel Equatorial Penang for having hosted this unique experience.

Ronnefeldt Tea Taste Test (15 July 2017)


Ayam Rendang with Ronnefeldt Masala Chai Tea (15 July 2017)


Steamed Fish Fillet with Ronnefeldt Royal English Afternoon Tea (15 July 2017)


Braised Japanese Octopus with Ronnefeldt Japanese Sencha Kiyomizu Tea (15 July 2017)


Lobster Bisque with Ronnefeldt Green Chinese Spring Tea (15 July 2017)


Prawns cooked in Ronnefeldt Splendid Spring Darjeeling tea (15 July 2017)


Roast Beef Tenderloin with Egg and béarnaise au gratine, with Ronnefeldt Precious Earl Grey Tea (15 July 2017)