À la Porte Chinoise was a shop sign: that of a merchant of tea and goods from China and the Indies, the colonial commodities one came to buy at a counter where everything smelt of the Orient. Mariage Frères has taken this name for a blend that sums up its spirit, a tea composed to accompany the whole day.

Its distinction is to bring together the five types of tea: white, green, oolong, black and scented. This is rare, and it is the whole point of the cup. The white tea brings its softness, the green its freshness, the oolong its depth and roundness, the black its structure, and the scented part ties everything together with a fragrance that the house calls majestic. The full list of ingredients appears on the packaging and on this product page.

The liquor holds a nuanced balance. Nothing dominates outright; one moves from one note to the next as one would move from shelf to shelf in the shop of old. It suits those who love Chinese teas but cannot choose between their families, and those seeking a single tea for the whole day.

Serve it plain, from mid-morning until evening. It accompanies a light lunch or mildly spiced Asian dishes, or is drunk on its own. With a measure of 2.5 g per 200 ml, water at 95°C and 5 minutes' infusion, every family of tea finds its place.

À la Porte Chinoise is sold loose leaf. We weigh and pack it to order in our Bordeaux and Nice shops, in quantities from the 5 g sample up to one kilo, in a bag designed to preserve its taste. Store it in an airtight tin, away from light and odours.