The word “tea” calligraphed in Afrikaans, on a lacquered and screen-printed metal tin containing 100 g: Zoulou Tea belongs to the Les Calligraphies du Thé collection, in which Mariage Frères dedicates a blend to each country. This one pays tribute to South Africa, and to the red rooibos that, the house says, the shamans of the Zulu kingdom venerate for its taste.

Rooibos, a shrub of the southern lands swept by the spray of the Cape of Good Hope, is naturally caffeine-free; it gives a red-amber liquor, sweet and round, low in tannins. The house dresses it here with world-travelling perfumes, with notes of fruit, flowers and gentle spices. The blend combines red rooibos, elderberry, rose hip, bilberry, lavender, rose and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts. Tribal tea, the house sums up.

In the cup, the fruits open, elderberry and bilberry, dark and sweet, then the rose hip brings a tangy edge, the lavender and rose a floral touch, and the rooibos rounds everything off with a naturally sweet softness. The finish is fruity and warm, without bitterness.

It is drunk at any hour, and especially in the evening, plain or with a splash of milk, with no worry about caffeine. It accompanies a blueberry tart, biscuits, a crumble, fresh cheese with honey, or the end of a dinner. Children enjoy it, and it lends itself to an iced preparation in summer.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95°C and five minutes of steeping; rooibos does not turn bitter, and a longer infusion simply gives a rounder cup. After opening, reseal the tin carefully and keep it away from light and strong odours.