Bangkok, the Venice of Asia, its colourful markets and its temples mirrored on the water: this is the atmosphere Mariage Frères set out to evoke with Bangkok in Love, a blue tea with a cheerful caramel fragrance and notes of liquorice and aniseed, presented in a case of thirty round cotton muslin sachets, net weight 75 g.

Rose petals, the red thread of the In Love collection, add their elegant notes to the blend. The ingredients list includes tea, rose petals, blue flowers and a flavouring; it appears in full on the case and on this page. The case itself, fuchsia highlighted with gold, mirrors the tea: joyful.

The liquor is golden and silky. The caramel opens, round and indulgent; the liquorice and aniseed bring an almost sweet freshness that lengthens the finish; the rose recedes into the background, elegant. The oolong, partially oxidised, gives its velvety texture and buttery sweetness, with very discreet tannins. It is a blue tea that is easy to love, and never palls.

Best enjoyed in the afternoon, plain, with a caramel pastry, a flan, aniseed biscuits, or on its own. It lends itself to an iced version, in which the liquorice and aniseed become very refreshing.

For preparation, allow 1 muslin sachet per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and 5 minutes of steeping. The blend may contain traces of nuts. Bangkok in Love in cotton muslin sachets is available at La Boutique du Thé, official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999 in Bordeaux and Nice. Keep the case closed, away from light and odours, and the fragrance will remain intact from one muslin to the next.