Calisson is the confection of Aix-en-Provence: a paste of almond and candied melon, glazed with sugar, in the shape of a little boat. Mariage Frères has made it the theme of a creation from its Héritage Gourmand collection, set on red rooibos from South Africa, and has housed it in a royal blue collector’s box with silver highlights containing 100 g.

Rooibos is not a tea: it is a shrub from the Cape whose needles, once oxidised, take on the russet colour that gave it its name. It naturally contains no caffeine, which makes it an end-of-day infusion. The ingredient list states red rooibos, chocolate, almond, orange, tea flower, sunflower and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of milk, lactose and nuts, the full list appearing on the packaging.

Dry, the almond and candied fruit announce themselves clearly. In the cup, the liquor is russet and round, sweet without added sugar, with that almond roundness that recalls the confectionery and a touch of orange that keeps it from becoming heavy. The rooibos, for its part, brings a velvety texture and a woody note, low in tannins and without bitterness.

It naturally has its place in the evening, after dinner, alone or with an almond biscuit. Children love it too, precisely because it contains no caffeine. It also lends itself to an iced infusion, in which the candied fruit gains freshness.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and four minutes of steeping. The metal tin, kept tightly closed and away from light, preserves the aroma for several months.