Rooibos is a shrub of the Fabaceae family, endemic to South Africa, whose needle-like leaves turn red when left to oxidise after harvesting. It is this that replaces here the black tea of the classic chai: the first ingredient of the recipe, it gives it its colour as well as its woody taste.

The spices are whole or ground according to their role. Cinnamon sticks from Viêt-Nam and Indonesia, ginger grown in Peru, Nigeria and China, fennel, aniseed, clove, cardamom and ground cardamom: everything is organic, nothing is flavoured.

Open the sachet and the gingerbread appears at once. The amber liquor has a woody roundness, almost soft, which the ginger pricks with liveliness. The aniseed and fennel extend the finish with a sweetness reminiscent of liquorice, long and without bitterness. The rooibos, low in tannins, withstands a prolonged infusion without harm.

Caffeine-free, this chai has its place after the meal, at lunch as in the evening, when one wishes to rediscover the spices without the tea leaf. It lends itself to a latte with oat or almond milk, frothed, and pairs with a poached pear, a crumble or a few dates. Lukewarm, it is also drunk in small cups, like a coffee after dessert.

For a half-litre teapot, use 7.5 to 10 g of blend, the equivalent of 15 to 20 g per litre; pour water at boiling point, 100 °C, and wait seven to ten minutes. Close the tin carefully after use: ground spices are the first to lose their aroma when exposed to air.