Lalibela, in the heart of Ethiopia, is this millennium-old site of churches carved into the rock, whose legends and mystical beauty invite, according to Mariage Frères, dreams and escape. The Lalibela gift set brings together, under this sign of Christmas and travel, two teas from the house in 100 g tins, lacquered and screen-printed by hand in France.

The first is Thé Bleu des Légendes, a blue tea, that is to say a semi-oxidised oolong with a velvety liquor, enlivened by the fresh, zesty notes of a citrus blend: a daytime tea, bright, best enjoyed plain. The second is Esprit de Noël, an indulgent black tea with festive mild spices, the tea of the winter afternoon, which welcomes a cloud of milk and accompanies seasonal pastries.

Two families, two moments, two moods: the fresh smoothness of the blue citrus tea on one side, the spiced warmth of the black tea on the other. The gift set lets you alternate according to the time and your mood, or introduce someone to two faces of the house's fragrant style. The lacquered tins keep well and protect the leaves well once opened.

The steeping parameters are specific to each tea and appear on each tin, as do the detailed ingredients and any allergens. As a general guide, the blue tea and the black tea are steeped in water just below the boil for a few minutes, 2.5 to 3 g per 200 ml. Our shop advisers will tell you the precise doses for each.

La Boutique du Thé, official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999 in Bordeaux and Nice, offers this gift set as the house has composed it. Keep the tins closed, away from light and odours, and keep the spiced black tea apart from the blue tea, whose flavour its spices would perfume.