Rouge Opéra, Iskandar and Marco Polo Blue: three perfumed blends among Mariage Frères’ most loved, brought together for the first time in a single gift set, the Thé Chantant. Each comes in a 100 g pearlescent matt box, lacquered and hand screen-printed in France.

The trio was chosen to cover three families. Rouge Opéra is a red rooibos, naturally caffeine-free, scented with a note of vanilla and red berries: it is the evening choice, gentle and sweet. Iskandar is a green tea with velvety notes of violet, floral and powdery over a fresh base. Marco Polo Blue, finally, transposes the house’s famous blend onto an oolong tea, that semi-oxidised tea with a golden liquor, velvety, with a fruity and floral taste.

Three teas, three moments: green tea during the day, oolong at lunchtime or in the afternoon, rooibos after dinner. This gift set is for anyone who wants to explore the house’s scented style without being limited to a single base, or to give to someone whose preferences you do not yet know: there will always be a box for them.

Steeping parameters are specific to each tea and appear on each box, as do the full ingredients and any allergens. In general, green tea calls for a short infusion, while oolong and rooibos need a longer one, in water just off the boil. Our shop advisers will tell you the precise measures.

Pearlescent boxes keep well and protect the leaves once opened; keep them closed, away from light and strong odours. La Boutique du Thé, official Mariage Frères stockist since 1999 in Bordeaux and Nice, offers this gift set as the house composed it, without substitution.