These milky sweets of childhood, crunched between the teeth, sugary memories that never melt: Mariage Frères has turned them into a tea. Macaron is a flavoured black tea from the Héritage Gourmand collection, presented in a rose-pink collector’s tin with silvery highlights containing 100 g of tea, a creation the house itself describes as mischievous.

The list of ingredients includes black tea, apple, strawberry, amaranth and flavourings; the blend may contain traces of tree nuts, and our catalogue indicates the possible presence of almond. The full list and the allergens appear on the packaging and on this product sheet. This tea is listed in our catalogue under the Jardin Premier label.

The aroma of macaron is tender and sweet, almondy, with that softness of meringue and cream that is recognised at once; the apple and strawberry, in pieces among the leaves, bring a light fruitiness. The liquor is amber and round, the black tea gives a gentle structure without marked tannin, and the finish is pastry-like, fine, with neither heaviness nor sugar.

This is an afternoon tea, a teatime tea, which goes with macarons, of course, but also with a financier, a strawberry tart or a brioche. It is drunk plain, or with a cloud of milk that enhances its milky-sweet character. Iced, it becomes an indulgent drink for a children’s teatime.

Use 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and steep for four minutes, slightly less than for most black teas, to keep the aroma to the fore. Once the tin has been opened, close it after each use and keep it dry, away from light and cooking odours.