In the labyrinth of alleyways that criss-cross Shanghai, Mariage Frères tells us, the traveller lets himself be guided by a cup of tea. Paris-Shanghai is its thread: on a black tea base, the house distils into fragrant wisps the scents of the fruits and sweets laid out as offerings, and our catalogue adds the image of incense smoke curling from the shrines of the spirits, along the streets.

It is therefore a scented black tea, fruity and sweet in character. The full list of ingredients is printed on the packaging. It comes in a flask, an object from the house that you can keep once empty, which makes it a ready-made gift.

The liquor is amber and round. The fruit opens, sweet and delicately sugared without any added sugar; then the black tea takes over with supple tannins that give the cup its structure. The finish remains fruity and warm, with that impression of a dessert the house intended.

It is drunk plain, especially in the afternoon, and welcomes a cloud of milk for a creamier cup. It accompanies a fruit tart, a cake, biscuits, or a Chinese dessert of candied fruit. Brewed and then cooled, it also makes a fruity, round iced tea, to be served without sugar.

For 200 ml of water at 95 °C, allow 2.5 g of leaves and five minutes of steeping, the time black tea needs to yield its body without hardening the fruit. Close the flask carefully after each use and keep it away from light and strong odours. La Boutique du Thé, official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999, offers it in its shops in Bordeaux and Nice, where our advisers can tell you about the capacity of the flask.