An artisan tin, lacquered and screen-printed in France, containing 100 g of blue tea: the Thé des Signes Year of the Rat is first an object, the one given at the Asian New Year to those born under the sign. Mariage Frères houses a blue tea with a soft, floral fragrance, enriched with citrus nuances, whose infusion takes on golden tints.

Goji berries are the signature of the Thé des Signes collection; here they add pleasantly tart accents that wake up the sweetness of the blue tea. The composition combines tea, cornflower, goji berry and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts. The cornflower petals colour the dry leaf with touches of blue.

Blue tea, or oolong, is a semi-oxidised leaf, between green and black, with a velvety roundness and a naturally floral aroma. In the cup, the golden liquor offers flowers first, soft, then citrus, lively, and the tart note of goji that prolongs the finish. A sweet and indulgent cup, the house says, for a year rich in charm and creativity.

It is a daytime tea, low in caffeine, drunk plain, hot or iced. It accompanies an Asian meal, almond biscuits, fresh fruit or an afternoon snack. It is offered to those born in the Year of the Rat, that is, according to the tin, to those born in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 or 2020, and it can be drunk all year round.

Allow 3 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and five minutes’ steeping; the oolong leaf needs this time to open. Once the tin is opened, close it carefully after each use and keep it away from light and strong odours. The tin itself, once empty, can be kept as a souvenir of the New Year.