“Étoilé”: the word in the name refers to star anise, the dried fruit in the shape of an eight-pointed star that is dropped into mulled wine and Asian broths. In Rooibos Bergamote & Cannelle Étoilé Bio, it joins bergamot, the citrus that flavours Earl Grey, on a base of rooibos, without a single leaf of tea.

Natural rooibos comes from South Africa, lemongrass from Egypt; the cinnamon, in sticks, from Viêt-Nam or Indonesia. Added to these are blackberry leaves, aniseed, star anise, vervain, a natural cinnamon flavouring, clove, and a natural bergamot flavouring. Plants and spices are all organically grown. Bergamot, Citrus bergamia, is grown mainly in Calabria, at the tip of the Italian boot.

The dry blend, coppery and speckled with brown stars, gives off the scent of a noble citrus. The liquor is ruby amber. The rooibos brings a soft, almost malty roundness; the bergamot rises above it, zesty and refined; the star anise and cinnamon bring an aniseed warmth that lingers on the palate. Vervain and lemongrass give a clean finish.

It is naturally caffeine-free and suits the end of the day. For a one-litre teapot, allow 15 to 20 g of leaves, water at a full boil, 100 °C, then seven to ten minutes of patience; a single cup needs only three or four grams. A splash of milk rounds it off pleasantly, much like an Earl Grey with milk.

It goes well with scones, a lemon cake, orange shortbread. Keep it in a tightly closed, opaque tin: bergamot is the most volatile aroma in the blend.