Four ingredients, not one more: rooibos, lemongrass, ginger and natural lemon flavouring. Rooibos Gingembre Citron Vif Bio takes the path of simplicity, and this bareness gives each element a clear place in the cup.

Originating from South Africa, natural rooibos makes up the bulk of the blend. Egyptian lemongrass accounts for about 14%, and ginger from Peru, Nigeria and China about 11%. Natural lemon flavouring completes the whole. Rooibos, lemongrass and ginger come from organic farming. Rooibos, Aspalathus linearis, is a legume endemic to the mountains of the Western Cape, where it has been cultivated since the 20th century.

The dry blend, copper and blond, smells of freshly grated zest. The liquor is light amber. The rooibos lays a round, lightly malty base; the lemon runs straight through above, frank and luminous; the ginger arrives just behind and warms the finish. The whole holds together with great clarity, without any heaviness.

It contains no caffeine and can be drunk from morning to evening. Three to four grams per cup, fifteen to twenty per litre, with water at 100 °C, then an infusion of seven to ten minutes: rooibos tolerates this extended time well, without becoming bitter. Iced, it makes an excellent summer drink: let the infusion cool, then serve over ice with a slice of lemon.

It accompanies grilled fish with ginger, an exotic fruit salad, or a lemon cake. It is bagged to order, in Bordeaux or Nice, in a bag designed to protect the freshness of its citrus notes.