A box in ultraviolet tones, its shape evoking the Temple of Heaven and bearing the years of the Snake, from 1905 to 2037: this is the object Mariage Frères dedicates to those born under this sign. Le Thé des Signes de l’année du Serpent is a green tea from China, flavoured with soft mint, liquorice and rose petals, with goji berries from the Himalayas.

The ingredients are green tea, liquorice, mint, goji berries, rose and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts. The house’s file classifies it among its Jardins Premiers. The box, handcrafted, is lacquered and screen-printed in France and contains 100 g.

The cup is joyful, indulgent, fresh and smooth, says the house, with a velvety liquor. The mint opens, sweet; the liquorice brings a natural sweet roundness; the rose, a floral fragrance; the goji berries, a tangy note that wakes up the whole. The green tea holds it all with its freshness. It is a cup of character, more complex than a simple mint tea.

It is drunk during the day, plain, hot or iced, with oriental pastries, almond biscuits, fresh fruit, or on its own. It is offered to those born under the Snake, in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 or 2025, and is drunk all year round by everyone.

Allow 3 g per 200 ml of water at 85 °C and four minutes’ steeping. Once opened, the lacquered box keeps best closed, away from light. La Boutique du Thé, official Mariage Frères stockist since 1999, offers it in its shops in Bordeaux and Nice.