1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021: the years of the Ox, a sign that Chinese tradition calls heroic and protective. Mariage Frères dedicates to it this Thé des Signes, an intense, wholly rounded black tea speckled with goji berries, the signature of the collection, presented in a handcrafted pagoda-shaped tin, lacquered and screen-printed in France, in the colour of black orchid and Java plum, containing 100 g of tea.

The ingredient list mentions black tea, goji berries and flavourings; the blend may contain traces of nuts. It is listed in the catalogue under the Jardin Premier label. The goji berries, small dried red fruits, speckle the black leaves and give the blend its appearance.

The liquor is round, enveloping and generous. The black tea opens intense, with body and a malty sweetness; notes of sun-ripened fruit follow, sweet and gourmand, slightly sweet in impression, and the goji berries add a discreet fruity touch, between dried cherry and candied tomato. The finish is long and free of bitterness.

It is drunk throughout the day, plain or with a cloud of milk, and accompanies a dried fruit cake, an apricot tart or a brunch. It is also a ready-made gift for someone born under this sign, the pagoda tin staying on the shelf long after the tea has gone.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and five minutes of infusion. Once the tin is opened, reseal it after each use and keep it away from light and humidity, which dried berries attract.