From December to February, when daylight fades before five o’clock, we need a cup that warms the body through its taste. Chai d’Hiver Cannelle Gingembre Bio was composed for these cold months: a blend of spices in which a touch of black tea provides the structure.

Ginger from China, Nigeria and Peru opens the blend, followed by aniseed from Egypt and Turkey. Cinnamon comes next, in sticks from Indonesia and Viêt-Nam, then in its Ceylon form. Then come star anise, crushed cacao bean, Darjeeling second flush black tea, orange peel, cardamom, in seeds and ground, clove, which appears twice in the list, rose petals, guarana and chilli. The whole is organically grown.

Dark and woody, it smells of festive cooking as soon as the tin is opened. The liquor, mahogany in colour, builds its warmth in layers: cinnamon first, round and enveloping; then ginger, sharper; finally star anise and aniseed, with their liquorice sweetness. The cacao forms the base of the finish, which the orange brightens with a touch of citrus.

Black tea and guarana provide caffeine; it is therefore a chai for the morning and the day. A 300 ml mug takes about 4 g, a litre 12 to 15 g; the water is brought to the boil, 100 °C, and the infusion lasts seven to ten minutes. With a splash of milk, or as a very frothy chai latte, it takes on a dessert-like richness.

It pairs with gingerbread, Yule log and mendiants. We weigh it to order in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 15 g sample up to several kilos.