A chai is judged first by its tea. This one rests on a black tea from India, Assam and South India, which makes up 54% of the blend: enough to provide the backbone, the malt and the body one expects from an imperial cup, without the spices having to raise their voice.

Around this base, Ombelle has brought together cinnamon sticks from Viêt-Nam and Indonesia, Egyptian fennel, ginger, anise, clove and ground cardamom, all organic. The cinnamon, bark rolled upon itself as it dries, arrives in pieces; the cardamom, finely ground, diffuses from the very first minutes.

The liquor is coppery and dense. The attack is malty and full-bodied, much like an Assam served on its own; the cinnamon then brings its warmth, the ginger a lively edge, and the finish slides towards anise, soft and lightly sweet. A chai of character, which keeps its structure right to the bottom of the cup.

It contains caffeine and naturally finds its place in the morning and during the day. Plain, it accompanies a brioche or French toast. As a chai latte, let it infuse in a little water, strain, then top up with whole or plant-based milk, heated and frothed; a brown sugar or a flower honey rounds everything off for those who wish it.

A one-litre teapot calls for 15 to 20 g of blend and water brought to 100 °C; the whole spices then need at least seven minutes, and at most ten, to give their measure. Our shops weigh it to the weight requested, from a 15 g sample up to several kilos.