Chocolat des Mandarins comes in a gift box of 16 discs, 120 g in total, each decorated with tea leaves. Under a thin crisp coating, a smooth ganache flavoured with Chaï Chandernagor, the house's spiced black tea: pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and clove.

Mariage Frères attributes the recipe for the Chocolats des Mandarins to Henri Mariage, who is said to have presented it in 1860. The house offers it in several of its teas; this one is the spiced version. For a more classic cup, the Chocolat Earl Grey Impérial follows the same recipe, sixteen dark chocolate discs with a ganache of Earl Grey tea with bergamot.

On the palate, the cocoa comes first, then the spices of the chai take over and extend the finish. Serve it with a cup of Chaï Chandernagor to echo the flavour, with a plain black tea that leaves room for the spices, or, at Christmas dessert, with the Esprit de Noël.

It is the gourmet gift to place beside a tea, in a gift set or under the Christmas tree. Among our Christmas ideas, it complements a seasonal tin or an Advent calendar.

Store it away from heat and humidity. It contains milk; it may contain traces of cereals, egg, soya and nuts.