Broken Orange Pekoe: the grade refers to a broken leaf, smaller than a whole leaf, which infuses quickly and gives a full-bodied liquor. It is on this grade that Mariage Frères built Morning Tea, a blend of black teas from Ceylon and India that the house describes as brilliant, chosen from the finest gardens of these two origins.

No added fragrance: the cup owes nothing but to the leaves. Ceylon provides liveliness and clarity, India body and roundness, and the broken leaf releases the whole within minutes. The full list of ingredients appears on the packaging and on this sheet.

The taste is full-bodied, the aroma frank. The liquor is amber, bracing, with a clean tannic structure but without harshness if a short time is respected. It is a tea that wakes you without jolting, and that holds its own against a full breakfast: buttered toast, eggs, cheese.

It takes a splash of cold milk, and this is how the house recommends it to those who enjoy tea with milk; plain, it keeps more clarity. It is drunk in the morning, and remains pleasant in mid-morning. Those looking for a classic breakfast tea, without flavouring, without surprise and without weakness, have come to the right address.

For preparation, allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and 3 minutes’ infusion, no longer: the broken leaf releases quickly, and an extra minute would bring bitterness. Morning Tea is sold loose leaf: we weigh and pack it to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, in a pouch designed to preserve its taste. Store it in an airtight container, away from light and strong odours.