A light lunch, a late-morning work break, a pause when you want a lively tea without bitterness: Paris-Kyoto is a daytime tea, and its citrus notes suit every hour when you seek freshness. It belongs to the Voyage collection from Mariage Frères, a series of five teas that connect Paris with a city in the world.

Kyoto, here, is evoked by yuzu, the Japanese citrus with lemon and orange tones, which the house balances with a vanilla note, echoing the delicacy of the city’s vegetarian cuisine, between zen and the pleasures of the palate. The base is a green tea. The declared ingredients are tea, orange blossom and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of tree nuts.

The tea is presented in a collector’s bottle with a double lid holding 80 g of flavoured green tea, an object to keep on the shelf once empty. The liquor is clear and fresh. The yuzu dominates, zesty, then the orange blossom rounds the citrus, and the vanilla, discreet, gives the finish a sweetness that avoids any sharpness.

Drink it plain. With raw fish, a salad, a lemon dessert or a Japanese pastry, the pairing is immediate. Infused then chilled, it becomes a very bright iced tea, which gains further with a twist of orange zest.

Allow 3 g per 200 ml of water at 85 °C, a gentle temperature that keeps the green leaf intact, and three minutes of steeping. Close both lids after use and keep the bottle away from light. La Boutique du Thé has been the official Mariage Frères stockist since 1999.