At teatime, when you hesitate between a cup of tea and a piece of fruit, Pomme du Désir offers both. Mariage Frères has flavoured a black tea with fresh, fruity apple notes, the tempting apple you would happily bite into. The ingredients list mentions tea, apple and flavourings; the blend may contain traces of nuts.

The dry leaf already smells of fresh apple, clearly and without any sweet-shop artifice. Pieces of dried fruit mingle with the black leaves. The tea appears in the house’s catalogue under the Jardin Premier label.

The liquor is amber and round. The opening is fruity and crisp, like an apple fresh from the fridge; the black tea then gives structure, with supple tannins that balance the sweetness of the fruit. The finish stays indulgent, without added sugar, and keeps that tangy freshness that makes apple such a natural tea flavour.

We recommend it in the afternoon, with a thin tart, a turnover or a simple buttered bread; it can be drunk plain, or with a cloud of milk that pulls the blend towards stewed apple. It also works with cinnamon, for those who enjoy it, and iced it makes a very pleasant autumn drink, served chilled without ice cubes. Lovers of fruity black teas will find an alternative to red berry blends, softer and rounder.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and five minutes of infusion. Pomme du Désir is weighed and packed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, in a pouch designed to preserve its aromas; afterwards, store it in a closed container, away from light and humidity, which the pieces of fruit attract.