Its name looks towards the night, and it is in the evening that the Tisane de la Lune Réglisse Fenouil Bio shows its full measure. Neither fruit nor flower takes centre stage: a root, around which a small circle of spices and seeds is arranged, all sourced from organic agriculture.

This root is liquorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra, a legume cultivated since Antiquity for its natural sweetness; this one comes from China and Uzbekistan. It shares the blend with Egyptian fennel, an umbellifer with aniseed-flavoured seeds, ginger from China, Nigeria and Peru, cinnamon sticks, aniseed, clove, coriander seed, cardamom and a few mallow flowers.

Woody and golden, the blend already announces through its aroma a round, almost candied sweetness. In the cup, the liquor takes on a deep amber tint. The liquorice settles in from the first sip and does not leave the palate; the aniseed and fennel prolong it, the ginger and clove give it relief, the cardamom leaves a fragrant trace on the finish. No sugar has been added: all this roundness comes from the root itself.

Naturally caffeine-free, it is brewed per litre with 12 to 15 grams of blend, or per cup with a little under 3 g; the water boils at 100 °C, and the infusion should not be less than five minutes nor exceed ten. The longer the wait, the more the liquorice takes over: enthusiasts will go all the way, others will stop earlier.

It pairs happily with a butter shortbread, a few toasted almonds, a poached pear. Keep it in a tightly closed tin, away from light and humidity, so that its spices keep their clarity from one cup to the next.