Strawberry and basil: the pairing has become a classic of pastry chefs, who readily combine red fruit and aromatic herb in summer tarts and fruit salads. Tisane Fraise Basilic d’Été Bio brings this duo into the cup.

Egyptian lemongrass and Egyptian chamomile, along with chamomile from Croatia and Kosovo, form the base. Egyptian basil makes up around 11%, powdered strawberry 6%, to which are added pieces of strawberry. Thyme, crushed cocoa bean, cocoa powder, lemon myrtle and cornflower petals complete the composition. Nothing here is not grown organically.

The dry blend, pink and green, smells of an indulgent garden. The liquor is golden. Ripe strawberry comes through first, soon lifted by the basil and its slightly aniseed freshness. The chamomile brings a note of honey, the lemongrass and myrtle a citrus clarity. The cocoa, in the background, gives a discreet foundation, and the thyme leaves in the finish a memory of Mediterranean scrubland.

Caffeine-free, it is an evening infusion. It steeps for seven to ten minutes in water brought to 100 °C, at 12 to 15 g per litre. That works out, for one cup, at roughly two and a half to three grams. Lukewarm, it accompanies dessert; iced, it becomes an afternoon drink in the sun.

Serve it with a strawberry tart, a panna cotta or a lemon sorbet. In the shop, we pack it to order, from the simple 15 g sample to formats of several kilos, in bags that protect its aromas.