Mélange Vitalité Matinale

I picked this blend up for my husband, who had been searching for something to steady his mornings without another cup of coffee. His impressions have been consistently positive. He found the flavour genuinely appealing — warm chai spicing with cinnamon carrying the turmeric, sweetened just enough by the coconut blossom sugar to avoid the earthy bitterness he feared. It dissolves cleanly into oat milk without clumping, he noted, which spared him the whisking he had expected. The energy it provides he described as even and unhurried, with none of the sharp rise and fall that caffeine delivers. He remarked that the ingredient list reads honestly, with recognisable components rather than vague proprietary blends. A pleasant, thoughtfully composed powder he now prepares daily.

My first impressions of this multi ingredient drink is how on earth to read what's in it and how to use it. Simply put, the back of the package is covered in text in different languages, and to get everything to fit the print has been made very small and difficult to read. I have taken enlarged photos of the ingredients and directions to make things easier to see what you are getting, also a photo of the recommended 1 spoonful stirred into a glass of water. It looks like a muddy puddle, and this is really for the hardened health followers, as the taste profile is quite strong and harsh. I'l expand on this a bit more. There is a dominant taste of turmeric and cinnamon. THis is surprising, as although they are both very strong ingredients and are not uppermost in the percentage list. There is also a nice balance of coconut sugar, but the addition of black pepper does catch in the back of the throat. The mix will stir into water or milk quite well with a teaspoon, although there is a noticeable amount of particles that are in suspension and not soluble in the liquid. It's actually a rather warming drink and leaves a spicy taste in the mouth after drinking. I would prefer this on cold mornings as opposed to thinking of it as refreshing.

The serving size is 5g, so it is worth keeping expectations realistic. This is not a proper protein shake or meal replacement. The rice protein amount is fairly small, and the mushroom blend is split across several different mushrooms, including reishi, shiitake, chaga, maitake, lion’s mane, cordyceps and tremella. That sounds impressive, but each one is only present in a modest amount once divided up. I do like that the ingredient list is mostly whole-style powders rather than a long list of sweeteners, gums and fillers. Maca, turmeric, Ceylon cinnamon, coconut sugar and black pepper all make sense in a chai-style blend. The black pepper is a useful pairing with turmeric, although the coconut sugar means it is not completely unsweetened. Taste-wise, this is earthy, warming and quite spice-led rather than like a sweet instant chai. It works better mixed into warm milk or plant milk than plain water. Overall, I like the ingredient approach, but I see it as a small daily wellness drink, not something that will suddenly transform energy or focus.

I started using this because I wanted something small to add to my mornings without feeling like I was drinking a full protein shake. It has a soft chai taste that mixes nicely into warm milk or yoghurt and it doesn’t go gritty, which is usually my worry with powders. I like that it gives a steady bit of energy rather than anything dramatic. It just helps me feel a little more awake and settled. The maca and mushroom blend seem to give that calm focus and the turmeric and cinnamon make it feel cosy. It is only a tiny scoop, so it doesn’t feel heavy or like you’re forcing down a supplement. I’ve just been adding it to my usual routine and it fits in easily.

This is a really interesting mix, and I like that it brings together maca root, turmeric, mushroom complex, rice protein, cinnamon, and coconut sugar in a vegan chai-style drink. I make mine in the milk frother on the hot chocolate setting, but only with milk rather than water, and that works beautifully. It blends everything properly, warms it through nicely, and helps all the spices mix together into a smooth, comforting drink. The flavour feels warming and nourishing, with that chai-like spice profile that makes it much more enjoyable than a plain protein powder. It feels like a lovely morning drink when you want something a bit more special, but still functional. Overall, I am very pleased with it. Interesting formula, lovely when made with milk, and a great option for a warming morning vitality drink.