Yerba Mate Orange - Herbal tea 100 g - Café du Jour loose tea

Mate with an orange lift

Yerba Mate Orange is a loose-leaf blend built on mate, the South American infusion traditionally drunk from a gourd. Mate on its own is earthy, full and a little grassy; here it is lifted with an orange aroma and lemon peel, so the cup keeps its body but drinks brighter. Sunflower blossoms and guaraná, the seed of a Brazilian vine, make up the rest. Café du Jour blends and packs it in the Netherlands, in 100 g packs of loose yerba mate leaves.

What is in it

• Mate
• Lemon peel
• Flavouring
• Sunflower blossoms
• Guaraná powder

The orange character comes from the flavouring rather than from orange peel; the citrus fruit in the blend is lemon. And unlike most herbal tea, mate is not caffeine-free, which is worth knowing if you drink it late in the day.

How to brew it

Use about 2 g per cup and water at around 80°C. Mate turns bitter under water straight off the boil, so give the kettle a minute first. Steep for three to five minutes, then lift the leaves out, using a strainer, an infuser or, if you have one, a gourd and bombilla. Cold, it works just as well: brew it at double strength, let it cool and pour it over ice.

At a glance

• Brand: Café du Jour
• Type: loose-leaf herbal tea
• Contents: 100 g
• Ingredients: mate, lemon peel, flavouring, sunflower blossoms, guaraná powder
• Blended and packed in: the Netherlands
• Brewing: about 2 g per cup, water at 80°C, three to five minutes
• Serve: hot or over ice