Yerba mate blends usually lean savoury and smoky, so the orange and mango running through this one stand out. It starts from a Brazilian mate base, green and roasted leaf combined, then built up with liquorice root, orange blossom and orange peel plus natural flavouring. The cup comes out golden-green and light in tone, opening with a strong earthy aroma before the classic smoky, woody mate character shows itself, cut through by a bold citrus note from the orange. Cocoa and vegetal, slightly roasted undertones sit underneath the fruit, which keeps it from tasting like a straightforward citrus tisane.
Mate itself comes from Ilex paraguariensis, a holly family plant that grows across South America, usually standing 6 to 8 metres tall though some plants reach 15. It is one of only a handful of plants, alongside tea, coffee, cacao, kola and guarana, that naturally contain caffeine, which is likely part of why it became such a fixture as a drink long before it reached Europe. South American indigenous tribes reportedly called it the Drink of the Gods, and European colonists later called it the Green God of the Indios, names that hint at how central the plant was to daily life in the region. Like other yerba mate brews, this blend carries a natural spread of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B1 and B2, along with antioxidant compounds, traditionally counted among the reasons people reach for mate in the first place.
Brew it with freshly boiled water and give it 5 to 10 minutes to steep, pushing toward the longer end if you want more smokiness. It is meant to be drunk plain rather than sweetened, though a little sugar works if you would rather soften the earthiness.
