Lemon Verbena

If you have spent much time in France, you may already know this one; verveine is one of the country's best-loved herbal teas, the classic thing to reach for after dinner or last thing in the evening. It deserves to be far better known over here.

The first thing everyone notices is the smell. My brother took one sniff and said it smells like a spa, and he is not wrong: it is bright, clean and green, the kind of fresh lemony scent that makes you breathe in a little deeper. Lemon verbena has always been loved for that fragrance; Victorian ladies used to tuck it into the seams of their dresses just to carry the scent around with them.

In the cup it delivers on the promise: all the brightness of lemon but none of the acidity or sharpness of the fresh fruit, with soft, gentle herbal notes and a surprisingly creamy, rounded mouthfeel. It is lovely just as it is, though a little honey or agave suits it well, and a few fresh mint leaves make it even more refreshing. It is a naturally caffeine-free, loose-leaf infusion, which makes it a perfect cup for the evening, and it makes a wonderful iced tea in summer, too.

The plant itself is a bit of a traveller: native to South America, brought to Europe by Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the seventeenth century, and these days grown around the Mediterranean and North Africa. Mine comes from the Nile Delta in Egypt.

Ingredients || Lemon Verbena

Warning, packed in an environment that contains nuts

Caffeine || No (naturally caffeine-free)

Tasting Notes || Bright and lemony without the acidity, gently herbal, with a creamy mouthfeel

Brewing Notes || 1 teaspoon per cup, 100ºC, brew for 5 minutes.