Honeybush owes its name to its yellow flowers, which smell of honey. Like rooibos, it is a shrub of the Fabaceae family native to South Africa, and that is where the two plants at the base of this blend come from, both naturally caffeine-free.

Ombelle has added orange peel from Ghana, dried banana flakes prepared with coconut oil, cane sugar and honey, and finally apricot. Two natural flavourings, one orange and one mango, complete the composition. All the plant ingredients come from organic farming.

The dry blend, flecked with golden pieces, has a scent of candied citrus. The liquor is mahogany. The rooibos brings a malty roundness, the honeybush a honeyed note; then come candied orange and mild banana, without any marked acidity. The mouth stays round from start to finish, with an impression of ripe fruit that lingers.

It is naturally caffeine-free, so from breakfast to evening, nothing holds you back. Children enjoy it lukewarm. In summer, prepare it hot, let it cool and serve it over ice with a few cubes of fresh mango; in winter, it goes well with a pancake, a rice pudding, a hazelnut financier or a thin apricot tart.

Seven to ten minutes in boiling water at 100°C: rooibos and honeybush hold up well to this time without turning bitter. For the measure, start with 15 to 20 g per litre, or 3 to 4 g per 200 ml cup. It dislikes light and moisture; an airtight tin protects it.