A thyme, but lemon-scented, and of a quality that Mariage Frères considers exceptional: Thymus Citriodorus is an infusion of lemon thyme leaves, with no added flavouring or other herb, in the house's range of artisanal natural herbal infusions. The ingredients list consists of just two words: lemon thyme.

It is offered in a box of thirty round cotton muslin tea sachets, net weight 45 g. The thyme leaves are tiny and light; the muslin holds them without compressing them and lets the water circulate, which gives a fuller infusion than a tightly packed tea bag.

The liquor is clear and fragrant. The house describes its lively notes, which evoke the sweet fruitiness of Menton lemons ripened in the Provence sun, and speaks of a gentle, luminous infusion. Our product sheet adds fresh herbaceous and vivid lemon notes: the thyme is there, aromatic, but the sharpness of the lemon makes it fresher and less rustic than a garrigue thyme.

Naturally caffeine-free, it is drunk in the evening, after dinner, plain or with a little honey. It goes well with goat's cheese, lemon tart or a few biscuits, and, iced, lends itself to a very fragrant summer drink, with a slice of lemon and a mint leaf. Cooks will also use it, infused strong, to flavour a syrup or a cream.

Allow one muslin per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and six minutes' steeping time. Close the box firmly after use and keep it dry, away from spices, so that the lemon thyme retains its liveliness.