Rooibos

Used by the natives of Southern Africa for thousands of years Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) is a well-known source of health and wellness. Low in tannins and free from Caffeine and Oxalic Acid, Rooibos tea has many established health benefits including, boosting antioxidant levels, boosting heart health, reduction of cancer risk, benefits for people with type 2 diabetes and improved digestion. It makes an excellent caffeine-free replacement for black tea and coffee and is the perfect way to start a new day. Rooibos can be enjoyed in many ways; Hot and cold, with lemon or milk, its subtle flavours combining smoothly with many flavours.

One can brew Rooibos as they would black or herbal tea, by letting it sit for 4­-7 minutes before it is enjoyed. The fact is that the longer Rooibos is steeped, the more its antioxidants and other health benefits are released. Traditionally in South Africa, Rooibos was boiled in water rather than water being added to the infusion once it had boiled. The longer the rooibos is left to stew the more intense the flavour becomes.

Rooibos is exclusively grown in Cederberg, a small mountainous area in the region of the Western Cape, a province of South Africa.

Generally, the leaves undergo an oxidation (often termed “fermentation” in common tea processing terminology). This process produces the distinctive reddish-brown colour of rooibos and enhances the flavour. Unoxidised “green” rooibos is also produced, but the more demanding production process for green rooibos (similar to the method by which green tea is produced) makes it more expensive than traditional rooibos. It carries a malty and slightly grassy flavour somewhat different from its red counterpart.

Archaeological records suggest rooibos has been used by humans for thousands of years. The traditional method of harvesting and processing rooibos (for making rooibos infusion or decoction tea) could have, at least partly, originated in precolonial times.