The Story of Rooibos Tea
Over a century ago, the Khoisan Tribe of South Africa used their hunter-gatherer skills to harvest the leaves of a small shrub with soft, needle-shaped leaves known as rooibos (pronounced roy-boss). Rooibos is commonly referred to as red bush or Red tea, and grows in the remote mountains of Cedarberg, northwest of Cape Town.
To make a tea, the Khoisan people chopped rooibos with axes, bruised them with hammers and then left them to dry in the sun. Today, a similar process is used to produce rooibos, although it is more advanced.
The resulting infusion is sweet, nutty, woodsy, mellow… much like a good black tea, but without any caffeine or bitterness. Plus, it tastes fantastic when we blend it with all sorts of sweet ingredients, including citrus fruit, berries, vanilla, chocolate, apple, warming spices and caramel.
This week, we hope you’ll have a chance to sip some rooibos. We think you’ll quickly see just why this caffeine-free tea has exploded in popularity in recent years.
Sip on these luscious rooibos teas:
Caribbean Nectar
A silky-smooth infusion filled with sweet tropical fruit notes. Juicy pineapple, banana and mango blend with creamy coconut for a dessert-like cup.
Blueberries & Cream
Ripe blueberries and creamy yogurt pair perfectly with dessert or dressed up as a tea latte.
Carrot Cake
A rich and comforting infusion of carrot pieces, coconut, raisins, walnuts, ginger, cloves and maple brittle.
