Segovia Muffin Rooibos

What comes to mind when you hear the name Segovia? Spain’s Andrés Segovia, the late classical guitarist who by his own admission “rescued the guitar from the hands of flamenco Gypsies”? Or perhaps the 2nd century Roman aqueduct in Segovia Spain, certified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985? Both are worthy of mention. Andrés Segovia’s guitar work was so spectacular, (he transcribed many important classical works for the guitar), that in 1981 he was granted nobility status by King Juan Carlos I. After the ceremony his official title became, "El señor don Andrés Torres Segovia, marqués de Salobreña," which translates as the Most Illustrious Lord The Marquess of Salobreña. Now that’s impressive. The aqueduct is equally as lofty in stature. This was built by Roman architects to provide water for the city of Segovia and is comprised of 166 arches and 120 pillars built from 20,400 granite blocks put together entirely without mortar or clamps – also incredibly impressive. Still, for us, what comes to mind when we here the name Segovia is muffins. Yes…muffins.

We admit, it might sound a little odd, but, on a visit to Segovia on his way to visit some shepherd friends in Tunisia, our Master Taster stopped at a café near the Aqueduct and had a muffin that changed his life. The sun was hot, the muffin was delicious and if you can believe it, the music of Andrés Segovia was playing inside the café. Clearly, the planets had aligned. The muffin contained a delicate mix of berries, bilberries, red currants, cranberries and blackberries to produce a juicy palate of tart sweetness intermingled with sweet doughy goodness. Upon his return from his trip to the Tunisian hill country, our Master Taster did what any tea master would do when stumbling across such an incredible flavor combination…he developed a new tea blend. We present the fruits of his labor. Enjoy!

200 ml (about 7 ounces) of brewed Rooibos contains the following nutrients:

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of Rooibos for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the pot, cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes. Pour into your cup; add milk and sugar to taste.

Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of Rooibos into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the Rooibos. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the Rooibos into the serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.

References: [1] South African Medical Research Council - www.mrc.ac.za//promec/antimutagenic.htm