Belgian Chocolate Rooibos

There is an old saying that goes: You know your diet is in trouble when you count your blessings and chocolate is always the first one. Well, thanks to this wonderful herbal tea that no longer has to be the case. Why? The answer is simple. Rooibos, the base of the blend, is fat free! Grown in the Cedarberg district of South Africa, the Rooibos plant (Latin: Aspalathus linearis) - in English literally “Red Bush” - produces a tea that is incredibly high in vitamins and minerals (see our chart below). Proponents of the tea claim that it can ease headaches and soothe bodily tension. Best of all, it contains no caffeine.

OK, OK, you’re probably thinking. But what about the chocolate? The Belgian chocolate to be precise? Good questions. As the name would suggest, we’ve blended this wonderfully smooth Rooibos with the all-natural flavoring of Belgian chocolate, a product as synonymous with Belgium as waffles. The tiny country produces 172,000 tons of chocolate per year and has 2130 chocolate shops within her borders – they know chocolate. In fact, the country is so well known for its chocolate that it gets first dibs on all cocoa exports from the entire continent of Africa. We figured that if you’re going to blend anything, much less chocolate, to a top quality Rooibos, it better be the best. Brew yourself a pot today and satisfy your chocoholic cravings – without upsetting your grand dietary intentions! We think our decision speaks for itself.

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

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