Bora Bora Mango Rooibos

If you close your eyes and try to imagine paradise, it probably looks a lot like the French Polynesian island of Bora Bora. The island is a Never-Never land of craggy peaks, crystal blue waters, perfect white sand, luscious tropical fruit and beautiful inhabitants. And also like Never-Never land, once you visit the island you’ll never want to leave. Just ask the American GI’s who were stationed there during WWII.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Bora Bora was chosen by US forces to become a strategic supply base owing to its position in the South Pacific. Subsequently, nearly 5000 GI’s took up residence on the island. Over the course of the war, many of these young Americans fell so head over heels in love with the island and its people (namely its women) that they refused to leave at war’s end. Back home, military commanders, under pressure from the families of the love-struck GI’s, decided they would have to forcibly relocate the heartbroken GIs back to the US.

Well, as a testament to this wonderful island, and as a measure of thanks to the veterans who served on and ultimately had to leave their beloved island, we present this tea. We’ve used a top grade Rooibos (Latin: Aspalathus linearis), from the Cederberg region of South Africa and flavored it with the fragrant taste of one of Bora Bora’s best loved tropical fruits - mango. Rooibos itself is regarded as one of the world’s foremost herbal teas. The pine shaped red needles contain many essential minerals and is generally regarded to have a positive influence on the digestive system.

Like the island itself, one sip of Bora Bora mango rooibos and you’ll never want to give it up - full bodied, tempered with sweet mango character - it’s a true taste of the South Pacific!

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