Rainbow Rooibos

The story of Rooibos starts around the turn of the century in South Africa’s beautiful Cedarberg region.  It was the locals of the area who first discovered that the fine needle like leaves of the wild “Aspalathus Linearis” plant made a tasty aromatic tea.  It was they who first harvested the plants, chopped them with axes and bruised them with hammers leaving them to ferment before drying in the sun.  Rooibos is a herb that contains no caffeine.  Those that consume Rooibos have claimed that it has a soothing effect on headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns and digestive problems. 

Rooibos seeds are planted during February and March. They are tended for 18 months after which they are harvested. Cut Rooibos is bound and milled to a uniform length then bruised between rollers to trigger the fermentation process, which results in the characteristic flavor and sweet aroma. We then add a full and rich Earl Grey flavoring which gives this Earl Grey  Rooibos a classic English taste.

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 2-4 minutes. Pour into your cup, add milk and sugar to taste.

Iced tea brewing method:  (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 5 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.