Rooibos

Rooibos

Rooibos is synonymous with versatility. Whoever tastes it is always looking for words such as amazing, wonderful, lovely, or delicious. And yet it is made from a mere South African shrub. Its taste and effects were known to the ancient Crusaders, and it was brought to Europe more than a hundred years ago.

Do you not know it? It is time you took a trip to hot Africa, all the way to Cape Town. Why there? Because that is the only place where tea plants grow. You will not find them anywhere else in the world. Rooibos is made from the low bushes using an interesting process. The result is a pleasant, smooth tea which has a rich and sweet aroma.

Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free. It is popular with young children and schoolchildren, pregnant or breastfeeding women enjoy its restorative effects, those of working age find it comforting and relaxing, and the elderly appreciate its calming ability resulting in a refreshing sleep.

A truly unique tea recommended for hot summer days and cool evenings. It refreshes with ice cubes and fruit and warms up with milk or honey.

Cutting, chopping, fermenting, drying. That is how Rooibos is born

The bushes of the Cape tea plant (Aspalathus linearis) grow to about one and a half metres. They have long twigs and needle-like leaves. They love the fires that regularly hit the Cederberg mountains. Their deep roots reach the water, and their seeds remain in the soil for up to six years. They wait for the right conditions before they germinate.

Rooibos is simply extraordinary in every way. You can also find it on the market under the name Redbush Tea. The whole branches are pruned twice a year at the forearm's length. On certified production lines, they are chopped into roughly half-centimetre-long pieces. Workers pile the green mass into huge heaps and leave it to ferment naturally. After 8-24 hours, Rooibos is almost ready. Fermentation has given it an intoxicating sweet aroma and a beautiful mahogany colour. The last step to the final product is drying, which occurs directly in the African sun.