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Rooibos is a naturally caffeine-free herbal plant that grows in South Africa. Revealing rounded sweet and fruity flavours, refreshing herbal notes, and a mild and smooth finish, Rooibos can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
Want to learn more about fabulous Rooibos Tea? Read our article Rooibos Tea - A Gift from the Cederberg Mountains.
Ingredients
Rooibos Tea
Allergens
While we try to keep to the strictest standards in our treatment of allergens, please be aware that our factory handles nuts, milk and soy ingredients. Please check our ingredients lists for specific information on each tea.
Your Guide to Rooibos Tea
Rooibos is a naturally caffeine-free drink sourced from Aspalathus linearis, a plant indigenous to South Africa’s Cederberg Mountains, north of Cape Town. The name Rooibos is derived from the Afrikaans for red bush, likely referring to the reddish-brown colour the plant takes on after oxidation during production. Known for its earthy flavours and sweet, fruity notes, Rooibos is particularly low in tannins, making it a light, well-rounded drink.
Rich in antioxidants, Rooibos is also a source of polyphenols such as aspalathin, which may help protect against free radical damage and may contribute to weight loss by boosting fat metabolism.
Sections
- The History of Rooibos Tea
- How Rooibos Tea is Produced
- Types of Rooibos Tea
- Reviews of Rooibos Tea
- FAQs
The History of Rooibos Tea
Rooibos is believed to have been drunk by indigenous Bushmen native to the Cederberg region long before it was cultivated commercially. Early Dutch settlers in the Cape are believed to have used Rooibos as an alternative to more expensive European black teas, but it was not until the late 18th century that the Rooibos plant was first recorded by botanists.
Carl Thunberg, a Swedish botanist enlisted in the Dutch East India Company, reported on the plant and the Rooibos tea made from it during his three-year stay in Cape Town, noting the woody aromas and delicious flavours of the drink.
Several years later, in 1904, Rooibos took on a new life when businessman Benjamin Ginsberg, a Russian emigrant to South Africa, saw great potential in the drink and began to market it as Mountain Tea, thus becoming the first exporter of Rooibos.
In the 1930s, the surgeon and botanist Dr Pieter le Fras Nortier saw the value of Rooibos as a viable agricultural product and developed an effective way of germinating Rooibos seeds, which again greatly increased the popularity of Rooibos tea.
Today, Rooibos tea is exported to over 30 countries, including the UK, China, Germany, Japan and the United States.
How Rooibos Tea is Produced
Rooibos loose leaf tea is cultivated in the Cederberg mountain region of South Africa’s Western Cape province, where the plant grows in well-drained, sandy and acidic soil. The plant, Aspalathus linearis, belongs to the legume family and can grow from 0.5 m to 1.5 m in height, yielding from 70 g to 125 g of dry tea. A particularly robust plant, Rooibos is well suited to the dry, hot conditions of its growing region and may be exposed to temperatures as high as 45°C.
Production begins with the planting of seeds in prepared seedbeds during the late summer months of February and March. Seeds are then transplanted into plantation rows during winter, and after 18 months the Rooibos plants can be harvested.
The next step involves a process of fermentation. The plant shoots are first harvested mechanically or manually using sickles, before being transported to the processing yard. The shoots are then shredded into short lengths and placed onto fermentation heaps, where they are bruised to continue fermentation. Water is added before further bruising and mixing, which helps both to accelerate the fermentation process and to extract polyphenols. These polyphenols colour the Rooibos stems when absorbed, contributing to the processed plant’s characteristic red-brown colour.
This fermentation process continues throughout the night, with the heap being spread out in the sun to dry the following morning. It is during this process that Rooibos develops its distinctive sweet, fruity flavours and warm, woody aromas.
Types of Rooibos Tea
Rooibos loose leaf tea is a naturally caffeine-free drink that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, as a delicious black-style tea, as a green tea, flavoured with fruits, herbs or spices, or as a refreshing iced tea.
Below are some examples of Rooibos loose leaf teas.
Rooibos Tea
Revealing rounded sweet and fruity flavours, refreshing herbal notes, and a mild and smooth finish, Rooibos Tea can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
Rooibos Green Tea
Made from the same South African plant as traditional red rooibos, Green Rooibos contains leaves that are processed differently. Specially treated to prevent oxidation, Green Rooibos creates a tea that is lighter in body and less citric than red rooibos, offering woody, grassy notes, a natural sweetness and fruity flavours.
Rooibos Vanilla Tea
Revealing aromas of dark sugar and notes of vanilla, subtle fruitiness, a melting texture and warm, comforting flavours, Rooibos Vanilla is a delicious caffeine-free rooibos tea that can be enjoyed all through the day.
Rooibos Honeybush Tea
Similar to Rooibos, Honeybush Tea is caffeine-free and low in tannins, with a dark red liquor and a delicious naturally sweet taste.
Rooibos Blueberry Tea
Made using a combination of blueberries and creamy yoghurt, along with blue cornflowers, this bright and fruity redbush tea is wonderfully unique and very refreshing.
Rooibos Earl Grey Tea
Made using South African rooibos flavoured with bergamot, Rooibos Earl Grey brings a delightful twist to classic Earl Grey flavours. Zesty citrus aromas and a rounded orange rind flavour result in a wonderfully refreshing tea, while a smooth, sweet texture makes it ideal for enjoying on a relaxing afternoon.
Rooibos Orange and Eucalyptus Tea
Made from a combination of Australian eucalyptus leaves and oranges, this caffeine-free redbush tea offers a wonderful menthol aroma, fruity notes of peach and orange, and fresh flavours of eucalyptus.
Reviews of Rooibos Tea
Below is a selection of comments from customers who have enjoyed some Rooibos varieties.
Rooibos Tea
“A real taste of South Africa. Just the smell of this tea is wonderful!”
“Beautiful full taste”
Rooibos Vanilla Tea
“Absolutely love it. We make the tea in a filter pot and it is wonderful. So much better than in tea bags from the store. Plus the package is paper and card so no harmful plastic at all. Will be buying again.”
“Nice flavour, really good at any time of day.”
Rooibos Earl Grey Tea
“It is a lovely flavour, and I know I can drink as much as I like when I like as it contains no caffeine. Great taste and a great price, fast delivery. What more can I say!”
“Very refreshing, lovely drink”
Rooibos Honeybush Tea
“Very nice tea, if you like Rooibos flavour tea then this tea is one of the best.”
“Highly recommend”
FAQs
What does Rooibos tea taste like?
Rooibos offers naturally sweet, fruity, earthy flavours and characteristic warm, woody, slightly herbal notes, with a full-bodied finish. The low tannin level in Rooibos means that it is not bitter, even when steeped for several minutes, resulting in a smooth, well-rounded and mild drink.
It is also delicious when blended with fruits, herbs or spices, and can be enjoyed as an iced tea or flavoured with vanilla, blueberry, lemon, almond, orange and many more combinations.
How should I prepare Rooibos loose leaf tea?
Rooibos tea should be prepared using freshly boiled water, preferably filtered tap water or bottled spring water. Use one teaspoon of loose-leaf tea for every 230 ml of water and allow the covered leaves to steep for at least 5 minutes at temperatures between 90°C and 95°C. Because Rooibos is low in tannins, there is little risk of the drink becoming bitter if the leaves are steeped for longer than 5 minutes.
Use a tea strainer when preparing Rooibos in order to capture the small particles and ensure a smooth, clean drink.
Rooibos is delicious served without milk, but you can add a drop of milk and even honey or sugar to taste, or make a fantastic Rooibos iced tea. As Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free, it can be enjoyed at any time of day and into the evening.
Where can I buy the best Rooibos tea?
When sourcing Rooibos leaf tea online, there is a wide range of high-quality Rooibos loose leaf teas available, from classic Rooibos to flavoured and blended varieties.
We deliver across the UK and to selected EU countries using Royal Mail. Available delivery options and charges are shown at checkout. Our standard delivery service takes 1–2 working days.
Some third-party supplied products may have different delivery times and costs, which will be clearly shown at checkout.
Some equipment may be shipped directly from the manufacturer. Where this applies, full delivery details will be provided at checkout.
All of our teas remain fresh unopened for up to 12 months.