Rooibos, the Afrikaans for “red bush”, is a broom-like plant and member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa’s fynbos.
Rooibos farm in Cedarberg
The plant has very similar growth and flowers to the redbush. The plant is used to make an herbal tea called rooibos tea, which has been popular in Southern Africa for generations and is now consumed in many countries.
Rooibos is grown in a small area 250km north of Cape Town in the Cedarberg and no alternative source of supply of this unique product is available anywhere in the world.
It is common to prepare rooibos tea in the same manner as black tea, and add milk and sugar to taste. Other methods include a slice of lemon and using honey instead of sugar to sweeten. Several coffee shops in South Africa have recently begun to sell “red espresso”, which is concentrated rooibos served and presented in the style of ordinary espresso.
Rooibos is popular, particularly among health-conscious consumers, because of its high level of antioxidants, its lack of caffeine, and its low tannin levels compared to fully oxidized black tea. Rooibos also contains a number of phenolic compounds and is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems.
What began a cottage industry around the turn of the 20th century, has evolved into an industry that sells its product worldwide.
