Rooibos Tea

SOUTH AFRICA

This traditional tea is a taste of South Africa in a cup

SUBMITTED BY

Liesl

Rooibos tea is a delightful caffeine-free herbal tea from South Africa. It has a rich, amber color when brewed that comes from using red rooibos leaves grown in the Western Cape region.

This tea was submitted to me by Liesl, a South African native who now lives in New Zealand. Liesl is proud of her heritage and loves sharing this uniquely South African tea. She grew up drinking rooibos and has memories of sharing this treat with family and friends back home.

Liesl recommends trying the Freshpak brand, as it’s one of the most authentic. She also suggests drinking it black without milk and instead adding just a bit of lemon and honey to complement the natural sweetness and mild tanginess of the rooibos leaves.

To prepare it, you steep rooibos tea bags in hot water. As it brews, it turns a striking reddish-amber shade. The flavor is very unique with a honey-like sweetness and a mild tanginess, almost like fruity notes. It’s smooth and refreshing without any bitterness. 

An interesting way to enjoy rooibos is by dunking rusks into the tea. Rusks are crunchy biscuits, similar to biscotti. I have to admit the extreme dryness of the rusks was a bit offputting. But once they soaked up the tea, becoming softer and absorbing the flavors, I appreciated this ritual of dipping and sipping. It’s a uniquely delightful tea experience.

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Ingredients
  

  • Rooibos tea bag FreshPak brand recommended
  • lemon juice to taste
  • honey to taste
  • rusks for serving

Instructions
 

  • Boil your water and add to a teabag in a mug. Steep for 5-7 minutes (shorter or longer depending how strong you like your tea).
  • Add a squeeze of lemon and honey to your taste. Stir to dissolve.
  • Serve hot with rusks on the side for dunking!
Course: Drink
Region: Africa

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