South Africa’s best known tea is not really a tea at all. It is a unique herb which is steeped like tea and enjoyed, as the locals say, “to preserve the youth and gladden the heart”! A look at the herb itself and the place where it grows shows us why Rooibos (meaning “red bush” in Afrikaans)--with its delightful coppery liquor, its sweet, full-bodied nuttiness and a long list of health benefits--is quickly becoming a favorite on the global tea scene.
Rooibos [ROY-boss], or Aspalanthus lineris, is an evergreen shrub that is harvested for only a few months a year in the Southern Hemisphere’s Summer. Picked green, it turns it’s signature red color only after being sun dried. It is indigenous to the Cederberg Mountains, just a couple of hundred Kilometers North of Cape Town, South Africa and all the world’s Rooibos [ROY-boss] is grown there. A visit into the heart of the Cederberg Mountains makes the origin of Rooibos’ myriad health benefits apparent. The Cederberg Wilderness area is one of the world’s most fertile botanical zones and its vast landscape is red earth and red rock as far as you can see. This red earth is full of the vitamins and minerals Rooibos is known for--copper, iron and potassium, calcium, fluoride, zinc, manganese, alpha- hydroxy and magnesium (for the nervous system)--and contributes to Rooibos’ health giving properties.
The alpha-hydroxy in Rooibos is one reason why it is known to be a great skin tonic and why it is now being used in a number of skin products around the world. Several companies in South Africa and in Europe are making lotions, soaps, shampoos and other cosmetics from Rooibos extract after seeing it s positive effect on skin. It is known to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis, eczema and irritated skin in general. A simple way to reap the topical benefits of rooibos at home is to enjoy a tea bath. Just add a few tea-bags to your hot bath and soak. Otherwise, you can treat your skin to a Rooibos oil. To make, infuse 2 cups of cold-pressed sesame or olive oil with 2 Tablespoons of dried Rooibos in a glass jar, leave it in a sunny window for 2 weeks.
The plethora of other powerful antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in Rooibos make it a calming and nourishing drink for pregnant and nursing mothers and their children, alike. It is said to have a calming effect and to be particularly great for colicky babies and nervous tension. My friend, Barent, at Wupperthal, one of the Fair Trade Rooibos communities near Clanwilliam, South Africa, tells a story of drinking Rooibos as a baby when mothers milk was in short supply for him and his 11 brothers and sisters. Testimonies to Rooibos’ powerful nutritional value for mothers and babies have led to Rooibos’ use in teas tailor made for children and mothers around the world. In fact, in South Africa, a mainstream grocery store brand is currently launching a baby food product made with Rooibos.
Second to what Rooibos does contain is what is does not-- caffeine, oxalic acid and tannins. It s lack of caffeine is another reason why it is so great for pregnant and nursing moms. The lack of oxalic acid makes it palatable for those with kidney stones and the lack of tannins give this ruby brew a hydrating effect, for it is the tannins in black and green tea that are responsible for a mouth- drying quality.
Brewing a perfect cup of Rooibos is easy, as this herb is unlike black or green tea, which become bitter if steeped too long. Ideally, Rooibos is steeped for 5 minutes, but additional steeping will only result in a stronger, not bitter, cup. The addition of fresh or dried lemongrass or lemon verbena will make a refreshingly lemony rooibos tea. Feel free to experiment with other fresh and dried herbs such as peppermint and lavender to create your own custom blend. Roobios is also great as a caffeine-free chai, when combined with sweet and spicy, tropical spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and ginger and the resulting “tea” pairs nicely with milk and sugar.
When shopping for Rooibos, as with all teas, it is a good idea to choose Fair Trade and Organic, which are grown free of chemicals and with the well-being of the farming communities in mind. Fair Trade guarantees a better quality of life for tea growers and the land they rely upon for sustenance.
Wupperthal rooibos farming community is one such example. Deep in the heart of the Cederburgs lies Wupperthal, a Morovian mission outpost. Here, Rooibos farmers grow Organic and Fair Trade Rooibos amongst organic figs, grapes and vegetables, which make up their diets, along with locally raised meats. Fair Trade affords this community a fair price for their Rooibos and the ability to keep living how they have since the missionaries settled the land.
For a great tasting caffeine-free and healthful cuppa, give Rooibos a try! You can find it at any natural or gourmet food store under names such as “Red Bush” “Bushman’s Tea” “Red Tea” or “Rooibos”. You can also find a number of tasty blends made from Rooibos-- such as partners Tea Company’s “Goodnight Kiss”. It is a chocolate, vanilla mint tea with Rooibos, Vanila, Cacao nibs and peppermint.
Photo: Inspecting the rooibos plant with Barent, Wupperthal, South Africa, 2008. Sarah Scarborough
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