Rooibos

Aspalathus linearis

drink

Fine needles, fermented and dried, of a shrub of the legume family, brewed into a caffeine-free, low-tannin “red tea”; it contains aspalathin, of which it is the only known natural source.

Origin

Cederberg mountains (South Africa)

Season (United States)

imported · all year round

Preparation

One teaspoon per cup, in boiling water, five to ten minutes: it does not turn bitter if left longer. It is strained and the needles discarded.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Phenolic acids

Did you know?

It grows mainly in the Cederberg mountains, north of Cape Town; its Afrikaans name means “reddish bush”.