Rooibos and chai are an unlikely pairing on paper, but this blend makes the case for it in one sip: the base is South African rooibos, mellow and naturally caffeine-free, carrying cardamom, ginger and cinnamon the way a good chai carries its spice. What lands in the cup is smooth and subtle, with the spice notes seeping through rather than overwhelming the rooibos, and the liquor settles into a dark ruby-brown.
Rooibos itself goes back further than the tea trade suggests. The Khoisan people of South Africa's Cederberg region were harvesting the leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant long before it became a drink anyone exported, first as a herbal remedy and only later for the taste. Colonial expansion in the 18th century nearly erased that history along with the Khoisan way of life, and the plant might have stayed a local curiosity if the botanist Carl Humberg hadn't rediscovered it in 1772. It took until 1904 for a Russian immigrant tied to the tea trade to start marketing it as an alternative to imported tea, and the Second World War gave that push real momentum — with Japan controlling much of Asia, rooibos filled the gap across the western hemisphere. Rooibos has long been drunk as a naturally caffeine-free alternative for people cutting back on coffee.
For this one, Tea & Coffee recommends freshly boiled water and a 8-10 minute steep, covered. It holds up well on its own, but milk or honey both suit it if you want to round out the spice.
