Steeped, it turns a deep reddish gold, and the flavour follows the name: herbaceous rooibos carrying spice and citrus, with almond and pistachio adding a nutty edge and pink peppercorn and coriander giving it some bite. The tasting notes run fruity, citrusy, spiced and slightly nutty, a warming cup that gets tied to Christmas because of the gingerbread angle, though it works just as well as an iced tea through summer.
Rooibos itself comes from a single stretch of South Africa: the Cederberg region of the Western Cape, where the plant, botanically Aspalathus linearis and a member of the legume family, has grown for thousands of years, tolerating winter frosts and summer heat above 40°C. The Khoisan people used it long before European settlers arrived in the late 1700s, after which the plant and the culture around it faded from wider notice. It resurfaced when Swedish botanist Carl Thunberg documented it, and gained a further following during the Second World War, when it became a popular substitute for standard tea leaves.
It's naturally caffeine-free and lower in tannins than black or green tea, one reason it's often reached for as a non-caffeinated alternative. Rooibos is also traditionally credited with a range of wellness benefits, from allergy relief to heart health, though these remain folk claims rather than settled science. This blend contains almonds and pistachios, so it isn't suitable for anyone with a nut allergy. Tea & Coffee packs it fresh to order at its Kent factory. Brew with freshly boiled water for five to ten minutes, and serve it plain, no milk, no sweetener, so the spice and citrus come through.
