Rooibos has a story before it ever becomes tea: the Khoisan people of South Africa's Cederberg region were using the plant medicinally long before anyone thought to drink it. Aspalathus linearis, its proper name, is actually a member of the broom family, so calling it "tea" is a bit of a stretch — the leaves just get oxidised the same way black tea leaves do, which is where the deep colour and rounded flavour come from. The plant nearly vanished after European colonial disruption in the 18th century until the botanist Carl Humberg rediscovered it in 1772. It stayed a regional curiosity until 1904, when a Russian immigrant named Benjamin Ginsberg began marketing it as a herbal alternative to tea, and demand grew steadily from there, especially once wartime shortages in the 1940s pushed the western hemisphere to look to South Africa for supply.
This Christmas blend leans into rooibos's naturally sweet, slightly woody base with a mix of warming spice and fruit: cinnamon, clove, orange blossom, orange and blackberry sit alongside marzipan on the nose, with celery and lemon in the background. In the cup it pours a rich, dark ruby and drinks full-bodied and smooth rather than sharp. Tea & Coffee sells it as loose leaf, sourced from the Cederberg region.
Because it's rooibos, there's no caffeine here and roughly half the tannins of black tea, so it steeps forgivingly without turning bitter or bracing. Infuse in freshly boiled water for 3 to 5 minutes and drink it plain, or add a slice of lemon if you want some brightness against the spice. Note the celery content if you're serving anyone with a related allergy.
