Rooibos Good Hope
The reddish orange cup is fruity with sweet notes.
CAFFEINE LEVELS: Caffeine Free
TEA SOURCING: South Africa, Cederberg
INGREDIENTS: Rooibos.
ETHICS: Ethical Tea Partnership and GMO free
THE STORY OF ROOIBOS GOOD HOPE
The story of Rooibos starts around the turn of the century in South Africa's beautiful Cedarberg region. The locals discovered that the fine needle like leaves of the wild "Aspalathus Linearis" plant made a tasty aromatic tea. They harvested the plants, chopped them with axes and bruised them with hammers leaving them to ferment before drying in the sun. Rooibos is a herb that contains no caffeine. Those that consume Rooibos have claimed that it has a soothing effect on headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns and digestive problems.
Rooibos seeds are planted during February and March. They are tended for 18 months after which they are harvested. Cut Rooibos is bound and milled to a uniform length then bruised between rollers to trigger the fermentation process, which results in the characteristic flavor and sweet aroma.
200 ml (about 7 ounces) of brewed Rooibos contains the following nutrients:
Iron (Fe), Essential for transport of oxygen in the blood, 0.07 mg. Potassium (K), Assists certain metabolic functions, 7.12 mg. Calcium (Ca), Necessary for strong teeth and bones, 1.09 mg. Copper (Cu), Assists certain metabolic processes, 0.07 mg. Zinc (Zn), Necessary for normal growth and development of healthy skin, 0.04 mg. Magnesium (Mg), Assists a healthy nervous system and other metabolic processes, 1.57 mg. Fluoride (F), Necessary for strong teeth and bones, 0.22 mg. Manganese (Mn), Assists metabolic processes and bone growth and development, 0.04 mg. Sodium (Na),Necessary for fluid and acid-base balance, 6.16 mg.
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOT TEA: Infuse one slightly heaping teaspoon for each 8 ounce cup with water brought to a boil for 3-7 minutes.
Infuse 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of tea with 1 1/4 cups of boiling water for 7 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water, and add the infused tea, straining the leaves, to the pitcher. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Add lemon and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.
Infuse 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea with 6 ounces of boiling water for 7 minutes. Add the tea to a 12 ounce glass, filled with ice, straining the leaves. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags. Add lemon and sweeten to taste.
NUMBER OF CUPS: 15-20 cups from each 50 grams of tea, with a single use of the leaves. Loose leaf tea is traditionally infused 3 times, with a different flavor profile following each infusion. Accordingly, each 50 gram bag can make up to 60 cups of tea.