I have a number of addictions. Perfume comes first (of course); tea is probably a close second. I drink green tea all day long, sometimes as many as 8-9 cups. I taper off the green tea around 5 or 6 pm and switch to various herbal blends. Rooibos tea (pronounced "ROY-bus", aka red bush tea) is one of my favorite evening teas.
Rooibos is available in a green (un-oxidized) form, but is more usually sold oxidized, and the color of the leaves (and the steeped product) is a deep reddish-brown. It's caffeine-free and rich in antioxidants; more importantly, it tastes good. Wikipedia describes the taste as sweet and slightly nutty, I would describe it as smooth and woody, almost bark-like. You can drink it plain, but it blends beautifully with all sorts of fruits, flowers and spices, and perfume fans who love getting samples in the mail will be happy to hear that many tea merchants have sampling programs. Here are a few scented varieties of rooibos worth trying:
Ayala Moriel recently introduced an organic Immortelle l'Amour rooibos tea (shown above) to match her Immortelle l'Amour gourmand fragrance. The tea was developed by Inner Alchemy Tea Co. of Vancouver, and includes orange peel, vanilla bean, cinnamon and calendula petals. This is a warm, mildly spicy blend, with generous amounts of vanilla — it nearly qualifies as a dessert on its own. In South Africa, where rooibos originated, it is often taken with cream or milk. Ayala Moriel also recommends a touch of maple syrup. I prefer my rooibos straight up so didn't try it that way, but I'm sure it is delicious. A 70 gr tin is $30 at ayalamoriel.
Rooibos Pretoria from Upton Tea is a long-time favorite of mine; I re-order it regularly. The rooibos is blended with hibiscus, rose petals, blue mallow blossoms and sunflower petals, and the taste is warm and flowery but not overly sweet. Best of all, it fits my standard test for a perfect rooibos: it tastes wonderful with chocolate. 125 gr in a foil packet is $6.60 at uptontea (samples available).
Adagio's Rooibos Jasmine was interesting to try — I adore green tea with jasmine — but I'm not sure I would ever buy it. The fragrance is attractive, but to my mind, the delicate taste of the jasmine is overwhelmed by the heavier, darker taste of the rooibos. But it's worth a try for jasmine freaks, and Adagio has lots of other rooibos blends, ranging from Almond to Cocomint to Peach. If you have a sweet tooth (or want to introduce a child to rooibos) try the Caramel. A 4 oz tin of the Jasmine is $6 at adagio (samples available).
Harney & Sons' African Autumn (shown at right) blends rooibos with cranberry and orange for a nicely tart tea with a compelling aroma. They also make a Rooibos Chai, but I haven't tried it yet. African Autumn is $13 for a 4 oz tin at harney (samples available).
Philadelphia's House of Tea sells a lovely Rooibos With Violets blend. It also has marigold flowers, lemongrass and orange pieces, and it's organic. Like the Rooibos Pretoria above, it makes a great accompaniment to your favorite dark chocolate. $6 for 2 oz at houseoftea.
The venerable French tea merchant Mariage Frères makes several rooibos blends. Thé Rouge Richmond, with cinnamon and orange, is one of my favorites, but admittedly it doesn't have as much bite as I'd like, and I usually shave some extra cinnamon into the cup. It is hard to find in the US. I used to buy it at sloanhall, but their website has been down and out for ages. Thé Rouge Bourbon, a basic blend with vanilla, is much easier to come by (try theculturedcup or porterouge), but you can find basic rooibos with vanilla much cheaper elsewhere (try Adagio, listed above).
How to brew rooibos
Pour just-boiling water over the rooibos and let steep for 6-10 minutes. Some people feel the flavor improves with longer brewing (10+ minutes), but I'm not one of those people. I usually set a timer for 8 minutes.
Really proper people, I am sure, make their tea the proper way, in a real tea pot. I am way too lazy for such a production; I use mesh baskets that sit right inside the mug. This is one of my favorites (and if you're truly as lazy as me, you need lots of them so you don't have to keep cleaning them every time you want a new cup). The People's Brew Basket runs around $4-5, and can be found at many kitchen supply stores, or online at kitchenkapers or republicoftea.
Have a favorite rooibos tea? Please comment!
Coming soon: scented green teas & oolongs
I've been using rooibos teabags from The Redbush Company (you probably can't get it in the US, as I can't get those you mention) for the past six or seven years. It comes from South Africa and is sold in supermarkets here. They have a lovely website; http://www.redbushtea.com/home.asp
Rooibos (redbush) tea has become very popular here mostly because of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith, in which the main character serves it to her visitors.
The Redbush Company also produces flavoured rooibos teas, but I haven't tried them. I love the taste of the plain one. And, of course, I drink it with a dash of milk and no sugar – the British way.
Rooibos is supposed to be good for skin complaints, applied topically as a wash or compress. The RBC makes a soap as well for people suffering from eczema or psoriasis. I drink the stuff because I have IBS and can't have caffeine.
I am not affiliated to the RBC: I like their tea best because it has *the* most wonderful jewel colour and their packaging is lovely. LOL!
J, I think rooibos has become popular here for the same reason, in fact, it is mentioned in the Wikipedia entry for rooibos.
I'll have to try some red bush soap.
I do too drink Rooibos Tea in the evenings and my most used brand is Pickwick. My favorite is Rooibos plain and Rooibos Honey.
Love the taste and that warm red color.
After a great meal though I prefer black tea – earl grey with a little bit of sugar and always a slice of lemon or…fresh mint tea with honey and a slice of lemon.
I haven't read those books but BBC Radio 4 serialised them as plays, a little while ago: the stories/characters were really charming. That guy has singlehandedly 'created' the redbush-tea craze.
I think we have Pickwick tea bags in the US too, but haven't tried them.
I love the way the characters address and refer to each other: Mr So-and-So. Cute.
I love tea as it is. I don't want tea in soap or perfume. Tea is, with if possible a nice ceremony, something for the inside of the body.
Just like you Robin I drink green tea during the day and my preference is Pickwick Green Tea Earl Grey.
Cannot imagine my life without tea or mineral water and then comes coffee.
PBI. In the case I mentioned, the tea isn't there to scent the soap, or whatever. As I said, rooibos tea has certain properties that make it beneficial as a topical remedy for skin complaints. Rooibos-tea soap is produced for that purpose.
Have somehow never managed to get into rooibus whole hog, although I love various types of greens and particularly oolong (I often ice my tea, and oolong is perfect for ice tea.) During my pregnancy, I did try a lavender rooibus that was supposed to help you sleep and it was quite nice. I can't quite remember where I got it – I'll have to think on it, and come back if I remember….
I knew, thanks
Interesting, lavender rooibos doesn't sound half bad. I like lavender in tea better than in perfume. Wonder if that was one of the Republic of Tea blends, it sounds familiar.
I, too, have read the Alexander McCall books and have frequently wondered what “bush tea” tasted like. Thank you for your descriptions. I can't have any more addictions – the perfume one is killing my budget – but I definitely have to try bush tea, one kind, just one.
Over here in Germany “TeaGschwendner” is very popular. I'm addicted to their teas; they have a great variety of black, green, white, red and herbal teas, with and without added aroma and even some organic teas. I think they also have some shops in the U.S.?
I got into Rooibos after my brother, who is most definitely not a tea drinker, recommended it after coming back from South Africa years ago – it is very popular there. I got some loose leaf and had no idea what to do with it, used to strain it with a paper towel until I got one of those metal strainers you mention above. I like Rooibos because it's already kindof sweet, and it doesn't have caffeine so it's good for before bed. Looking forward to your other tea posts.
Duh, I see you already wrote that it was caffeine free.
My comment was meant for Marianne, R, because she said she didn't want tea in soap and it was for the inside of the body, so I wanted to point out that the tea wasn't in that soap just for 'frivolous' purposes (not that I think scent is frivolous, of course….). Sorry, if I posted in the wrong place.
Sorry J, wasn't paying attention!
Just looked at their website and they've opened in Chicago. Will keep an eye out for them as they expand.
Rooibos, luckily, is cheaper than perfume. I don't mind what I spend on tea as much as I do the perfume $$$ — I do drink all the tea, whereas the perfume mostly spoils before I can use it
LOL at the paper towel — although that is good thinking! I used to avoid loose leaf tea in favor of bags, but now loose leaf is all I drink. Not sure it makes as much difference w/ rooibos as with other teas though.
No worries, R. I'm always getting confused as to where to post.
Great timing, R! I'm still struggling w/ the damned cold, thought I'd get better but it took the turn for the worse. Still, I've had my lovely rooibos tea bags to comfort me if not help cure the sore throat and rudding dose
I adore tea (green w/ jasmine, Earl Grey w/ milk or honey and lemon; orange/cinnamon is fabulous, too) and take my rooibos straight or with a dollop of honey. The funny thing is it always tastes differently, depending on my mood or brewing time, I guess. It'll be slightly almondy one time or earthy and rich the other. I'm quite new to redbush so have only tried this particular brand I'm using now, a Croatian one. Will try it with dark chocolate, I'm sure it's a great combo! 
So sorry you're still sick! I drink tons & tons of echinacea tea w/ honey when I get ill. I think it has been clinically proven to do nothing for colds, but I swear it makes me better, and it is all in the mind anyway, right?
Suddenly occurred to me that I hope everyone realized I meant you eat the chocolate, drink the tea, right? Not mix them
So I'm NOT supposed to dip the chocolate in the tea? J/K
Thanks for the echinacea tip, I used to take e. pills regularly before outbreaks of flu (winter season) but have been too lazy to follow through. As it happens, vitamin C alone will NOT help with everyone around you coughing and sneezing.
Darn, you have me craving that Lindt Intense Orange now… mmm yum…
Seriously, not sure echinacea does anything unless you BELIEVE — LOL!
That Lindt Intense Orange is lovely w/ rooibos!
ITA, echinacea = placebocea, LOL!
And just so you know, it's really cruel to mention the C word, particularly when it goes so well with rooibos, to a reconvalescent person who has none at hand, LOL!
Seriously, if we ever meet, I'll bake you the wonderfulest sacher tart, with orange peel and almond shavings. And tons of dark chocolate, of course.
Bela, haven't seen soap with rooibos ingredients in it sofar.
Did see soap with green tea though.
Antioxidants are indeed very good for the skin, especially vit. A and C but then I would prefer them a cream instead of soap for longer effectiveness.
Thought that when somebody's skin is hypersensitive hard soap is not a good idea at all..?? But then I'm not familiar with all this.
Dusan, your sachertort is probably the very best remedy for the winterblues…:-D
Rooibos tea is really popular here, although it is mostly considered as something you either love or hate. I personally love it and find it makes wonderful iced tea in the summer months too!
Marianne, I mentioned that it was the Redbush Company (RBC – my abbreviation) that made those soaps and that you probably couldn't get that particular brand in the US. It looks like no one else makes redbush-tea soap, then.
I agree with you that soap, whatever it may contain, might not be the best for sensitive skin, and that applying an infusion of tea topically might be a better idea.
Hey, I've actually never tried it iced. Must remember to do that next summer…
Teas with jasmine are nice, but a pure jasmine tea (jasmine flowers only), that's what I call yummy.
Thanks for the reviews. I've tried rooibos before, but it was an unmemorable cup I guess. Will have to try some of the ones you suggested. When I do drink hot tea (which isn't too often, iced is the year round norm here) it's usually chai or earl grey.
Looking forward to your green tea reviews, I've had a few lovely cups of green tea, but also a lot that tasted like wet dog! LOL!
Selina, I've never tried a pure jasmine tisane, will have to look for one!
You know, tea is like everything else — wine, perfume, whatever — you get used to it and it grows on you, and what once tasted like wet dog starts to taste wonderful! I do highly recommend the Rooibos Pretoria listed above, I don't think you'd find it unmemorable — and even if you hated it, you wouldn't be out too much $$$.
Will see if it is available overhere.
Try googling “jasmine flower tea” or something like that; it's, fortunately, not so hard to find. The taste is really interesting, more like a mimosa in my opinion, with hints of rose, lily of the valley and honeysuckle, and honey sweet aftertaste. Best served in small cups, too much of it will spoil the experience, as too much jasmine perfume does
Thanks, will do. The only “soliflore” tisanes I've tried are orange blossom & linden, and for some reason, hated both of them. Honeysuckle sounds very tempting!
There has to be some correlation between fragrance fiends and tea addicts—I think 60% of my body at all times is composed of green or herbal tea. Thanks for this posting! A review after my own heart!
LOL — I feel the same way, except I sneak in Diet Coke as well, thereby obliterating any benefit from all the polyphenols & whatnot in the tea
I totally agree, the more of something you try, the more the subtle differences start to show themselves. And your taste matures and changes. I looked at a couple of those sites and can't wait to do some tea exploring! (although it will have to wait until after Christmas, my wallet is getting lighter by the day!)
I think my 'wet dog' tea mostly came from poorly brewed/sat too long pots, not the tea itself.
I love rooibos tea (which I have been pronouncing wrong lol). I was introduced to it by another blogger a couple of years ago. My fave brand thus far is Might Leaf African Nectar.
Have not heard of that brand, will have to check it out. Have also seen the pronunciation rendered as “ROY-boss”, so it is probably somewhere in between.
My wallet got so light it floated away into the air…
I've gotten that particular brand at Whole Foods, Organics to Go and Cost Plus World Market. I have tried Numi brand and another brand before that did not hold a candle to the Mighty Leaf.
Thanks!
Haha, so you've got “balance” down perfectly!
Numi is the brand I tried that was just sort of ho-hum.
*You know I'm in the southern sticks, tea here comes in 2 varieties: sweet or unsweet! So never having heard rooibos pronounced by anyone I thought it was: roo-ee-boze! LOL! This blog is such a help.
Dusan, Robin, I just have been watching a lovely movie (for the second time) and it's called Chocolat. With some very good actors like Juliette Binoche, Carrie-Ann Moss and Johnny Depp and more. Do you know it? The movie was made in the year 2000 and could be a very nice one for the holidays.
There is also a website: http://www.bacfilms.com/site/chocolat/bienvenue.htm
It is about of course the superdelicious chocolate and more.
Sweet tea, of course! Well, perhaps you'll find all rooibos ho hum, I don't know
Yes, great movie!
I didn't like Numi either.
I just moved from this sticks in Louisiana and I would have to get my fix of different herbal teas when I travel home to Seattle or visited my friend in Houston.
OT: I like to mix half sweet and unsweet tea for that perfect blend :).
Better late than never with this post, Robin!
If you're looking for a little protein with your rooibos (we girls rarely get enough, they say) and you don't generally have milk with tea, do try a generous sploosh of soy milk. That's what we do here in Vancouver, rooibos-drinking capital of North America. The nuttiness of the soy intertwines beautifully with the nuttiness of the tea, and the texture becomes silky-smooth across your tongue but still very light and clean.
A hugely popular fruit-scented rooibus right now (probably because it's cold, rainy and gloomy here) is mango. Somehow, that particular flavour, very voluptuous and creamy-musky-golden-orange on its own, is just the thing with the golden flavour of rooibus. Nice idea for a column, Robin — thanks (belatedly)!!
Is Vancouver the rooibos capital of NA? How cool! Mango sounds nice, actually, although I'm just not a huge fan of soy milk. We keep it in the house though, for my son, so perhaps I'll give it a go.
Straight rooibos is a little too sweet for my taste, but I always have a lot of Stash's Red and White Fusion (rooibos mixed with white tea) on hand. I find it very soothing, and I feel virtuous for drinking all those good tea chemicals. I almost never see it in stores, but I think Stash sells it on their Web site both in tea bags and loose.
Thanks! Sounds like an interesting mix, although I'm not sure I'd drink it at night because of the caffeine.
Finally! I've made my way through perfume reviews, the FAQ, the Resources page, the Shop page (oh, heavens, the Shop page has been my downfall), and now here I find a post of one of my favorite things: rooibos tea. I've been buying Green Rooibos Key Largo from specialties.com – lovely papaya, mango, and peach flavor. Very refreshing. They offer a chocolate mint flavor which is perfect in winter.
Hey, that sounds really nice, thanks! The only green rooibos I've tried was unflavored and I didn't like it nearly as well as red, but a bit of fruit might help.