First things first, let's talk about pronunciation. The 'rooi' in rooibos is derived from the Afrikaans word for red, 'rooi' (via @clifico). It is pronounced roy-boss, a girl must know how she is to ask for that which she so desires. Preferably prior to stumbling over the pronunciation at the counter of her local tea house.

Rooibus tea (which, by the way, is not actually a tea, rather, it is a herbal infusion) is widely acclaimed for it's mildly sweet taste and many health benefits. Once brewed, the tea is deep red in colour, earning it the nickname red tea, and while we are on the topic of rooibus aliases, it's also know around some parts as bush tea. The flavour of rooibos is delicate and most often described as nutty. It can be sweetened using a teaspoon of honey or as is often customary, with a slice of lemon and sugar.


Rooibus Tea with a slice of ginger.
Photo by max_thinks_sees.
One of the health benefits of rooibos tea is its antispasmodic properties that allow for digestive relief as well as the assisted alleviation of nervous tension and insomnia. It is also said to be useful in treating allergies such as hay fever. Being a herbal tea, rooibus is naturally caffeine free and antioxidant rich. Due to it's lower level of tannin, rooibos tea it allows for better absorption of iron than black teas. This is particularly useful for those on low-iron intake diets, such as can often be the case with vegetarian or vegan diets. Some parts of Asia take the health benefits even further, claiming it has anti-aging abilities!

Rooibos is prepared like any other tea, however it is most often enjoyed without milk. There are many ways to enjoy the rooibos flavour aside from as a simple tea. Some of these other rooibos recipes include:

• Rooibos Liquer
  
• Red espresso
  
• South African Fruit Cooler
  
• Rooibos Chai
  
• Rooibos can also be used as a liquid replacement when cooking and as a glaze on sweet/fruit pastries.

Now, ladies, if you're yet to be sold on the merits of rooibos, hold on to your hats for this next fact: rooibus tea contains zero calories. So there you have it, the concoction to fill your 2010 tea breaks with a mellow kind of glee.


Over to you, have you tried rooibus tea?