Rooibos
Also known as: Rotbuschtee
A caffeine-free infusion from the needle-like leaves of a South African shrub, usually sold as tea.
Rooibos is made from the leaves of the red bush (Aspalathus linearis), which grows in South Africa's Western Cape region. After harvest the leaves are cut, moistened and oxidised, which turns them reddish brown. Green rooibos is not oxidised.
The infusion is caffeine-free, tastes mild, slightly sweet and a little nutty, and has few tannins. Rooibos can steep for a long time without turning bitter. It is often flavoured with spices or fruit.
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