Rooibos
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Rooibos, (pronounced "roy-boss"), is a member of the minor genus Aspalathus in the Fabacae legume family. It is principally used to make an herbal tea (or tisane). It is often called "red tea" or "South African red tea." This name derives from "red bush," the English translation of the Afrikaans "rooibos." The drink has been popular in South Africa for generations and is now consumed in many countries world wide, most notably Japan and the United States.
Biogeographic Range
The biogeographic range of the rooibos plant is incredibly limited. It can only be grown in a roughly 900 square mile area almost entirely within the Cederberg region of South Africa's Western Cape province. Naturally, this limits the amount of rooibos that can be grown in any year. With its worldwide increase in popularity, more and more land in this region is being converted to rooibos farms, often to the detriment of the area's overall biodiversity.
The limited growth range of rooibos also means that terroir is nonexistent between different rooibos samples. Any one sample of unflavored rooibos will taste much like any other.
Production
After harvesting, the leaves are oxidized, a process often inaccurately referred to as fermentation by analogy with tea processing terminology. This process produces the distinctive reddish-brown color of rooibos and enhances the flavor. Unoxidized "green" rooibos is also produced, but the more demanding production process for green rooibos (similar to the method by which green tea is produced) makes it more expensive than traditional rooibos.
Preparation
It is traditional in South Africa to drink rooibos with milk and plenty of sugar. It is often prepared almost as an Indian chai, with the loose rooibos being added directly to steaming milk and sugar, then strained from the liquid before serving. Outside of South Africa, however, rooibos is usually served without milk or sweetener. Red and green rooibos are both usually prepared much like black tea is: by an infusion in boiling water for several minutes. Unlike the preparation of black tea, however, the flavor of rooibos is improved by brewing beyond black tea's maximum of five minutes. The resulting brew is a reddish-brown color for traditional rooibos and a lighter, more orange-like shade for green rooibos.
Several coffee shops in South Africa and the United States have also begun brewing rooibos as they would espresso. The result is a concentrated liquor that can be served as traditional espresso or can be substituted for espresso in a wide variety of popular coffee drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos.
