Traditional
Traditional rooibos tea is the strongest in taste, but longest to prepare. This vastly increases strength and flavour – but does NOT make the tea bitter or tart because rooibos does not contain tannins.
The only ingredients are rooibos, water, and sugar or raw honey as an optional sweetener. The rooibos is gently boiled/simmered in water for 20-30 minutes. Thereafter, add the optional sweetener and drink hot.
Ingredients:
- 2 rooibos tea bags OR 4 teaspoons of loose rooibos tea
- 2 teaspoons of raw honey or sugar (both optional)
Method:
- Add the rooibos to a small pot
- Pour three cups of water into the pot
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer
- Leave to simmer for 20-30 minutes. You may add more water if the water reduces to below a cup.
- Pour into a mug, add your optional sweetener
- Drink hot
Quick and Black
This quick method of making rooibos tea appears, with minor variations, on the product packaging of several rooibos tea brands in South Africa including OUHOUIS and Five Roses. The flavour is far weaker than the traditional rooibos method, but still carries a nice taste and health benefits.
Ingredients:
- 1 rooibos tea bag OR 2 teaspoons of loose rooibos tea
- 1 teaspoon of raw honey or sugar (both optional)
Method:
- Pour a cup of boiling water over the rooibos
- Leave to steep for 4-7 minutes
- Add the optional sweetener
- Drink hot
With Milk
According to an official survey by the South African Rooibos Council, 39% of respondents add some form of dairy to their rooibos tea.
Simple prepare a black rooibos tea – and add about a 1/4 cup of milk or less as desired. In other words, leave to steep for 4-7 minutes, then add milk. Or prepare a traditional rooibos drink by boiling for 30 minutes, and add milk to that. The latter will obviously retain the stronger flavour without being as much diluted by the milk.
See this article for more variations and details:
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