Rooibos tea: what it is, why it’s worth it, and how to brew it

Rooibos isn’t really a tea. It’s made from the leaves of the Aspalathus linearis bush, which grows in just one part of the world — the Cederberg mountains of South Africa — and has been brewed there for centuries. It’s naturally caffeine-free, tastes earthy and slightly sweet, and happens to be one of the most drinkable caffeine-free brews you can put in a mug.

Here’s what you need to know.

What does rooibos taste like?

Rooibos has a naturally sweet, slightly nutty, slightly earthy flavour. It’s smooth and rounded — nothing sharp, nothing bitter. Some people describe it as vanilla-adjacent. Others get a hint of honey. It takes flavourings beautifully, which is why our rooibos blends work so well with cinnamon, apple, fennel, lavender, and rose.

If you’ve never had it and you’re on the fence, try it once alongside a cup of black tea. The contrast is obvious: rooibos feels softer, rounder, and more sociable. It sits in the mug well.

Is rooibos actually tea?

Technically, no. “Tea” refers specifically to brews from the Camellia sinensis plant — that’s black, green, white, oolong, pu-erh, and matcha. Everything else (rooibos, chamomile, peppermint, hibiscus) is more accurately a tisane or herbal infusion. But most people call them all tea, and we’re not going to fight that battle.

Why people love it

• No caffeine. You can drink it after dinner and still sleep.
• No bitterness. Over-steep it — it doesn’t get bitter the way tea does.
• Rich in antioxidants, particularly aspalathin, which is pretty much unique to rooibos.
• Low in tannins, which makes it easier on sensitive stomachs than black tea.
• Takes milk if you want it. Doesn’t need it. Completely your call.

When to drink it

Anytime you’d drink a normal cup of tea but don’t want the caffeine. For us, that’s usually:

• After dinner, when coffee or black tea would keep you awake. Try our Red Bush Digestive or Biodigest Rooibos — both made for exactly this.
• In the evening when you want something warm but not stimulating. Our Red Bush Relax is a proper wind-down cup.
• As a replacement for black tea if caffeine’s causing problems.
• Served cold in summer — rooibos makes a surprisingly good iced tea.

How to brew rooibos

The great thing about rooibos: it’s almost impossible to get wrong. Unlike green tea, it can handle boiling water. Unlike black tea, it won’t turn bitter if you forget about it.

• Water: freshly boiled (100°C)
• Leaf: 1 teaspoon per cup
• Steep: 5–7 minutes. Honestly, longer is fine too.
• Milk: optional. Doesn’t curdle like hot milky black tea sometimes does.

Rooibos reveals itself slowly. Give it time to steep properly and you’ll taste more of it.

Our rooibos selection

We have five rooibos blends, each made for a different moment:

• Biodigest Rooibos — star anise, liquorice, and mint. Made for after meals.
• Red Bush Digestive — fennel, mint, anise. Genuinely soothing after a heavy dinner.
• Red Bush Relax — valerian, lavender, orange blossom. Our wind-down blend.
• Four Kingdoms — cinnamon, apple, coconut. Earthy and a little sweet.
• Rooibos Eco Great Wall of China — ginger, lemongrass, orange peel. Bright and clean.

Or see the full loose leaf tea collection.