• Growing rooibos

    What is Redbush Tea?

  • 1. Roy-boss

    Rooibos, meaning ‘red bush’, is a very special, naturally caffeine free tea brimming with goodness. It hails from South Africa, where it has been enjoyed by young and old for many generations.

    Pronounced ‘roy-boss’, it makes a delicious alternative to traditional black tea and blends beautifully with a wide variety of herbs and spices. It was also named one of the world’s Top 50 Superfoods by Time magazine.

  • 2. Indi-genius

    Unlike traditional black and green teas, which are made from the leaves of the Camellia bush, Rooibos is made from a unique South African shrub called Aspalathus linearis. Part of the indigenous fynbos family, it has soft needle-like leaves and every spring puts out small, yellow, pea-like flowers.

  • All attempts to grow the rooibos shrub beyond the ruggedly beautiful Cederberg coastal mountains of South Africa have failed.

  • 3. Summer sun

    Each summer, between January and March, the plants are harvested by hand with sickles. The cuttings are placed into hessian bags and brought to the tea making areas. There the leaves and stems are chopped and cured under the hot Cederberg sun. The tea making process, first specified by our Grandfather Benjamin Ginsberg, is similar to the processing of traditional Chinese oolong and keemun teas.

  • 4. Green to red

    It’s the curing (or oxidation) process that causes the harvested rooibos to change slowly from green to a rich deep red colour. Oxidation is completely natural – it’s the same process as when you take a bite from an apple. The tea maker uses a blend of experience and instinct to judge when the rooibos is ready – one sign is that the local honeybees arrive, attracted by the tea’s deliciously sweet scent.

  • It’s the magical combination of hot summers, cool winters, and well-drained, sandy soils that lets rooibos flourish here.

  • 5. Magic kingdom

    Rooibos hails from the mountainous Cederberg region, a protected World Heritage site some three hours north of Cape Town. Part of the Cape’s majestic floral kingdom, this pristine wilderness is home to more than 5000 different plant species, as well as breath-taking rock formations and star-studded skies.

  • 6. Taste-tea

    Rooibos tea has a wonderfully smooth, full bodied taste, with a slight earthy sweetness and no astringency. It is incredibly versatile, and delicious with or without milk, hot or as an iced tea, plain or blended with other ingredients.

    Rooibos remains an artisan product, and so every batch is slightly different. At Tick Tock, we personally taste every batch to ensure only the best tea makes it into your cup!

  • Ongoing research suggests that rooibos may have a broad range of other benefits as well – from heart health, to immune health and even weight loss. Stay tuned!

  • 7. Friend with benefits

    Rooibos is more than just delicious. It is also a bit of a super star in the super food firmament. Naturally caffeine free, low in tannins and rich in anti-oxidants, it makes a gentle, hydrating cup that can be enjoyed by the whole family at any time, even before bed. But that’s just the beginning.