The story of Rooibos (Red Bush) tea is a unique and extremely interesting one - a story that started at the turn of the century in the Cedarberg area of the Cape. It was the locals of the area who first discovered that the fine, needle-like leaves of the "Aspalathus Linearis" plant made a tasty, aromatic tea. It was they who first harvested the wild-growing plants, chopped them with axes and then bruised them with hammers, leaving them to ferment in heaps, before drying them in the sun. Today Rooibos is still processed in much the same way, but of course the methods are more mechanised and refined.

In 1904, Benjamin Ginsberg, a Russian immigrant and pioneer in the area, became interested in Rooibos and realised its marketing potential. He started trading it from the people of the mountains and selling it. No doubt the fact that Ginsberg was descended from a family who had been in the tea industry in Europe for centuries provided him with a good background and the necessary experience to market the new "Mountain tea".

Since that time , the industry has made steady progress, refining its production methods and increasing distribution so that the unique goodness of Rooibos tea may today be enjoyed by people the world over.

Aspalathus Linearis Plant                                                 

The Aspalathus plant group, which falls under the legume family, and to which Rooibos belongs, consists of more than 200 species which occur only in South Africa and of which only the specie Aspalathus Linearis has any economic value. Had it not been for the mountain inhabitants in the Western Cape, this specie would today have been known merely as an ordinary shrub-like bush of the mountains.

The plant is a shrub-like bush with a central smooth bark main stem which, near the soil surface, is already subdivided into various equally strong off-shoots followed by thin, flimsy side branches bearing the thin, sharp, soft, needle like leaves of approximately ten millimetres in length, singly or in bunches. The growth height varies from one to 1,5 metre in its natural state while the height of harvested plants varies from 0,5 to 1,5 metre depending on the age or the climate and soil conditions in the area of production.

Cultivation                                                                                                

Although the plant requires a production area with winter rainfall, its active growth only starts in spring, increasing towards midsummer after which growth declines. The plant is usually covered with small, yellow, pea-shaped flowers during October, which in turn each produces a small legume containing only one, very small, light yellow, hard shelled, dicotyledonous seed.

Rooibos seed is by nature very hard shelled and the seed is scrubbed by means of mechanical scourers to increase the germination potential from approximately 25 - 30% to 85 - 95%. After further treatment of the seed with fungicides and insecticides, it is ready to be sown.

The basic method of Rooibos production from planting to harvesting is largely unchanged from the process first used by the mountain dwellers many years ago. It involved gathering and chopping the wild plants, bruising their stems, and allowing them to ferment and dry. Today of course, plants are cultivated rather than collected in the wild. Vast improvements in production technology and stringent quality control ensure a superior quality product every step of the way, from seed to grocer's shelf.

Seeds are planted from February to March, where after seedlings are planted out during July and August. After a further 18 months the plants are ready for harvesting. Plants are harvested once a year between January and March. Cut Rooibos is bound in sheaves and then milled to a uniform length, then bruised between rollers to trigger the important chemical process (fermentation) which results in the characteristic amber colour, distinctive flavour and sweet aroma of Rooibos.

Following fermentation, Rooibos is spread thinly over large drying yards to dry in the hot South African sun after which it is sucked up by special vacuums. At this stage the product is generally referred to as "farm tea".

The product is sorted and graded according to length, colour and flavour. This guarantees uniform standards of a high quality product, for delivery to the Packing Industry. All Rooibos is purified by a special process of technologically advanced pasteurisation, then dried once more.

Throughout the process, bacteriological control is rigorously monitored by laboratory testing to ensure the final product can be certified as an hygienic, superior-quality Rooibos product.

The finished Rooibos is finally weighed by automatic electronic scales, bagged, and sold to FMCG companies who pack the product in either teabags or in loose leaf form under their own brand names. These companies have customers around the world and thus more and more consumers can enjoy the product.

Rooibos is an extremely healthy drink and it is a product tailor-made for today's lifestyle. A hot, soothing cup of Rooibos is completely pure and natural, containing no additives, preservatives or colourants of any kind. It contains no caffeine, which can be harmful to the central nervous system, causing irritability, high blood pressure and erratic sleep patterns. It is low in tannin, a substance which adversely affects the bodies metabolism by decreasing the absorption of iron and protein. The clean, aromatic flavour of Rooibos can safely be enjoyed in unlimited quantities throughout the day, with no harmful side-effects.