Iced Rooibos (Red Bush) Tea

Karien and myself in front of the iced rooibos (red bush) tea

Rooibos just has to be the quintessential South African drink; it comes from the plant, spalathus linearis, which is endemic to a small region in South Africa, the Cedarberg mountains. Endemic simply means that it is found here, and nowhere else in the world, which usually then implies the growing conditions are sufficiently unique that the plant should be cherished for this alone.

"Unusually, the entire global supply of rooibos comes from a single production area in the west of South Africa that measures just 200 x 100 kilometres. Efforts to cultivate it outside of the Suid Bokkeveld have not been successful: it draws on the region’s unique soils and climate and needs to grow alongside other components of its ecosystem" (Rooibos tea farmers are on the front line of climate change). 

Rooibos is caffeine-free and brim-full of antioxidants. It was the drink I placed in my children's bottles as a thirst-quencher, without any milk or sugar added to it, and they now take rooibos tea in a flask to school daily. Alas! my husband chose once to introduce my eldest son to the delights of sugar in tea, so they now drink it with some added sugar - then again, given the difference between adding a modicum of sugar to your tea and the entire sugar crop that is added to the commercial variety of soft drinks, I knew which one I'd advocate.

When it came to our South Africa Day at the Dhahran Women's Group, my friend Karien insisted that, upon arrival, guests should be presented with a refreshing drink. Of course, we were living in Saudi Arabia, so the drink necessarily had to be alcohol-free. However, it was required that the drink also speak of the flavours of South Africa. 

I'm not sure if Karien found this recipe, or made it up; it certainly has been adapted to fit a sweeter palate - I for one may use slightly less fruit juice and more rooibos tea, but that is the great thing about such recipes, they are easy to chop-and-change. Unlike baking, these kinds of recipes are "to taste". 

Having raided the cupboards in the kitchen of the DWG so that they were forced to yield up their secrets, an entire array of glass jugs were produced, together with a number of glasses, which Team South Africa then proceeded to keep on washing so as to keep up with demand - we certainly filled the venue. 

It was a delightful drink, and a superb way of welcoming our special guests to celebrate South Africa Day with us. 

Iced Rooibos Tea Recipe

750ml strong Rooibos, made up then chilled (1.5 pints)

1.5 litre apple juice (3 pints)

1.5 litre granadilla/ passion fruit juice (3 pints)

2 bottles (750ml each) of sparkling white grape juice (3 pints)

1 can of granadilla pulp 

1 orange, sliced

Hand full of fresh strawberries

Fresh mint leaves

Mix rooibos, apple, granadilla juices and chill. Add chilled sparkling grape juice and garnish with strawberries, orange and mint.

Perfect hospitality: a refreshing, non-alcoholic drink of iced rooibos tea