Is rooibos really tea?

Tea comes exclusively from Camellia sinensis, a shrub in the family of Teaaceae, native to south-western China and northern Burma. Every family of tea, green, white, yellow, Oolong, black and dark, comes from this single species; only processing distinguishes them.

Rooibos belongs to Aspalathus linearis, a member of the Fabaceae, that is, a legume related to peas and beans. It grows almost exclusively in the Cederberg region, north of the Cape, on poor, sandy soils, in a climate marked by wide temperature variations.

Its needle-shaped stems and leaves are therefore harvested, chopped, then, for red rooibos, oxidised in the open air before drying. Green rooibos skips this oxidation stage: it retains a vegetal, more herbaceous profile, and a significantly higher concentration of phenolic compounds.

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Rooibos contains no caffeine, unlike any tea derived from Camellia sinensis, including so-called decaffeinated teas, which retain traces of it. This total, rather than partial, absence makes it the quintessential hot drink for the end of the day, with no impact whatsoever on falling asleep.

Its tannin content is very low, approximately one tenth that of a black tea. Two practical consequences follow: rooibos never becomes bitter, even after a time prolonged, and it has virtually no effect on the absorption of non-haem iron, unlike tea.

Its characteristic compounds are unique to it: aspalathin and nothofagin, two antioxidant dihydrochalcones found in no other plant consumed by humans. Green, unoxidised rooibos contains significantly more than red rooibos, as oxidation transforms some of the aspalathin.

Rooibos requires water at a full boil, 100 degrees, and a time long, from seven to ten minutes. The delicate protocols of green tea make no sense here: the absence of free tannins eliminates any risk of bitterness, and an infusion that is too short simply yields a weak, bodiless drink.

Allow 3 to 4 grams for 250 millilitres of water. Rooibos pairs perfectly with milk, a common practice in South Africa, as well as spices: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger. It also makes an excellent base fortime iced, its natural sweetness requiring no added sugar.

A word on its commercial designation: rooibos sold as red tea creates confusion with Chinese hong cha, literally red tea, which refers to what the West calls black tea and which does indeed come from Camellia sinensis. Two entirely unrelated products thus share the same common name.

Rooibos is the clear choice in four situations: in the evening, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for children, and in cases of documented iron deficiency. In each instance, the absence of caffeine and tannins that inhibit absorption is an objective advantage that no tea can match.

However, it does not replace tea on a sensory level. Its aromatic palette, with notes of soft wood, vanilla, honey and dried fruit, is genuine but limited in scope. It offers neither the evolving complexity of a Oolong over eight herbal teas, nor the umami depth of a green tea shaded Japanese.

For an end-of-day ritual that retains the substance of tea, the alternative is a white tea infused very briefly or a hojicha, green tea roasted Japanese, whose roasting breaks down a significant proportion of the caffeine. Neither, however, is entirely caffeine-free.

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We list rooibos and the herbal teas for what they are, without selling them as teas. The same standards apply: pure ingredients, an even cut, no added artificial flavouring, and every batch tasted before being offered.

To compare a red rooibos and a green rooibos side by side, visit the HOLLIN du Goût counter, 22 avenue de la République, 78500 Sartrouville, Monday to Saturday from 10h to 20h. The difference between the two surprises most visitors.