Rooibos is grown exclusively in the Cederberg mountains in South Africa .

It is known worldwide for being caffeine-free and filled with antioxidantsRooibos, meaning “red bush”, is a broom-like member of the plant family Fabaceae that grows in South Africa’s fynbos. The leaves are used to make a herbal tea that is called by the names: rooibos, bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea. Wikipedia

Generations of South Africans have been enjoying the natural sweet and revitalising taste of Rooibos since its discovery by botanists in 1772. Little did they realise the powerful and natural healing properties of this rare and unique plant from the cold, windy, south-western tip of Africa.

Local inhabitants of the Cederberg region first discovered that Rooibos leaves can be brewed as a refreshing drink, more than 300 years ago. They would use axes to harvest the plant and then bruise the leaves with hammers, before leaving them to ferment and later dry in the sun. Today the harvesting and processing of this indigenous herb is done in much the same way, only using more advanced equipment.

Early Cape-Dutch settlers started drinking Rooibos as a cheaper alternative to expensive black tea from Europe. In 1772, European botanist, Carl Thunberg, visited the Cape to report on the Rooibos plant and its tea variant.

In 1904, Russian immigrant, Benjamin Ginsberg, recognised the potential of this unique tea and started trading with Rooibos, locally and internationally. This made him the first ever exporter of Rooibos.

Physical Attributes of Annique Rooibos Tea

• No batches contain more than 0,5% dust
• The Rooibos tea is guaranteed to be 80% or more leaf than stick
• The tea is cut and not ground or put through a hammermill
• The tea must pass a formalised taste test and deliver flavours that include both honey and caramel sweetness with a woody / grassy twist based on the standardised flavour wheel

 

Annique has taken their Rooibos-based products to the next scientific level, where we measure the polyphenol, bioflavonoid, aspalathin and oxygen radical absorbency capacity (ORAC) levels in our Rooibos batches, before conversion.  This ensures a standard of excellence and consistency in all of our products.

The South African Rooibos Council

Annique is a proud member of The South African Rooibos Council (SARC), an independent organization, responsibly promoting Rooibos and its attributes to the consumer and protecting the interests of the Rooibos consumer and SARC stakeholders supported by research and communication.

There is a growing trend at local and international research institutions to prioritise Rooibos as part of their novel food or functional food research, as well as for studies focusing on metabolic and lifestyle diseases. Since 2016, the SARC has funded 23 studies that were headed by 23 Principal Investigators, involving 43 national and international researchers (mostly professors and associate professors). Eight post-doctoral students were granted employment contracts and ten completed PhD degrees. 25 Master’s degrees and eight Honours degrees were awarded. The body of research has been published in 35 different articles and was presented at 53 conferences.

 

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