A Proper Cup of Vanilla Rooibos
The proper rolling boil brew of Dragonfly Vanilla Rooibos with orange peel and a teaspoon of acacia honey.
Rooibos is one of the few teas that really wants a full rolling boil. Where black or green leaves would scorch, rooibos needs that heat to give up its honey malt depth, so fill the kettle fresh and use it properly boiling. This is Dragonfly Organic Vanilla Rooibos brewed the unhurried way: six minutes under cover, a strip of orange peel in with the bag, and a little honey stirred through at the end.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the A Proper Cup of Vanilla Rooibos recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/rooibos/a proper cup of vanilla rooibos/
The vanilla is the slowest flavour to come through, so the long steep is what brings it out; rush it and you miss the best of the cup. Orange peel and honey are the traditional Cape additions to a rooibos brew, and they suit the vanilla well, though both are optional if you would rather keep it plain.
You'll need
- 1 Dragonfly Organic Vanilla Rooibos tea bag
- 250ml freshly drawn water, brought to a true rolling boil
- 1 strip of unwaxed orange peel, about 5cm long (optional but authentic)
- 1 tsp acacia honey or raw blossom honey (optional)
- A small splash of warm whole milk to finish (optional)
Method
- Fill the kettle with fresh cold water and bring it to a full rolling boil. Rooibos needs the whole 100C to release its honey malt body, where black and green teas would scald.
- While it boils, drop the tea bag and the strip of orange peel into a warmed mug. A cold mug pulls heat out of the brew in the first few seconds, so warm it first.
- Pour the boiling water straight over the bag and peel, filling to about a centimetre below the rim.
- Cover with a saucer or a tea cosy and leave to steep for a full six minutes. The vanilla is the last flavour to arrive, so give it the time.
- Lift out the bag with a teaspoon, press it once against the side and discard it, then fish out the orange peel.
- Stir in the honey if you are using it and taste. If it is stronger than you like, a small splash of warm whole milk softens it towards vanilla custard.
- Serve in the warm mug, with a plain shortbread or a slice of brioche on the side if you fancy something with it.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Dragonfly Organic Vanilla Rooibos, 40 Tea Bags 100g
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