Exact quantities, then the method.
This is pure rooibos brewed the way it is drunk at home across the Cape: made strong with properly boiling water, then softened with a small splash of milk. Of all the teas, rooibos is one of the few that really needs a full rolling boil, since it only gives up its honey-malt depth and deep red-amber colour at 100C, where a Black Tea would scorch.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the How to Brew Pure Rooibos (the South African Way) recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/rooibos/how-to-brew-pure-rooibos-the-south-african-way/
Pure rooibos is naturally sweet and drinks perfectly well clean, with nothing added. But the small splash of whole milk is the classic Afrikaans finish, turning the cup a soft pink and rounding it into something gentle and comforting. There is no fruit, spice or vanilla here, just the plain leaf done properly.
You'll need
- 1 Dragonfly Organic Pure Rooibos tea bag
- 250ml freshly drawn water, brought to a true rolling boil
- A small splash of whole milk to finish (optional, the Afrikaans way)
- 1 tsp golden syrup or demerara sugar (optional, the cup is naturally sweet enough on its own)
Method
- Bring a kettle of fresh cold water to a full, rolling boil. Pure rooibos needs the whole 100C to release its honey-malt body and full colour; it will not scorch the way black or Green Tea would.
- Warm the mug first, half-filling it with hot water and tipping it out, so the brew does not lose heat the moment it is poured.
- Put the bag in the warm mug and pour the boiling water straight over, to about a centimetre below the rim.
- Cover with a saucer or tea cosy and steep for six minutes. Rooibos is forgiving, so anywhere from five to eight minutes is fine and it will not turn bitter.
- Lift out the bag with a teaspoon, press it once against the side, and discard.
- For the South African finish, stir in about a tablespoon of whole milk. It softens the natural sweetness and turns the cup a pale pink. Leave it out if you prefer the tea clean.
- Taste, and only sweeten if you want to; a little golden syrup or demerara suits the honey-malt better than white sugar, and demerara keeps the colour clearer.
- Drink it while it is hot, when the aroma is at its best, though it holds up well as it cools.
The tea it is made with, and what to make next.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Dragonfly Organic Pure Rooibos, 40 Tea Bags 100g
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