Spiced Rooibos, Cape Malay Style

teas.co.uk · 10 min · Serves 1

You'll need

• 1 Dragonfly Organic Pure Rooibos tea bag
• 250ml freshly drawn water, brought to a true rolling boil
• 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the side of a knife
• 1 small cinnamon stick, about 5cm long
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 long strip of unwaxed orange peel, about 5cm long
• 1 tbsp acacia honey or raw blossom honey
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, squeezed straight before serving
• 1 thin slice of fresh orange to float on top (optional)

Method

1. Hard boil the kettle for the Cape Malay rooibos. Both the rooibos and the whole spices want the full 100C, so this is one cup where you do not let the water cool.
2. Warm a heatproof mug by half filling it with hot water, swirling and tipping it out; starting warm keeps the toddy hot for a good ten minutes.
3. Crush the cardamom pods lightly with the flat of a knife, just enough to crack the shells and let the oil out.
4. Drop the rooibos bag, cardamom, cinnamon stick, star anise and orange peel into the warm mug.
5. Pour the boiling water straight over, filling to about a centimetre below the rim.
6. Cover with a saucer or tea cosy and steep for seven minutes. Whole spices give up their oils more slowly than ground, so they need the longer time.
7. Lift out the tea bag, press it once against the side, and discard.
8. Stir in the honey until it dissolves, add the lemon juice, then taste and add a little more honey if the spice feels fierce.
9. Leave the spices in the mug as you drink, so the cup keeps deepening; the cardamom and star anise carry on giving for another ten minutes. Float a slice of orange on top if you like.

Recipe: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/rooibos/spiced rooibos cape malay style/