Honeybush Tea

Honeybush tea comes from Cyclopia intermedia, a shrubby legume and the closest relative to rooibos. It brews a deep amber cup with a gentle honeyed sweetness and no caffeine at all, which makes it an easy evening drink if you are cutting back on tea and coffee. Key Benefits Genuinely caffeine free: the plant does not make caffeine in the first place, so there is none to remove. Fine last thing at night and fine for the kids' cups. Sweet without sugar: honey and caramel notes with a soft floral edge. Most people drink it as it comes. Will not go bitter: very low in tannin, so a forgotten pot is still perfectly drinkable. A long steep just makes it richer. The sweeter cousin to rooibos: if you already drink Rooibos Tea, honeybush is the rounder, sweeter one. Plenty of people keep both on the shelf. Good hot, iced or with milk: it holds up to milk better than most herbal teas and makes an excellent iced tea. Certified organic: grown and processed to certified organic standards. How to Use One heaped teaspoon per cup, water straight off the boil, five minutes as a minimum. Leave it ten minutes if you like a stronger cup, it will not turn astringent. Strain and drink as is, or add a splash of milk. For iced tea, brew it double strength, chill it, then pour over ice. It is a generous blending base because the sweetness carries other flavours well. Half and half with Rooibos Tea makes a rounder everyday cup, and a piece of Cinnamon Stick or a little Ginger Root simmered alongside turns it into something warmer for winter. Good to Know The name comes from the honey scent of the small yellow flowers rather than the taste of the brew, though the two happen to line up nicely. The sweetness is made, not just grown. After cutting, the leaf and stem are heaped up, packed down and covered for three to five days. The heap warms, the material turns from green to reddish brown, and the honey and caramel notes come out. Unoxidised green honeybush also exists and tastes much grassier. A travelling botanist wrote it up as "honigtee" in 1772, and there are records of people drinking it well before that. Honeybush is drunk as an everyday tea and is generally well tolerated, with no caffeine to work around. As with any herb you drink daily, have a word with your doctor first if you are on medication. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a healthcare provider before use, especially if pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication.