Rooibos infusion: the superfood drink for your table.

Rooibos is a powerful antioxidant and, now more than ever, a food that can be defined as trendy. It meets a whole series of demands that consumers are looking for: healthiness, nutritional functionality, exoticism, pleasantness, softness, and versatility.

What is Rooibos?

Its name derives from a word in the afrikaans language used by Dutch colonists in South Africa. Conventionally, it is also called red tea, since the color of its leaves is very coppery. The plant grows in a well-defined South African region, the Cederberg, and has an ancestral history that goes back to the indigenous peoples of these lands. From the fermentation of the leaves and their subsequent drying, a infusion is obtained that offers a particularly soft flavor, so much so that it does not require the use of sugar. It has a taste that resembles mallow and hazelnut, and its color in the cup remains reddish.

Rooibos: Naturally Caffeine-Free

Rooibos is a very interesting product also because it naturally contains no caffeine, making it the ideal beverage for those suffering from hypertension. On the other hand, it is a plant rich in minerals such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, fluorine, potassium. Finally, it is very rich in vitamin C and, as such, remains today one of the best antioxidants available.

How to Prepare Rooibos

Keep in mind that this is an ancestral beverage, used since ancient times by the Khoisan peoples. The first encounter with a Westerner occurred in 1772, thanks to botanist Carl Humberg. Immediately, it was an economical alternative to black tea, but it was used very little also because the Dutch never used tea like the inhabitants of the United Kingdom, for example. It can be prepared hot or cold. In both cases, the infusion time must be almost doubled compared to normal tea. The best infusion to extract all its beneficial properties completely is undoubtedly cold infusion: just put some leaves in cold bottled water in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

How Can Rooibos Be Used in Cooking?

Let's try to think of this beverage not just as the classic afternoon break. Let's go beyond the evening drink before going to bed. Being caffeine-free, it could indeed be considered a good nighttime tonic, especially if a heavy meal has been consumed because it solves stomach ache or indigestion problems.

But Rooibos can also be used to accompany food during meals. Its softness and flavor of mallow and hazelnut make it suitable for vegetable dishes such as onion soups, bean soup or, if served cold, with celery and carrot sticks with a good Modena IGP balsamic vinegar. It is also worth trying it with kamut pasta with mushrooms or with meat sauces. For a table experiment, we suggest a nice board of aged cheeses, both from cow's milk and sheep's milk.

Finally, it is interesting with fresh cheeses like Buffalo Mozzarella DOP, a little fresh oregano, and a drizzle of moderately fruity oil. Rooibos is an excellent cold beverage to accompany slightly fatty dishes as it provides a cleaning effect on the palate at the end of swallowing due to its tannin content. Thus, you can use it with warm homemade bread with slices of Lardo di Colonnata IGP or with slices of aged guanciale.

Bernardo Pasquali