Honeybush Tea
Fragrant, deep, floral,
alluring and mystifying. These are some of the first thoughts that
cross our mind when exposed to a sample tasting of Honeybush Tea.
Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) is a native shrub to the Cape of
South Africa. This plant was first documented is the 1700's and
since then it has kept a pretty low profile and its use was
previously isolated to the natives of the region. Recently
documentation and study of the plant have brought it within radar of
the international community and once one samples a sipping, their
taste for this delicate brew almost becomes insatiable. Now
large-scale organic crops have replaced wild gathered Honeybush to
help curb the exponential demand for this fabulous beverage, this is
great news for the local habitat that might have been ravaged to
supply such a demand.
Honeybush is a fermented tea with a smooth
taste and lacking the typical bite found in most green and black
teas. This is because it contains virtually no tannin. This lovely
beverage is what some have described as "super fruity",
exceptionally sweet, and it brews to a deep dark amber color. The
versatility of this tea covers every audience from the sweet tooth
of small children, to the passionate evening drinker, and it covers
the sensitivities of the elderly. Some of the benefits include that
it is caffeine free, high in Vitamin C, potassium, calcium and
magnesium. It is
an invaluable resource for anti-oxidants, rare
trace minerals, and containing isoflavones, and Coumestans. The
benefits are numerous indeed and this has become a staple tea for
many people...Including all of us at Mountain Rose Herbs!
