Tea Journal · Herbal and caffeine free

Rooibos vs honeybush: what is the difference?

If you want a cup that feels like tea without the caffeine, these two are where to start. Both come from the Cape region of South Africa, both are made from the leaves and stems of a shrub rather than the tea plant, and both have been drunk there for hundreds of years. They are close relations but they are not the same, and most people end up with a favourite.

Rooibos

Rooibos means red bush in Afrikaans. It grows only in the Cederberg mountains north of Cape Town. The needle shaped leaves are cut, bruised and left to oxidise in the sun, which turns them from green to the deep red they are known for. In the cup it is smooth, naturally a little sweet, with a soft woody, slightly vanilla taste and no bitterness no matter how long you brew it. It takes milk well, which is unusual for a herbal, and it is the base of our caffeine free chai.

Honeybush

Honeybush is a cousin from the same part of the world, named for the honey scent of its yellow flowers. It is processed the same way and brews a similar amber red. The taste is rounder and sweeter than rooibos, with a soft honeyed warmth and a slightly fuller body. If rooibos is a plain digestive, honeybush is a shortbread. People who find rooibos a bit woody usually prefer it.

Rooibos Kalahari, our blend

Rooibos Kalahari is my own blend: rooibos with lemongrass and dried orange peel. The citrus lifts the sweetness and makes it a brighter, fresher cup that is just as good cold as hot. It is the tea I drink most myself, since I try to keep caffeine down. If you are choosing one caffeine free tea to drink every day, it is this one.

How to brew them

Both want fully boiling water and a long brew. One heaped teaspoon per 200ml, five to seven minutes, and cover the mug if you can. Neither turns bitter, so you cannot overdo it. Both give a second cup. Milk, honey or nothing, all work.

For the evening and for children

No caffeine means no reason not to have one at ten at night, and both are gentle enough for children. Honeybush with a splash of milk is a good bedtime cup. Rooibos Kalahari cold brewed in a jug is a summer drink for the whole house. Neither has sugar in it, which is more than can be said for most squash.