Whatshot
The sky is the limit for Rooibos farmers in Western Cape
The sky is the limit for Rooibos farmers in Western Cape
Date: 2013-04-05
The brew made from dried Rooibos leaves is therefore an herbal infusion known as a tisane rather than tea. Rooibos is graded according to colour, flavour, and cut length, it has a distinctive colour, flavour and aroma, which differentiates it from all the other teas. It is so distinctly South African, yet the love of drinking it has spread throughout the world.
The flavour can be described as slightly sweet and fruity. The vibrant amber colour of Rooibos comes from the natural colour that develops during the post-harvest ?fermentation? (oxidation) process, brought about by natural enzymes in the plant.
After the Rooibos is harvested. It is cut to small stems, spread on a large concrete drying slabs. Water is mixed with the freshly cut rooibos then the Rooibos is left overnight and next morning it is spread on the slabs to dry naturally in the sun before it is sent for grading and packaging.
The amazing thing about Rooibos tea is that it ages well and can be stored for long periods without any deterioration in quality, flavour and taste. One of the amazing rooibos farmers that I had a pleasure to meet was Yola Bergh from Clanwilliams Town, she advised me to keep my tea in an airtight container to get that fresh rich aroma.
The production and cultivation of Rooibos is something to behold. Western Cape is the only place on the planet that rooibos occurs naturally and it has been grown in the Cedarberg forever. It remained virtually unheard of for centuries, known only to the Khoisans.
It was used frequently by these people as an herbal remedy for a wide range of ailments. The secret of this delicious herb nearly vanished into oblivion due to the environment and landscape, as the isolated tribe dwindled away and eventually disappeared.
Luckily, Rooibos tea was re-discovered in 1772 by botanist Carl Humberg, who then brought it back as a beverage. For generations after this, Rooibos tea was enjoyed by the South Africans for it's cool, sweet, refreshing flavour.
In 1904, a Russian immigrant named Benjamin Ginsberg realized Rooibos' untapped marketing potential, and began offering Rooibos tea globally calling Rooibos "Mountain Tea" as an herbal substitute to tea. Thus, the Worldwide Rooibos Revolution had begun.
Today people like Gertjie and Victorie from Driefontein Farm in Clanwilliams can enjoy prosperous lives and their children will one day inherit these farms, which now belong to the community that previously had nothing to show for their hard labour.
I guess what I love the most about Rooibos is that it is a pure and natural product, as it contains no colourants, additives or preservatives.
The future looks bright on these remote Rooibos farms in the Cedarberg. As new schools and clinics are being build the farmers discovered their new found pride in the crop that is so important to all who live in this beautiful feinbos country.