I’m aware that fancy rooibos is a thing now. There’s a whole artisanal scene in South Africa where I guess you can taste the terroir and the farmer’s love.
And I get it. I came to know and love rooibos as a cheap, refreshing tea carted around in my backpack and brewed at the end of long days on the road. But I get it, if people want a fancy version, I won’t take that pot off the boil. If there’s a growing industry with specialisation that’s bringing more money to South African farmers and businesses, that’s excellent. I’m pro fancy rooibos, in theory.
But this is not the way. Rooibos doesn’t need rose and lavender. Rooibos is already floral. Rooibos is already aromatic, sweet, colourful.
Mariage Frères makes tea magic, but this tea house also can’t help adding a profusion of fragrance to everything it gets its hands on, whether that tea needs the Bouquet Midas touch or no.
I mean, when bush comes to shove, it’s lekker. But not lekker lekker.
