The Wonder-Herb Rooibos

Local inhabitants of the Cederberg region first discovered that Rooibos leaves can be brewed as a refreshing drink, more than 300 years ago. They would use axes to harvest the plant and then bruise the leaves with hammers, before leaving them to ferment and later dry in the sun. Today the harvesting and processing of this indigenous herb is done in much the same way, only using more advanced equipment.

Crossing the sea

Early Cape-Dutch settlers started drinking Rooibos as a cheaper alternative to expensive black tea from Europe. In 1772, European botanist, Carl Thunberg, visited the Cape to report on the Rooibos plant and its tea variant.

In 1904, Russian immigrant, Benjamin Ginsberg, recognised the potential of this unique tea and started trading with Rooibos, locally and internationally. This made him the first ever exporter of Rooibos.

Revealing Rooibos Research

In the early 1900s, Dr Le Fras Nortier started researching the medicinal value and agricultural potential of Rooibos, since the doctor and nature-lover in him was drawn to this mysterious and aromatic tea. Still, the commercial growing of Rooibos only started in the 1930’s.

In 1968, Annique founder, Dr Annique Theron, put the spotlight on Rooibos with her claim that it soothed away her baby’s colic. She published a book on her findings called “Allergies: An Amazing Discovery” and continued to make huge strides in the promotion of the health benefits of Rooibos.

In the 1980’s Japanese and American scientists found a powerful and stable antioxidant called
superoxide dismutase in Rooibos. In 1995 Infruitec, a South African research company, as well as Dr Charlene Marais of the University of the Free State, found and verified that Rooibos tea did indeed have the following properties:

•  Anti-allergenic
• Antioxidant
• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-viral
• Anti-spasmodic
• Anti-ageing
• Contains no caffeine
• Low tannin from pure Rooibos leaves

Rooibos is not a true tea, but an herb. The brew made from the dried Rooibos leaves is, therefore, an herbal infusion (known as a tisane) rather than a tea, but is widely known as Rooibos tea. Rooibos has a distinctive colour, flavour and aroma, which differentiates it from most other teas. 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. Rooibos is a pure and natural product as it contains no colourants, additives or preservatives and it is caffeine-free.

Annique only sells the very best quality Rooibos including traditional Rooibos, organic Rooibos as well as Green Rooibos. It is often blended with other herbs, like Annique’s Rooibos & Herbs range which offers extensive health properties. Rooibos ages well and can be stored for long periods without any deterioration in quality, flavour and taste.

Annique is the leader in Rooibos health and beauty, and therefore, we have implemented intensive tests to ensure our products are of the best premium quality, meeting the highest standards internationally.

Physical Attributes of Annique Rooibos Tea

• No batches contain more than 0,5% dust
• The Rooibos tea is guaranteed to be 80% or more leaf than stick
• The tea is cut and not ground or put through a hammermill
• The tea must pass a formalised taste test and deliver flavours that include both honey and caramel sweetness with a woody / grassy twist based on the standardised flavour wheel

Annique has taken their Rooibos-based products to the next scientific level, where we measure the polyphenol, bioflavonoid, aspalathin and oxygen radical absorbency capacity (ORAC) levels in our Rooibos batches, before conversion.  This ensures a standard of excellence and consistency in all of our products.

The South African Rooibos Council

Annique is a proud member of The South African Rooibos Council (SARC), an independent organization, responsibly promoting Rooibos and its attributes to the consumer and protecting the interests of the Rooibos consumer and SARC stakeholders supported by research and communication.

There is a growing trend at local and international research institutions to prioritise Rooibos as part of their novel food or functional food research, as well as for studies focusing on metabolic and lifestyle diseases. Since 2016, the SARC has funded 23 studies that were headed by 23 Principal Investigators, involving 43 national and international researchers (mostly professors and associate professors). Eight post-doctoral students were granted employment contracts and ten completed PhD degrees. 25 Master’s degrees and eight Honours degrees were awarded. The body of research has been published in 35 different articles and was presented at 53 conferences.