Rooibos, Anyone?

Tom is one of our colleagues at CRS Headquarters here in Baltimore who just returned to the United States after many years overseas, including four years in South Africa, where he got hooked on rooibos. One day Tom came to my cube to ask why we only promoted Fair Trade coffee and not Fair Trade teas. He was particularly anxious to learn how he could get his hands on some Fair Trade rooibos. It just happened I had a box of Equo Fair Trade rooibos from our Work of Human Hands program on my desk. I gave it to him to and asked him for his expert opinion. Well, let’s just say he liked it. Honestly, the guy can’t stop talking about it! I told him he should post something to our blog to share his excitement, and he sent me the email below–everything you ever wanted to know about rooibos, and then some!

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I had never heard of rooibos before living in South Africa, but I became a great fan of it during the four years that I lived and worked there. Rooibos, or red bush, is an herbal tea that has been used by the Khoisan people of South Africa for centuries. It naturally aids in digestion, especially those foods that sometimes cause problems for many of us. It is wonderful to relax with a nice hot cup of rooibos tea when one gets home from work. I have found that it helps to relax my stomach after a long day of travel and stress.

The one thing I need to point out is that the quality of the rooibos tea varies greater. Some are extremely strong and bitter while others are almost sweet. The Equo brand is probably the second best I have ever had, and the best I have ever gotten in the United States. (The best one I ever had was produced locally by the Khoisan people for sale at small craft markets in South Africa.)

I am very happy to have finally found a regular supply of good quality rooibos tea in the U.S. I used to have to ask for people traveling to South Africa to bring me back some. Now I can get all I want when I want. I would strongly recommend that everyone tries it. In addition, to be being great for one’s health (very high in antioxidants), the Fair Trade aspect of this particular brand means that the rooibos farmers are paid a fair return for giving us better health. It’s a win-win product for all of us.

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Thanks, Tom! In addition to the Equo brand sold by A Greater Gift, the following CRS Fair Trade partners also offer rooibos:

Cafe Campesino
Americus, GA
OK, so this one is not a straight-up rooibos–it is a “rooi-boost,” mixed with caffeinated yerba mate from South America.
Grounds for Change
Poulsbo, WA
Straight-up red bush rooibos directly from South Africa.
Equal Exchange
West Bridgewater, MA
Equal Exchange won’t officially be a CRS Fair Trade partner until October 1, but if you just can’t wait to try their rooibos, order it through the interfaith program.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 14th, 2007 and is filed under Fair Trade, tea . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Rooibos, Anyone?”

Scott James Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Suggest you also try an earthly green tea called yerba mate. My favorite comes from Guayaki. Find me at any Fair Trade event, and I will likely have a cup of yerba mate in my hand.

Unbelievably good for you, and unbelievably delicious!

- Scott James
Fair Trade Sports
http://www.fairtradesports.com
Certified Fair Trade Eco-Soccer Balls!

Rooibos, Anyone?

One Response to “Rooibos, Anyone?”

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