Organic Red Honeybush Tea 300g, loose leaf

This Skimmelberg Organic Red Honeybush Tea 300g, loose leaf is intended for anyone who drinks Honeybush regularly and prefers to keep a larger supply at home. The raw material comes from Melmont’s Nooitgedacht Farm in the Kouga Mountains of the Eastern Cape and is packed by Skimmelberg for this product.

The Mountain Honeybush is made from Cyclopia intermedia, a Honeybush species with a mild, naturally sweet, floral and fruity character.

Why is the 300g pack suitable for regular Honeybush drinkers?

With 300g, this pack provides a larger supply for anyone who regularly prepares Honeybush by the cup or pot and prefers to adjust the amount of loose tea themselves.

Because Honeybush can also steep for extended periods, it is well suited to preparing a larger pot that does not need to be finished immediately.

If you prefer a smaller supply, the same Organic Red Honeybush is also available in a 120g pack.

What does Mountain Honeybush taste like?

Mountain Honeybush tastes smooth, mild and slightly sweet, with floral and fruity notes and a characteristic golden to reddish-brown colour in the cup.

The flavour comes from the Honeybush plant itself. Neither honey nor honey flavouring is needed to create its characteristic sweet and fragrant impression.

During processing, the harvested plant material is cut and carefully oxidised. This process develops the colour and the aromatic flavour characteristic of Red Honeybush.

What does Single Estate mean for this Honeybush?

This Honeybush comes entirely from a single farm: Melmont’s Nooitgedacht Farm in the Kouga Mountains. The raw material is not blended with Honeybush from other origins.

Nooitgedacht Farm lies in a remote fynbos landscape near Kareedouw in the Eastern Cape. Here, Cyclopia intermedia, also known as Mountain Honeybush, grows on the slopes of the Kouga Mountains.

After harvesting and processing at Melmont, the organic Honeybush is packed for this Skimmelberg product.

This means that more can be said about this Honeybush than simply “origin: South Africa”: the specific farm and the source of the raw material are known.

How long can Honeybush steep?

Honeybush does not have to be removed from the water after five or eight minutes. It can steep considerably longer and develops a stronger, fuller flavour, so a short standard steeping time should not be regarded as a fixed upper limit.

This style of preparation has a long tradition in South Africa. Historical sources describe Honeybush infusions that were kept warm for extended periods.

As early as 1815, Christian Ignatius Latrobe described during his journey through the Langkloof a constantly filled infusion vessel containing locally served “tea-water”, which was very likely Honeybush.

Honeybush later became regionally known as “Three-Day Tea”: previously used plant material was topped up with water again and the infusion was kept warm on the stove.

This tradition shows that the short steeping times commonly quoted today are better understood as practical guidance than as a necessary upper limit.

How do I prepare loose Honeybush?

Use loose Honeybush according to your preferred strength, pour over hot water and initially steep for about five minutes. If you prefer a stronger infusion, simply allow it to steep longer.

• Use Honeybush according to your preferred strength
• Pour over hot water
• Steep for about 5 minutes or longer
• Steep longer for a stronger flavour
• Enjoy hot, chilled or as iced tea

A cold infusion is also possible. Historical sources already describe Honeybush as a refreshing cold drink for hot weather.

Ingredients

100% organic Honeybush