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Rooibos iced tea
Naturally sweet red-bush tea from the Cederberg, chilled with orange, lemon and mint
Rooibos grows only in the Cederberg mountains north of Cape Town, and on hot Western Cape afternoons it is brewed strong and poured over ice rather than drunk hot. The tea is naturally caffeine-free and slightly sweet with notes of honey and vanilla, so it needs little added sugar. Orange, lemon and fresh mint make it a summer jug for the stoep (veranda). Chef's tip: brew the tea double strength and pour it straight over plenty of ice; it chills in seconds and the melting ice dilutes it to the right strength.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Pour 2 cups boiling water over 6 rooibos tea bags in a heatproof jug and steep until deep red-brown.
5 minStep 2: Remove the tea bags, squeezing them out, and stir in 2 tbsp sugar until dissolved. A common mistake is leaving the bags in for too long when making a cold drink: rooibos doesn't turn bitter like black tea, but it becomes earthy and dull.
Step 3: Fill a large jug with 1 ⅛ lb ice cubes, 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 handful fresh mint. Pour the hot tea over the ice, stir until cold and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 30 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does rooibos iced tea take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of orange?
- Mandarins or clementines, same weight.
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