“I am a fan of this honeybush! Having a cup of this tonight in an effort to drink up some of my close to being finished teas! 166 teas left to go! I’m stupidly aiming for getting down to 150 by...” Read full tasting note
“The November Amoda box came today! (Well, technically … yesterday, since it’s now after midnight) I was so excited to see that all three teas were from companies I hadn’t tried teas from...” Read full tasting note
“I am finding that I like honeybush far more than rooibos. This is a really nice tea with excellent apple crumb cake like flavor. Not so sure about the apricot but that is okay this is a nice yummy...” Read full tasting note
“Another sample from Sil, thanks! This definitely didn’t smell like any honeybush blend I’d had before, so naturally I nabbed a sample to try, and I’m glad I did! This is quite interesting: nutty...” Read full tasting note
What’s in it
Green honeybush, hazelnuts, green rooibos, apple, raisins, natural flavouring.
Where it’s from
Honeybush tea is made from the leaves, stems and flowers of the honeybush plant – an indigenous flowering plant found exclusively in South Africa. Honeybush is grown in small, rural areas in the Eastern Cape region. Harvesting honeybush is labour intensive, as it is mainly grown wild and is therefore an important economic activity in these rural areas.
How it tastes to us
Like apple crumble with a hazelnut topping – without the calories! Green honeybush is the main ingredient creating strong aromatics and a sweet apricot flavour. Combined with the dried apple, this tea offers a lingering sweetness. It’s full-bodied and sweet. And yes… there’s raisins in your tea.
Why we chose it
Honeybush is closely related to Rooibos, has the same crazy nutrients and health benefits, but not the widespread popularity. This is owed mainly to the small size of production, so it’s not as easy to find in our local tea shops. (There’s green rooibos in this blend as well, which is not as common as oxidized red rooibos). Honeybush has been said to help relieve tension, irritability and insomnia and aid in digestion. It also contains anti-oxidants, those free-radical fighters, to keep you looking young. To top it all off, Honeybush contains a slew of vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, sodium and vitamin C.
How we steep it
Honeybush is easy to brew and very forgiving. Just bring your water to a full boil and follow the guide above. Steep for at least five minutes, but you can experiment with longer. Take it up to ten if you really want to.
When we drink it
In the evening when we’re craving a dessert top-up. Honeybush is caffeine-free so it won’t keep you awake at night. This is a great one to drink with your kids.
Why we like these guys
Amoda worked with a Certified Tea Sommelier from one of Canada’s top tea importers to bring you this tea. Like all of our tea blenders, they source directly from origin. They take a socially-responsible approach to sourcing – meaning, they make long-term commitments, knowledge-share with their partners and offer fair pricing. They also work with certified organic growers, Fair Trade producers and offer Rainforest Alliance Certified teas whenever possible. Kudos.
Company description not available.