Rooibos is produced from the plant Aspalathus linearis, a leguminous shrub unique to the Cederberg Mountains around the town of Clanwilliam and indigenous to the Western Cape of South Africa. It forms part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, commonly known as fynbos, and grows nowhere else in the world.
The celebration of African Traditional Medicine Day recognises the work done by traditional healers for centuries. This holistic medicinal practice incorporates natural herbs, ingredients and African spirituality to bring physical, mental and spiritual healing to individuals.
If you love the distinctive taste of rooibos as much as we do, you’ll agree that it can be brewed into way more than just your cup of tea. That’s why we created the recipe for these cute little rooibos cakes!
Michelle’s philosophy of regional, sustainable cooking sprang from a traditional South African home, where a luscious garden offered loads of home-grown produce and mealtimes were taken seriously. She studied culinary arts and then worked at several restaurants in and around Cape Town, before joining the team at Pierneef à La Motte in 2010. She helped them make the top 10 in the 2013 Eat Out DStv Food Network Awards, becoming the executive chef in 2014. She showed us how to whip up her spectacular grilled kingklip (back on the green list by the way!) with white chocolate Béarnaise.
Rooibos is one local ingredient we can never stop being thankful for, not only for its taste, but also for its diversity. Use it to cool down this weekend by making our tipsy rooibos iced tea.
