Why Choose Honeybush?
Honeybush has a delicately sweet flavour which can be enjoyed with or without milk or sugar. A touch of honey or lemon can enhance the existing undertones. It can be consumed as regularly as desired without any harmful side effects.
In summer Honeybush can be served as a refreshing, thirst-quenching iced tea, on crushed ice with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint.
Honeybush extracts are used in the food and beverage industry as flavourings in ready-to-drink beverages such as iced tea, fruit juice blends and sweets.
Honeybush can potentially be used by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Ongoing research and development is exploring the many applications to which Honeybush is suited.
With its many health benefits and its gentle, soothing flavour, demand for Honeybush has grown and exports of Honeybush products to countries around the world continues to increase.
The Benefits of Honeybush
ANTI-OXIDANTS
Honeybush contains anti-oxidants that scavenge free radicals and prevent cell damage, thereby slowing the aging process. They are also anti-carcinogens that are extremely beneficial in aiding the prevention of cancer.
HEALTHY MINERALS
Honeybush contains minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, zinc and magnesium. These minerals act as building materials for our bones, influencing muscle and nerve function, and regulating the body's water balance, among other things.
FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
Honeybush is highly recommended for pregnant women, babies and children, due to its lack of caffeine and low acidity.
FOR MENOPAUSE
Honeybush contains phytoestrogens (phyto = plant). Phyto-estrogens mimic the effects of human oestrogen, meaning that Honeybush could alleviate menopause-related symptoms and protect post-menopausal women against cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
CAFFEINE-FREE
Honeybush contains no caffeine, which makes it the perfect bedtime beverage, ensuring a calm, restful night’s sleep.
LOW IN TANNIN
Honeybush is extremely low in tannin. Tannin is known to inhibit mineral absorption, particularly iron.
BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY
Honeybush aids in the soothing of coughs and respiratory infections or disorders. There is anecdotal evidence that Honeybush has an allergy reducing effect.
Origin and Distribution
The use of Honeybush was first documented in 1705. In 1772 the Swedish botanist Thunberg recorded that he found “honigtee” during one of his field trips in the Cape. The earliest record of the early Cape colonists using it as a medicinal plant dates back to 1830. The Scientist reported in 1881, after scientific research, that the herbal tea was caffeine free.
Between the great mountain ranges separating the edge of the Karoo from the southern shores of Africa, there is a narrow coastal plain stretching some 250km from the town of George in the west, to the eastern limits of the Tsitsikamma mountain range. The area is known as the Garden Route, a region where nature has bestowed her many riches with a generous abundance of wild flowers and the largest expanse of indigenous forest in South Africa. This territory is the home of the Honeybush plant.
Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) is well adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the Cape mountain ranges and coastal plain where it grows naturally in well drained, sandy to sandy loam soils. Honeybush populations are mainly found on the cooler, wetter southern slopes.
The Honeybush Plant
The Honeybush plant is a shrub of the Fabacea family which only grows in specific places in the fynbos biome of the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. There are many species of Honeybush, all belonging to the genus Cyclopia, found in the wild. Four or five are commercially used.
All Cyclopia species are long-lived perennials that can reach heights of up to 2 metres. The Honeybush tea plant is a many-branched woody shrub with golden yellow stems and trifoliate elongated leaves. The life span of the bush in the wild is around 15 years.
During the flowering period in spring (September to October), the bushes are easily recognised, as they are covered with distinctive, deep-yellow flowers, which have a characteristic sweet honey scent.
Production Process
Planting
Seeds are treated to crack their hard shells and then sown into seedling trays. The young seedlings are planted out into plantations during winter (before August).
Harvesting
Honeybush is harvested by hand throughout the year. A sickle or pruning-shears are used for harvesting the shoots (leaves, stem and twigs) of the plant. These shoots are then gathered in bushels and sent to primary processing.
Primary Processing
The entire bushel of Honeybush is pushed through a cutting machine, where it is cut into pieces 1 – 2 mm in length, where after it is bruised to facilitate fermentation, allowing the finely cut material to oxidize faster.
The fermentation takes place in special temperature and moisture controlled chambers. During this process the product changes from green to the characteristic dark brown colour and develops a sweet, honey-like aroma. The fermented Honeybush is then sent via a conveyor belt to a custom-built drying chamber, where it is mechanically dried.
Green Honeybush is the unfermented variation of the product. In this case the tea is cut and dried immediately. Compared to fermented Honeybush the extraction is lighter in colour and the flavour is not as sweet. However, the antioxidant activity is higher.
The dried Honeybush is then transported to the Rooibos Limited factory in Clanwilliam for secondary processing.
Secondary Processing
At the Rooibos Ltd factory, the dried Honeybush is screened into different particle sizes. The coarser particle sizes are used for brewing loose tea, whereas the finer particles are used in teabags. These various grades of Honeybush are then steam pasteurised, before being bagged for packaging and distribution. It can be packaged, either in bulk as loose tea or into teabags under customers’ own brand names. Throughout the process the product is subjected to rigorous quality control. Various tests are conducted to ensure that the final product can be certified as a hygienic, quality Honeybush that can be enjoyed by tea-lovers around the world.
