Rooibos hot chocolate

Characteristics and ingredients of hot chocolate flavored rooibos

Rooibos hot chocolate is a mix designed to combine the beneficial characteristics of rooibos, the famous red tea from South Africa with the deliciousness of cocoa enriched with aromas such as cinnamon and ginger. Rooibos is an Afrikaans word, the language of the Dutch settlers in South Africa, which means red shrub, in reality the plant is not red at all, the leaves are elongated and green, they become red after the fermentation process that precedes drying. The scientific name of the plant is Aspalathus linearis, it is a flowering shrub and is part of the Fabaceae family. In reality we call it tea because the preparation is similar, the flavor is not very different and the Dutch colonists invented this drink to overcome the difficulty (and/or excessive cost) of finding tea in South Africa, but the term tea does not indicate any infusion, but that obtained from Camellia sinensis, a plant native to China (that means sinensis) that does not even belong to the same botanical family.

Historical curiosity about rooibos

Did the colonists invent? We confirm, you will read that rooibos has been used by local populations for many centuries before the colonial era, but in reality there are no archaeological findings to support this thesis, not as regards its use as a drink similar to tea, the plant was probably known and used before but not in that way. And the fact that we have the word rooibos in Afrikaans and not corresponding words in local languages ​​is another clue in this sense.

Cocoa is instead notoriously a plant of South American origin whose seeds are used, Theobroma cacao is a tree of the Malvaceae family that grows between 5 and 10 meters. It was introduced to Europe by the Spanish and for a long time it was used only as a drink, as did the pre-Columbian populations, but unlike the Aztecs the Europeans sweetened it. It was only in the mid-1800s that the process that led to chocolate bars was invented.

Cinnamon is obtained from an evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family, the Cinnamomum verum, in fact cinnamon is also less commonly called Cinnamomum, this also makes sense because there is also another quality of cinnamon, known as Chinese cinnamon or cassia, which is obtained from another species of the Cinnamomum genus, the Cinnamomum aromaticum. The flavor of cinnamon is reminiscent of cloves but with a peppery note, it is dry and slightly sour (that of the less valuable Chinese cinnamon is more sour) in Western cuisine it is used mostly in confectionery, but in Eastern and Creole cuisine also in savory dishes. Both cultures love it as a flavoring in tea and this is the explanation of why it ended up in this infusion together with rooibos.
Ginger is obtained from a herbaceous plant native to the Far East called Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae family), but is now grown throughout the sub-tropical area. Ginger has a fresh aroma reminiscent of lemon, but on the palate it is slightly spicy, its spiciness however, in addition to being contained if compared for example with chilli pepper, is also not very persistent, it does not remain in the mouth. Traditional medicine also attributed health benefits to each of these spices, cinnamon would have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but also antibacterial and antiviral and would also have beneficial effects on blood sugar. Ginger is an antiemetic and a digestive.

You can buy our loose hot chocolate flavored rooibos, in the format you prefer among those available, 50g for the first taste, an intermediate option, or stock up with the 300g pack if you are already passionate about our infusions.