What is Honeybush?

Honeybush is one of a series of wooden shrubs in the genus Cyclopia. This genus is endemic for the Ekoregion Fynbos in South Africa. There are about 23 types of cyclopy, but only a handful is used to produce Honeybush tea, a traditional South African herbal tea. Honeybush tea has traditionally been made of Cyclopia Gesticoides, also known as common names of coastal tea, kestee, honeyybush tea and heuningbos. However, commercial production is mostly from C. Intermedia, the common name Bergtee and C, also called Vleitee.

Rod Cyclopia is a member of the Fabaceae plant family. All members are woody shrubs and grow through the southwest coastal area in South Africa. This area is a mixed soil of heaths and shrubbery, which has a Mediterranean climate characterized by hot dry years and a mild, wetter winter winter. Fire is a common natural occurrence and many types of Cyclopia have seeds that best hatch after exposure to be a bull or easily return from the root of the upper burns.

shrubs in the genus of cyclopy grow up to 39 inches (1 m). They have green and gold stems that differ in shade from species to species. They all have yellow, fragrant, flowers and narrow, hairless leaves composed of three smaller leaflets; On some leaves they are narrow enough to look like needles. They grow best in well -drained soil in full sun and do not tolerate hard frosts. Most species occur in small areas in the Fynbos area and are particularly adapted to growth in one type of situation, such as steep hills or more rocky areas.

Honeybush tea is made of cutting twigs and leaves of the shrub. The wet material is shredded or chopped, then traditionally gathered in piles that warmed and fermented plant material. After fermentation, the tea extends in the sun to dry. RN production mode uses for a fermentation phase controlled by furnaces on a controlled temperature but the best tea Honeybush is still completeden drying the sun.

tea has fruit, honey sweetness and smell. It contains no caffeine, has low tannin content, has trace amounts of minerals and is rich in compounds identified as antioxidants and antimutagenic. Honeybush brewing tea is similar to brewing black tea, but often cooks to develop taste. Traditionally, it is served with cream and sugar, but many consider the taste quite sweet without further sweetener.