- Region
- Africa
- Origin
- Cederberg and Western Cape, South Africa
Africa · Food · № 11
Aspalathus linearis
Food · Africa
Rooibos
Aspalathus linearis
A caffeine-free herbal infusion used as a beverage; it is not an established treatment.
Safety notes
Ordinary beverage use is distinct from medicinal claims; evidence does not establish rooibos as a disease treatment.
Preparation
Steep dried leaves in hot water as a drink.
Use in traditions
Khoi and San communities are recognized as traditional knowledge holders. Sources describe rooibos consumption before colonization.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
African healing traditions
Attributed effects
Drunk as an everyday tea and a folk remedy for colic in babies, sleeplessness and skin irritation.
Preparation and amount
Fermented, dried leaves as tea; cooled also as a compress on the skin.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Tea (infusion)Compress, poultice and paste
- Recipes
- Boiled rooibos