Honeybush tea (not to be confused with rooibos) is a deliciously fragrant herbal infusion prepared from the flowers and leaves of cyclopia species which grow only in the mountain regions of the Cape, in South Africa. For hundreds of years the indigenous people have harvested the wild honeybush plants in these rugged, inaccessible areas to produce tea.
The San were attuned to the plant kingdom that surrounded them and passed their knowledge on to European Settlers. They too discovered that this delicately-flavoured, aromatic tea held health-promoting powers and so used it to treat common ailments, including sleeplessness and indigestion. One of the greatest health benefits is that Honeybush tea is naturally caffeine-free. In addition, Honeybush tea is known to have numerous other health benefits: it is low in tannin, stimulates milk production in nursing mothers, acts as an expectorant and an antioxidant, possesses antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties, and heals minor skin ailments.