As you may have gathered, I'm on a bit of an Alexander McCall Smith reading jag at the moment; specifically, his books set in Botswana about the adventures of Mma Precious Ramotswe, proprietrix of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.
Mma Ramotswe and her friends spend a goodly amount of time drinking what is referred to as 'bush tea'. I thought I'd hunt around and see what I could find out about this drink. It turns out to be an infusion of rooibos, or redbush. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's available in the UK; the brand that I've tried is Eleven O'Clock Tea. You can probably find it, or a similar brand, in a local health-food shop; I know that Holland and Barrett sells it.
It makes a clear, deep amber-red infusion with a smoky, almost Lapsangy, taste. In fact, it's the nearest thing to 'real' tea that I've found. Since cutting down somewhat on my stimulant intake will probably help my anxiety, I'm drinking it to replace some of my usual tea intake. It's good with or without milk, and it can be sweetened with honey or sugar.
It's also reputed to be good for asthma, allergies and inflammatory skin conditions.
About the only drawback I can see is that it's not cheap; it's about £3.50 for eighty teabags. But that's not ruinously expensive for something that's so enjoyable.
contemplative