"Rooibos" is Afrikaans for "Red Bush," which is a plant in the legume family. The story of Rooibos starts around the turn of the century in South Africa's beautiful Cedarberg region. It was the locals of the area who first discovered that the fine needle like leaves of the wild "Aspalathus Linearis" plant made a tasty aromatic tea. It was they who first harvested the plants, chopped them with axes and bruised them with hammers leaving them to ferment before drying in the sun. Rooibos is a herb that contains no caffeine. Those that consume Rooibos have claimed that it has a soothing effect on headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns and digestive problems. This traditional organic Rooibos is grown only in a small area, 100-kilometers, in South Africa. Great iced or hot our super grade Rooibos has a somewhat "earthy" tone which some people think tastes similar to black tea. Rooibos, unlike other herbs, does contain antioxidants—as a matter of fact, it has 50 times the antioxidants of black tea! These powerful antioxidants have been shown in numerous studies to fight viruses and slow aging. Clinical tests have shown that they destroy free radicals, limiting their damage to healthy cells. It is reported that four cups a day can lower the risk of heart disease by as much as 69%.Rooibos seeds are planted in February and March and tended for 18 months after which they are harvested. Cut Rooibos is bound and milled to a uniform length then bruised between rollers to trigger the fermentation process, which results in the characteristic flavor and sweet aroma.