Rooibos, an infusion that wishes you well!

It was in 1996 that we began to supply rooibos (Aspalathus Linearis) from the South African Wupperthal cooperative, becoming pioneers in this field. It was love at first taste and also the start of a great adventure. Over the years we have expanded our collaboration to include the Heiveld cooperative which is situated further north. In order to find out the differences or similarities between the rooibos grown by both cooperatives and wild rooibos, we commissioned a study by the Twistaroma laboratory. The analysis of three samples demonstrates a high antioxidant content in the South African plant and shows very distinct flavour profiles.

Antioxidant? Did you say Rooibos?

Overall the antioxidant power of the three infusions is similar although their chemical profiles are not identical. Of the 56 phenolic compounds detected, 21 are antioxidants. We noted the presence of large amounts of ferulic acid which is one of the two main antioxidants in rooibos. This organic acid is known for its beneficial effects on overall health and its effectiveness in the fight against certain diseases of the digestive tract in particular.

Ferulic acid is also used as an ingredient in skin care products, especially anti-ageing remedies*.

One cup is enough…

To enjoy the benefits of rooibos, there’s no need to drink gallons a day. A single 150 ml cup is almost as antioxidant as a 150 g portion of red cabbage or cherries, which makes this drink an elixir of youth to be drunk every day!

Three different origins = three different flavours

The antioxidant activity of wild rooibos, Wuppertal and Heiveld is similar, but what distinguishes them is their flavours.

The study was able to detect a total of 16 volatile compounds which were different for each rooibos.

The Wupperthal rooibos is characterised by the largest concentration of trans_2_hexenol, which gives it a flavour profile in which herbaceous and fruity notes dominate.

The Heiveld rooibos has a rich concentration of geranyl acetone, which comes from magnolia aromas. This is a relatively rare compound in food. It is mostly found in the oil of the fruit of magnolia.

When it comes to flavour, wild rooibos is certainly the one that stands out the most of the three.

Two distinctive compounds can be detected: the B-Damascenone and eugenol.

The first comes from the flavour of apple and honey whose combination evokes apple compote. The second comes from a flavour which is rather like cloves and gives this Rooibos a pleasantly spicy aspect. This flavour profile is certainly the most tasty of the three.

In conclusion, we can see that the expected health benefits are much the same for the two cultivated rooibos and the wild variety. It is mainly the taste and its subjective assessment that distinguishes them and makes each one attractive in their own way.

* C. Oresajo, T. Stephens, P. D. Hino, R. M. Law, M. Yatskayer, P. Foltis, S. Pillai, and S. R. Pinnell, “Protective effects of a topical antioxidant mixture containing vitamin C, ferulic acid, and phloretin against ultraviolet-induced photodamage in human skin.,” J. Cosmet. Dermatol., vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 290–7, Dec. 2008.