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Rooibos

Rooibos is a South African herbal infusion made from processed leaves and stems, available fermented or green and served hot or chilled.

Rooibos — illustrative ingredient image

About Rooibos

Rooibos is a South African herbal infusion made from the processed, needle-like leaves and stems of the rooibos plant. The dried material is reddish brown in the familiar fermented form, while unfermented green rooibos is lighter. The brewed drink is clear, with a smooth, gently earthy and naturally sweet character, and little bitterness.

It is prepared by steeping loose dried leaves or a tea bag in hot water and is served hot or chilled, plain or with additions. Commercial forms include fermented and green rooibos, loose leaf and tea bags; extracts and blended products are also available.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where rooibos appears

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Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for rooibos

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Red bush tea

English

organic rooibos

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Rooibos nutrition & diet

Rooibos nutritional value

Reference: South African red tea/ red tea, leaf and twig, dried

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
202kcal
Protein
6.3g
Carbs
42.9g
Fat
0.5g

Official national food-composition reference. The displayed food form is part of the estimate; cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

The infusion, dried leaves and concentrated extracts are not equivalent for nutrition comparisons. Fermented and unfermented rooibos also differ in processing.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Database for Biodiversity, version 4.0 — 0500103 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .