Rooibos is taking on a surprising new life around the world, moving far beyond the traditional cup of tea to feature in ramen, lattes, cocktails, desserts, ice cream and other culinary creations.
As South Africa celebrates Heritage Month, the distinctly South African product is demonstrating how a heritage product can retain its roots while finding new audiences and applications across international markets.
Rooibos now reaches more than 50 international markets, with Japan the largest destination, accounting for 33% of South Africa’s exports in 2025.
Established markets including Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France and the US continue to contribute to its international presence.
Adele du Toit, spokesperson for the South African Rooibos Council, said its versatility is one of the product’s greatest strengths.
“Rooibos’ naturally mild, slightly sweet flavour and caffeine free character make it incredibly adaptable, allowing people to incorporate it into their own food cultures and traditions. Whether it’s being used to create a latte, add depth to a savoury dish, flavour a dessert or form the base of a cocktail, Rooibos gives people a familiar ingredient to experiment with in entirely new ways. That’s what makes its journey around the world so exciting. Every market can put its own stamp on Rooibos,” she said.
Japan puts Rooibos on the menu
Japan provides one of the most striking examples of how Rooibos has been incorporated into a local food and beverage culture.
At Ippudo, the internationally known ramen chain, Rooibos is served alongside its ramen. In 2024, the pairing went a step further when Ippudo introduced a limited edition ramen incorporating Rooibos into the broth, alongside tonkotsu and Japanese kombu and shiitake dashi, with an egg marinated in Rooibos.
Clinton Gass, Managing Director of Japan based Rooibos Marketing Ltd and Owner of Gass Co Ltd, has been involved in developing the Japanese market for decades.
He said the breakthrough came when Rooibos was repositioned from a medicinal drink to a speciality tea.
“By setting up a business in Japan to distribute and market Rooibos we were able to change the positioning of Rooibos,” Gass said.
“The tea purists in the Japanese market loved it and exports increased significantly.”
That change in positioning helped Rooibos develop from a specialist health product into an everyday beverage found in Japanese homes, convenience stores, cafés and restaurants.
Starbucks Japan introduced a Rooibos Tea Latte as a regular menu item at its specialist Tea and Café stores in 2023. The drink combines Rooibos with milk and vanilla flavouring and can be served hot or iced.
In 2024, Dean and Deluca Japan combined Rooibos milk tea with satsumaimo, Japan’s seasonal sweet potato, to create a Sweet Potato Latte.
Rooibos finds a younger audience in Britain
Rooibos has also established a strong following in Britain, where it has become part of the country's diverse tea and infusion culture.
Dr Sharon Hall, Chief Executive of the UK Tea and Infusions Association and President of Tea and Herbal Infusions Europe, said the broader herbal and fruit infusion category is attracting younger consumers, with wellness increasingly influencing beverage choices.
“Today’s consumers are increasingly adventurous in their beverage choices, bringing fresh interest to the herbal and fruit infusions category through a desire for flavour exploration, wellness and variety. Rooibos is particularly well positioned to meet this demand, whether enjoyed on its own, blended with other botanicals or featured in innovative formats that appeal to younger audiences,” Hall said.
In Britain, Rooibos is being used in an expanding range of creations.
Europe adds its own flavour
Across continental Europe, Rooibos is also being adapted to local tastes.
In Germany, it is primarily consumed as a hot herbal infusion and is widely used as a base for flavoured blends.
In France, the ingredient is appearing in desserts, drinks and cocktails.
North America embraces the red latte
In Canada and the US, Rooibos is increasingly being treated as a beverage and flavour platform rather than simply an infusion.
Its applications include milk based lattes, mocktails, cocktails and wellness blends.
Canadian products include dessert inspired flavours such as cinnamon chai and the former Jelly Donut Rooibos.
In the US, Rooibos lattes, also known as red lattes, and red espressos are emerging as caffeine free alternatives to coffee.
Rooibos is also being used in punches and cocktails, including a South African style mango Rooibos mint punch and a Rooibos chai bourbon cocktail.
Shabnam Weber, President of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada and the Tea Association of the USA, said changing consumer habits were opening the door to new applications.
“Today’s consumers don’t necessarily think in terms of choosing between tea or coffee. They’re looking for beverages that suit a particular mood, moment or need, and they’re willing to explore ingredients and formats that offer something different. Rooibos fits naturally into that space because it can be enjoyed on its own, combined with other flavours or used as the foundation for something completely new,” Weber said.
“There’s something quite special about seeing a product that is so deeply connected to South Africa being embraced and reimagined by people around the world. They’re not changing what Rooibos is. They’re discovering what else it can be. And that gives our heritage product a whole new relevance,” du Toit said.
ashley.lechman@nationalmg.co.za