Rooibos is red, as you would know if you understood Afrikaans. The little woody flakes that go into the brewing of rooibos do not come from the Camellia sinensis plant, but are derived from a legume called Aspalathus linearis. Therefore rooibos is not a tea, but a 'tisane'.

Popular in South Africa, and with anyone who has enjoyed the series of mystery novels written by Alexander McCall Smith featuring the rooibos-guzzling heroine Mma. Ramotswe, this fine refreshment is rife with health benefits.

But we are not here to bore you with all that "healthy lifestyle" bollocks. So what if it has antioxidants? It tastes good. We are here to recommend the best of the best of the best-tasting rooibos for your personal consumption.

Top notch ranking for sheer, unadulterated flavour goes to Mighty Leaf for their first prize African Nectar tea. It is unparalleled, and since 15 bags will cost you $10.95CDN plus shipping, you might as well throw caution to the wind and buy a whole sodding case of 100 for just $60, immediately.

Unsatisfied with the lone high note of red tea on its own, Adagio Teas has created a sonata of flavour by blending rooibos with everything in sight. For a dazzling variety of traditional and innovative combinations, try their Rooibos Sampler set. $11USD plus shipping gets you 6 jolly nice little green tins full of loose-leaf rooibos mingled lovingly with berry, bergamot, mango, coconut and vanilla.