Dry, it smells neither of wood nor of hay, like its red cousin, but of freshly cut grass, with at times something of a green tea. Rooibos Vert Nature Bio is nonetheless the same plant, Aspalathus linearis, grown in South Africa and organically certified; only the way it is processed changes.

To obtain a red rooibos, the needles are left to oxidise in the air. For green rooibos, they are dried quickly after cutting, which stops oxidation and keeps the leaf’s colour and vegetal aromas. Ombelle offers it pure, with no flavouring or other ingredient.

The liquor is yellow-green, clear, luminous. The taste is lively and fine: cut grass, a light mineral note, a background sweetness that reminds you it is indeed a rooibos. On the palate it is closer to a green tea than to a classic rooibos, without containing caffeine.

Being caffeine-free, it suits every moment of the day. It is prepared like its red cousin: water at boiling point, that is 100 °C, between 7.5 and 10 g for half a litre, and a steeping of seven minutes that can go up to ten. It is a fine base for summer: cooled and served over ice with mint leaves or cucumber slices, it makes a very refreshing drink. It accompanies steamed fish, a salad with fresh goat’s cheese, a lemon sorbet.

An airtight tin, kept away from humidity and bright light, preserves it. Sold loose leaf, it is available as a 15 g sample or in bags of several kilos.