Day 36: Rooibos Keylargo Tea

Today’s tea was Rooibos Key Largo – another find from Tea’s Me Café, where the people are friendly and the teas are fresh and life feels just a little bit happier.  This was one Heather had purchased – a rooibos tea is naturally decaffeinated, so it’s one that she has grown to love by necessity rather than taste.  “If I could, I’d drink black teas all day long!” Heather said as we poured this tea out.  “But I really like these now.” 

A rooibos has a strange flavor. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what it is.  Heather says it might be because it comes from a bark, rather than a leaf, but I looked into it and it's definitely leaves.  But they're sharp, almost like needles.  Rooibos definitely has an aroma and sense that’s all its own, as well as a slight aftertaste that is almost missing in the fresh loose leaf versions.  It does remind you of bark a bit as it is slightly nutty.  This one that we tried today had the slightly fruity flavours that made up the tropical or 'key largo' aspect: I wasn't entirely sure what they all are, but I looked it up and found that the flavours include papaya bits, mango bits, peach bits, orange peels and marigold flowering.  It makes for a very, very pretty dry tea.  (I'm starting to really love taking pictures of the dry tea itself.)  It’s an odd combination, really, the red rooibos which has a dusty, dusky taste and smell – and then the fresh, fruity, almost tartness from the tropical fruits.  It’s like finding a pineapple growing in the desert, or an orange appearing on a pine tree. 

We enjoyed our tea with Earl Grey biscuits that I had found in a little shop in Brussels and brought back for Heather.  We’re not entirely sure what they’re made of, but using our well-developed sense of taste and smell, we’re guessing a lot of butter and sugar, and fresh loose-leaf earl grey tea.  Heather just loved them, and is making plans to bake her own soon!  We figured that we could bake these little biscuits with just about any loose leaf teas – back to our friends at Tea’s Me!

Before my flight this evening we went out for a little mini photo shoot, but it was so hot and sticky that we only took a few pictures quickly before we dashed off to the airport.  The kids were incredibly good the whole time, and gave me a little help into the airport with all my bags.  I wrote this sitting on the plane, and was hoping to go for a walk with my sister when I got in but I was just too bushed. So, today was a rest day.  Sometimes those happen - and often in places like Key Largo!