The series also refers to it as bush tea. It feels a bit contrived as
you suggest. I cant buy Rooibos at the two local African stores. Im
not sure of the book time period. Maybe the seventies or eighties. I
couldnt find Botswana on the map. I know nothing about the history if
ever a colony. I remember YerbaMata appearing first about ten years
ago, followed by Rooibos. Frankly drank one tisane drank them all,
except the dried flowers and fruits I occasionally add to my tea.

Jim

On Apr 28, 8:49 am, "Dominic T." > wrote:
> On Apr 28, 9:53 am, wrote:
>
> > Ive watched several episodes of HBO's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective
> > Agency where they drink rooibos or red bush tea served English style.
> > Come up with something original. The coffee pot is distinctive from
> > the tea pot. Yerba mate is drank from a gourd. I have some red and
> > green from my local tea shoppe. Im not even curious to make a cup. I
> > only have some to cover my bases.
>
> > Jim
>
> My grandfather is a huge Sherlock/Solar Pons/detective/mystery buff
> and apparently Rooibos is drank by a character in one of these novels.
> He asked about it one time and I had some Eastern Shore brand teabags
> of Rooibos, he loved them and now enjoys it often. Apparently in
> whatever detective novel he was reading it was never referred to as
> "Rooibos" but "bush tea." I'll have to ask him what the book was, but
> I'm guessing it wasn't The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency so I'm
> guessing they borrowed that bit from whatever book/series he was
> reading at the time. He tends to read classics of the genre or
> gasslight/Victorian England era stories so that's why I'm assuming
> whatever he was reading pre-dates this.
>
> The flavor is interesting, you have to not think of it as "tea" proper
> and just drink it for what it is. There is no nuance or depth to speak
> of. I have some really good green Yerba Mate that is lemony and woody
> and I find more interesting than Rooibos.
>
> - Dominic