Loose leaf South African Chai tea blend with spices and almond pieces scattered on white background, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.
Brewed South African Chai tea in glass mug with cinnamon sticks, star anise, and ginger root beside black canister packaging, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.
South African Chai loose leaf red tea in sealed black metal canister with orange label, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Organic Rooibos Tea | Spicy & Sweet | Caffeine-Free

Organic South African Chai Rooibos Tea

Blended in Oregon Spicy Sweet

Masala spices on a South African red rooibos base. The chai for people who want the spice without the jitters.

Ingredients: Organic Ginger Root, Organic Red Rooibos, Organic Cardamom, Organic Cinnamon Bark, Organic Cloves, Organic Nutmeg, Organic Star Anise.

$21.00 USD
$21.00 USD
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Size: Tea Tin
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About South African Chai

The chai for people who want the spice without the jitters.

Organic red rooibos from South Africa, blended with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and star anise. The rooibos reads earthy and sweet, with a vanilla-like note that softens the heat from the spices. The body is thick enough to hold up under milk. The spices are traditional masala chai proportions: ginger and cardamom lead, cloves and cinnamon round it out. The cup tastes like a spicy dessert before you add anything to it.

Rooibos grows wild in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa, where the dry, sandy soil and high altitude create the conditions the plant needs. The red variety oxidizes like black tea, which is what gives it the body and sweetness that make it work as a chai base. Most herbal teas are too delicate for masala spices; rooibos is the exception. The mouthfeel mimics black tea without the caffeine, which is why it holds the same ritual space as a traditional chai.

Steep it long, add milk, sip it slow. The after-dinner cup that lets you wind down without the caffeine window staying open past bedtime. Warm, spicy, grounding.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Warm and spicy. Gingerbread cookies straight out of the oven. Cinnamon and cloves up front, with a sweet, woody base from the rooibos.

Flavor: Bold and warming. The ginger and cloves bring heat. The rooibos smooths it out with a natural vanilla-like sweetness. The cardamom and star anise linger through the middle.

Finish: Sweet and spicy. The star anise sits on the palate long after the cup is empty.

With milk: The rooibos thickens the body. The milk fat rounds the spices into something closer to a dessert. Add a teaspoon of honey and it drinks like a liquid gingerbread cookie.

Why You'll Love It

Red Rooibos, the South African anomaly: Aspalathus linearis grows wild in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa, where the sandy, acidic soil and high altitude create the only place in the world where the plant thrives commercially. The red variety oxidizes like black tea, which gives it the malty, slightly sweet character that makes it work as a chai base. Naturally caffeine-free, which is why it holds the same ritual space as black tea without the late-night wakefulness.

Masala spices, the carminative tradition: Ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise form the spice blend used in traditional Indian chai for centuries. Ayurvedic traditions classify these spices as carminatives, meaning they support the movement of gas through the digestive tract and ease the heavy feeling that comes after a rich meal. The same reason chai appears at the end of Indian meals. The spices warm the body from the inside, which is why chai shows up as a cold-weather ritual across cultures.

The after-dinner moment: This tea sits in the same space as a traditional masala chai, but without the caffeine window that keeps you awake past bedtime. The rooibos gives the cup enough body to feel grounding. The spices give it enough warmth to slow you down. Best brewed strong, with milk, about 20 minutes after a heavy meal.

South African Chai loose leaf red tea in sealed black metal canister with orange label, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

South African Chai

$21.00 USD
$21.00 USD
What's inside

Key ingredients

The botanicals at the heart of this blend, and where in the world they're traditionally grown.

Ginger

Zingiber officinale

Cochin, India & Shandong, China

Red Rooibos

Aspalathus linearis

Cederberg Mountains, South Africa

Cardamom

Elettaria cardamomum

Kerala, India & Guatemala

Cinnamon Bark

Cinnamomum verum

Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Cloves

Syzygium aromaticum

Maluku Islands, Indonesia

Nutmeg

Myristica fragrans

Banda Islands, Indonesia & Grenada

Star Anise

Illicium verum

Guangxi, China & Vietnam

Ginger

Zingiber officinale

Warming and peppery, long used to settle the stomach after a meal.

In the cup

Ginger is the spicy underground stem, or rhizome, of the ginger plant, used fresh, dried, or crystallized. It brings sharp, warming heat and a touch of natural sweetness. Ginger has been a digestive staple across Indian, Chinese, and Western traditions for thousands of years, most often as the cup after a heavy meal.

Traditionally grown in Cochin, India & Shandong, China

Shop Ginger teas

Red Rooibos

Aspalathus linearis

South Africa's red bush tea, naturally sweet and caffeine-free.

In the cup

Rooibos, or red bush, grows only in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa, where it is harvested and oxidized to a deep red. The cup is smooth, naturally sweet, and a little nutty, with no caffeine and a soft, round body. It makes a comforting everyday cup and a versatile base for caffeine-free blends.

Traditionally grown in Cederberg Mountains, South Africa

Shop Red Rooibos teas

Cardamom

Elettaria cardamomum

Floral and warming, long used to freshen the breath and spice a chai.

In the cup

Cardamom is the seed pod of a plant in the ginger family, picked green and dried whole. Crack one open and the aroma is floral, piney, and a little citrusy, complex in a way few spices match. It is the signature note of South Asian chai, and the pods are chewed after a meal to freshen the breath.

Traditionally grown in Kerala, India & Guatemala

Shop Cardamom teas

Cinnamon Bark

Cinnamomum verum

Sweet, woody warmth with a natural sweetness, no sugar needed.

In the cup

Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical tree, peeled and dried until it curls into quills. Ceylon cinnamon, the kind from Sri Lanka, is delicate and sweet rather than fiery. It brings cozy, woody warmth to chai and spiced blends, plus a natural sweetness that lets you reach for less sugar.

Traditionally grown in Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Shop Cinnamon Bark teas

Cloves

Syzygium aromaticum

Intense, sweet-spicy warmth. A little goes a long way.

In the cup

Cloves are the dried flower buds of a tropical evergreen, picked before they open. They carry one of the most intense flavors in the spice rack, sweet, warm, and almost tingly, thanks to their natural oils. A clove or two deepens a chai or a holiday blend. They have also long been chewed to freshen the breath.

Traditionally grown in Maluku Islands, Indonesia

Shop Cloves teas

Nutmeg

Myristica fragrans

Warm, sweet, and nutty, the spice of cozy seasons.

In the cup

Nutmeg is the seed of a tropical evergreen, grated for its warm, sweet, slightly nutty spice. Once so prized that wars were fought over the islands that grew it, today it is the comfort note in eggnog, baked goods, and spiced tea. A little brings depth and a cozy, holiday warmth to a chai or dessert blend.

Traditionally grown in Banda Islands, Indonesia & Grenada

Shop Nutmeg teas

Star Anise

Illicium verum

A star-shaped pod with bold, sweet licorice warmth.

In the cup

Star anise is the striking eight-pointed seed pod of an evergreen tree, named for its shape and prized for its bold, sweet, licorice-like flavor. A single pod perfumes a whole pot. Essential to Chinese five-spice and to a proper chai, it brings a warming, aromatic depth that lingers on the finish.

Traditionally grown in Guangxi, China & Vietnam

Shop Star Anise teas

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TeaCederberg Mountains, South Africa

Organic South African Chai Rooibos Tea

Steep bold. Sip spiced.

Caffeine: None
8.0 oz
Water
212°F
Temperature
1.5 tsp
Leaf
7 min
Steep Time
Re-Steep · Up to 1×
Rooibos cannot over-steep, which makes it forgiving. 7 to 10 minutes at full boil pulls the full spice and the full sweetness from the red bush. Brew it strong for lattes. Use 1.5 teaspoons to 8 ounces. The longer it steeps, the thicker the body.
1
Cup

Craft Your Cup

A few notes from our teamakers.

Rooibos Chai Latte
Brew 1.5 teaspoons in 8 ounces of full-boil water for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain. Top with 6 ounces of steamed oat or whole milk and 1 teaspoon of honey. The long steep pulls the full spice and the full sweetness from the rooibos. The milk fat rounds the ginger and cloves into something close to a liquid gingerbread cookie. Best in a wide mug.

Iced Rooibos Chai with Vanilla
Brew double-strength (2 teaspoons in 8 ounces, 10 minutes). While the tea is still warm, dissolve 1 teaspoon of honey and add a single drop of vanilla extract. Pour over ice. Top with a splash of oat milk. The vanilla bridges the spices into dessert territory. The cold extraction keeps the rooibos from turning too sweet. Drinks like a spiced horchata.

Chai-Spiced Oatmeal
Brew 2 teaspoons in 12 ounces of water for 10 minutes. Use the brewed tea as the liquid base for cooking steel-cut oats. The spices infuse the oats as they cook. Top with a drizzle of maple syrup, a handful of toasted walnuts, and a pinch of cinnamon. The rooibos sweetness holds up through the cooking process. Tastes like a spiced porridge from a cold-weather tradition you wish you grew up with.

Loose leaf South African Chai tea blend with spices and almond pieces scattered on white background, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Your Questions About South African Chai, Answered.

Is this as spicy as a traditional chai?

The spice proportions follow traditional masala chai ratios. Ginger and cardamom lead, cloves and cinnamon follow. The heat is real, not decorative. The rooibos sweetness softens the edge, but the ginger still brings a genuine kick. If you want less heat, steep for 5 minutes instead of 7.

Does it work in a latte?

Rooibos is one of the few herbal teas with enough body to hold up under milk. Brew it strong (1.5 teaspoons, 8 to 10 minutes), strain, then top with steamed oat or whole milk and a teaspoon of honey. The result is a thick, creamy latte that drinks closer to a dessert than a tea. The spices integrate with the milk fat the same way they do in a traditional chai latte.

How is this different from black tea chai?

The spice blend is the same. The base is different. Black tea chai has caffeine and tannins, which give it a sharper, more astringent character. Rooibos chai is naturally caffeine-free, with a softer, sweeter base that mimics the mouthfeel of black tea without the jitters or the late-night wakefulness. The rooibos also has a slight vanilla-like note that black tea does not carry. Same ritual, different window.