Red Bush Tea

Have you read any of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books?

I learned of this series several months ago, and the first book hooked me. I promptly set about reading through all of them. The novels are set in Gaborone, Botswana and feature Precious Ramotswe as the protagonist.

The series author, Alexander McCall Smith, was born in Rhodesia (what is now Zimbabwe) and lived in South Africa for a while as an adult. So along with enjoying the detective storyline, you'll learn many things about the traditions and culture of Africa.

One of the traditions I enjoyed learning about was the consumption of Red Bush Tea, also known as Rooibos (roy-boss). The tea is grown only in the Western Cape province of The Republic of South Africa, which borders Botswana. Precious and her employee, Grace Makutsi, enjoy a cup of this tea several times throughout each day.

I decided I wanted to try a cup of Red Bush Tea after learning that it is full of antioxidants and has no caffeine. I set about googling for a way to purchase it, and ended up buying it from a company in Canada. I bought the loose tea instead of tea bags.




I use my coffee pot to make the tea (please don't tell any real tea drinkers that I don't have a tea ball), and I love the taste of it. I've enjoyed several cups, and will have to make another order soon. (If you decide to try Red Bush Tea, please consider ordering from a Fair Trade company.)

If you think you might enjoy the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, I recommend beginning with the first book and reading in order of publication.





The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1)





The 9th book in the series will be available in April.

Enjoy your books and your tea!