February 11, 2009, at 5:10 pm
Starbucks has been getting quite a bit of bad press lately, and some of it is well-deserved. However, I can confidently say that they scored big points with me when they put the vanilla rooibos latte on the menu. This blend of vanilla and rooibos with a healthy dose of steamed milk has really put Starbucks back on the map for me. This is a drink I drive out of my way to get, and not just in the morning. Since it’s naturally caffeine-free I can get my latte fix all day and still sleep well at night.
If you’re not familiar with rooibos, it’s a reddish-brown leaf grown only in South Africa. The name is actually means “red bush.” It’s naturally caffeine-free, doesn’t get bitter if it steeps for a long time and is high in antioxidants. It has a slightly sweet flavor, but I still prefer it with a tiny bit of honey, and it goes really nicely with milk. Starbucks’ version has vanilla, but I’m not sure if that’s from the tea or from a vanilla syrup added to the drink. Either way it’s pretty tasty.
I’ve tried to make this drink at home, and I’ve not been able to duplicate the full flavor of Starbucks’ version. It might be that I’m using skim milk, or that I’m using a different brand of tea. I’m going to keep trying though – I’ll let you know if I find a recipe that works for me.
FYI…They don’t put in vanilla syrup in the vanilla rooibos, the shot is simple syrup.
Thanks Jenn!
it’s vanilla rooibos tea leaves that are brewed in water, add steamed milk and sweeten with simple syrup (flavorless sweetener-you could just add sugar). you can also pick up the concentrate at grocery stores. it’s in a container like soy milk by Tazo.