The country of origin of the Rooibos is South Africa. Natives used Rooibos to make a fruity, sweet tea long before Europeans did. The branches of the shrub were dried in the sun and then cut into small pieces. The tea was first exported to far away countries in the 19th century, and its export has been growing ever since. This resulted in a controlled cultivation of the once wild growing shrub. A high-quality Rooibos tea can be identified by its ruby colour and the soft, sweetish, characteristic, aromatic taste. The leaf features out rather long needles.