Buchu (Loose Cut)

Agathosma betulina, the fynbos shrub that grows wild in the Cape mountains and almost nowhere else on earth. The Khoisan have used it for centuries, and the smell tells you why people notice it — sharp, green, faintly like blackcurrant.

Loose cut rather than powdered, so the leaf opens properly in hot water. One teaspoon per cup, steeped five minutes. If you make up a jug, refrigerate it and drink it within two days.