Appeltaart — rooibos blend with apple and cinnamon

Smells like the oven. Tastes like dessert. Caffeine-free.

The problem isn't that you don't fancy apple pie.

The problem is nine o'clock in the evening.

You've eaten. You're on the sofa. You want something more — something warm, something sweet, something that feels like closing the day. And you have two options: a slice of pie from the freezer, or another glass of water.

Appeltaart (Dutch for 'apple pie') is there for exactly that moment.

No caffeine. Not even at eleven at night.

The base is rooibos, not black tea. Rooibos comes from a shrub in South Africa and naturally contains no caffeine. So you can brew a cup of this late in the evening too.

You can't ruin it.

Black and green tea turn bitter if you leave them too long. Rooibos doesn't. Forgotten during a phone call? Still lovely. No timer, no thermometer, no fuss. Boiling water on it, five to eight minutes, done.

What's in it is on the pack. All of it.

Pieces of real apple and whole apple quarters. Ceylon cinnamon and cinnamon sticks. Roasted buckwheat — that's what gives the blend the baked, crusty character a regular fruit tea lacks. Cacao nibs and coconut make the finish full and creamy. A loose blend, not a bag of dust.

One cup costs you less than 30 cents.

A slice of apple pie at the bakery costs you four euros. A cappuccino with something on the side on a terrace quickly hits eight fifty. From a 100 gram bag you get about fifty cups. This sits in your cupboard and is ready in five minutes.

Who this is for

• You like something warm in the evening but caffeine keeps you awake
• You want something sweet without it becoming a dessert
• You're done with tea bags that taste of paper
• You have guests and want to serve something they'll ask about

Who this is not for: if you want something spicy and sharp — this is too soft. Look at Zonnewortel instead, with ginger and lemon.

How to brew

1. One level teaspoon per cup (about 2 grams).
2. Boiling water. With rooibos, 100 °C is fine.
3. Steep five to eight minutes. Longer is fine too.
4. Strainer out. Done.

Tip: a splash of oat drink turns it into an apple-pie latte. Brewed cold in the fridge (overnight, in a jug) it becomes an iced tea with a fresh apple note.

The promise

If you don't like it, you get your money back. You don't have to send anything back and you don't have to give a reason. Send an email and it's sorted.

I know what that cupboard looks like with three half-used tea tins you tried once. I don't want to be one of them.

— Michael, Zachtethee

Frequently asked questions

How does it taste?
Cinnamon first, then apple, and underneath something roasted from the buckwheat. Sweet in taste, without having to stir anything in.

Can I drink it in the evening?
That's what it's made for. Rooibos naturally contains no caffeine.

Does it turn bitter if I forget it?
No. Steeping longer gives more taste, no astringency.

Do I need a special filter?
A tea strainer or tea filter is enough. The pieces are large.

How many cups are in a pack?
With one teaspoon per cup: 50 grams is good for about 25 cups, 100 grams for about 50.

How long does it keep?
The best-before date is on the back of the pack. Store the blend dry, dark and well sealed; the resealable bag is made for that.

Ingredients: rooibos, roasted buckwheat, cinnamon, apple, cinnamon sticks, cacao nibs, natural green apple flavouring, coconut, apple quarters, natural cinnamon flavouring, natural vanilla flavouring.
Contents: 50 g or 100 g loose blend.