Before introducing the US market to Red Tea, Kalahari started with a South African breakfast staple called a Rusk. Used by solders to cross the hot Kalahari desert, the rusk was packed with energy and could last a long time before spoiling. While looking similar to a biscotti, the lack of sweetness unfortunately didn’t appeal to the US market. And while the rusk itself lacked spark the Kalahari packaging was good enough to land several major grocers and enough brand recognition for an easy transition to later products.