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This post may contain affiliate links. Simple Loose Leaf is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com. Many countries are producing tea. You can easily find Japanese or Korean green tea, or Egyptian or Hungarian Chamomile, but you will never find Indian Rooibos. Why? Because rooibos is grown and made only in South Africa. Today, this unique herbal caffeine free tea is available worldwide. But 20 years ago, it was a rare and unknown tisane. If you already tried rooibos tea and didn’t like it, there’s good news. There are different types of rooibos tea. Learn how to find the best tea for your preferences. What is rooibos tea?Rooibos or red bush tea is herbal tea made from dried leaves and stems of Aspalathus linearis plant. It can be fermented and non-fermented, just like green and black tea. Nonfermented rooibos is green and has a light, slightly sweet and slightly earthy, refreshing flavor with no bitterness. Fermented rooibos is red and has a stronger, more earthy and sweet flavor, also with no bitterness. Both red and green rooibos tea are naturally caffeine free. Blood Orange rooibos tea Why is rooibos tea popular?Rooibos gained popularity for two major reasons. It has a delicious refreshing flavor with no caffeine and may provide many potential health benefits. But there’s one more characteristic that makes it unique. Rooibos, both green and red, blend amazingly well with other ingredients. This makes them a perfect herbal base for caffeine-free blends. Some rooibos teas are stronger, some are lighter, some have a stronger sweet note, while others are more earthy. Unlike real teas made from Camellia sinensis plant, rooibos is very easy to brew. You can’t over-brew rooibos. In fact, it will still taste delicious even if you forget about your brewed cup for a couple of hours. Brew rooibos for 3-10 minutes in boiling water, strain and serve. You can drink it with honey, sugar or pure. It tastes great served over ice. The only disadvantage of rooibos tea is the size of the leaf particles. Particles are so small that you will need to be careful about the choice of teapot or strainer. The best way to brew rooibos is using paper or cotton tea filters, and in teapots that have a very fine mesh strainer. Rooibos tea brewed in different ways What qualities should I look for in a rooibos tea?When choosing the best rooibos for your taste and needs, ask yourself the following questions. 1. Which type of tea do you regularly enjoy the most?If you enjoy green teas, green rooibos may be a wonderful choice. It has a similar flavor to lighter non-grassy green teas, and zero bitterness – even if you over-brew it. Green rooibos may even appeal to those tea drinkers that don’t like the flavor of red rooibos. On the other hand, if you love black teas more, red rooibos may be a good choice. However, unlike black tea, red rooibos is not malty or smoky. It has a very unique earthy flavor. 2. How will you drink your tea?If you drink tea with milk, red rooibos is a better choice than green rooibos. If you like it iced, both are wonderful. Fruity rooibos blends are delicious iced. If you love making lattes, creamy and chocolaty rooibos blends are amazingly tasty when blended with milk. And if you want to make a tea concentrate or a tea syrup, red rooibos is a better choice. It’s strong enough to flavor to many dishes, cocktails and desserts. In fact, because of its versatility, it’s one of the best herbal teas to have in your kitchen cupboard. Rooibos iced tea 3. What kind of flavors you like?Rooibos is probably the most versatile herbal tea in the world. It can be blended with any imaginable ingredient–from sour hibiscus to soothing roses. Rooibos blends often have a lighter earthy flavor than pure rooibos tea. Chocolate and vanilla notes may highlight the natural sweetness of a red bush tea. Therefore, vanilla blends are likely to be the closer in flavor to pure red rooibos than zesty and sour blends. When choosing the best loose leaf tea, look for the ingredients list. Today, both organic and non-organic rooibos tea leaves are available on the market. Red rooibos tea should always be fresh and have tea leaves with a vivid brownish-red or yellowish-red color. Keep your tea away from direct sunlight, sources of heat, moisture or mold. Keep it in an airtight container. What are the potential benefits of rooibos tea?One of the reasons rooibos is gaining popularity world-wide is a wide range of potential health benefits. It contains antioxidants and may help boost immune system, fight free radicals[1] and reduce oxidative stress[2]. Rooibos may potentially help fight and treat cancer, diabetes,[3] neurodegenerative diseases[4] and help lower blood lipids[5] and promote weight loss goals[6]. Studies suggest rooibos is also an amazing herbal choice for relaxation. It may help reduce the levels of stress hormone – cortisol.[7] To gain the most benefits, scientists suggest to drink it daily, even up to 6 cups. The good news? It’s caffeine free and is likely to be extremely safe[8]. Therefore, overdose on rooibos is very unlikely. Best Rooibos TeasToday, rooibos there is rarely a loose leaf tea company that doesn’t offer rooibos tea. While pure red rooibos may always have a recognizable flavor, rooibos blends are all unique. Here are our top choices if you really want to understand the versatility and wide range of flavors this tea can have.
New to Rooibos? Learn More!Want to learn more about this amazing herbal tea? Check out the following articles:
References:[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2225411014000212 [2] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0087061 [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2225411014000212 [4] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0087061 [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20833235 [6] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0087061 [7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24022885 [8] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/41014117_Possible_hepatotoxic_effect_of_rooibos_tea_A_case_report What happens when you drink rooibos tea everyday?Rich in protective plant compounds, including polyphenols, drinking rooibos regularly may help protect against the oxidative damage associated with diabetes. Rooibos is a rich source of the antioxidant aspalathin, which animal studies suggest helps to balance blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance.
Which brand red tea is best?Bestsellers in Rooibos Tea. #1. Tea Treasure Rooibos Red, Caffeine Free Antioxidants Rich South African Tea Pyramid Bags, 18 Count. ... . #2. Teamonk Rooibos Caffeine Free Herbal Infusion Tea Box - 50 Biodegradable Pyramid Tea Bags. ... . #3. Grenera Rooibos Tea Bags (40 Dip Tea Bags) | Caffeine Free, Gluten Free, Non GMO. ... . #4. ... . #5. ... . #6. ... . #7. ... . How many cups of rooibos tea should I drink a day?Experts say that six cups of rooibos tea a day is the recommended amount, but we think even one cup will do good! The best way to drink rooibos tea is to simply add boiling water and leave to brew until it is at the strength you are looking for.
Which is healthier red or green rooibos?If you think in antioxidants only, then yes. Green rooibos has higher levels of antioxidants than red rooibos.
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