Rooibos Tea

When it comes to tea types, rooibos tea is a versatile option with a large range of flavors. This tea is rarer than other types, such as green tea or black tea, however, it has a more distinct taste and fruity notes too. You can find many different variations including red rooibos tea, green rooibos tea, and even chocolate rooibos tea too. No matter what your palate is, there’s an organic rooibos tea to suit your taste.

Want to learn more about this popular tea? Keep on reading to explore the best rooibos tea types and the history too.

What is rooibos tea?

Rooibos tea is now a popular drink that you can find in many stores and cafes too, but where did this beverage originate? Red rooibos tea is originally from Africa and it has been consumed there for centuries. This drink is now an international choice due to its great flavors and the fact it’s also caffeine-free.

African rooibos tea originates from the west coast of South Africa and comes from a plant, making it a herbal tea. Traditionally, leaves from a shrub (known as Aspalathus Linearis) are used. These leaves are fermented, a process that gives the tea its famous red color. Green rooibos teas are from the same plants, however, their leaves are not fermented giving the tea a different taste and color.

When it comes to drinking rooibos tea, there’s a range of ways you can consume it. Some enjoy loose leaf rooibos tea, whereas others use rooibos tea bags instead. It’s common to add milk or sugar too and some add ice for a cool beverage. You can even find rooibos tea lattes, espressos, and cappuccinos too now.

Benefits of Rooibos Tea

The rooibos tea benefits are vast and a reason the drink has become so popular. From its low caffeine content to its high number of antioxidants, pure rooibos red tea has a lot of health advantages.

• A high number of antioxidants: Red tea rooibos is known for being healthy, but one of the main reasons this drink has a good reputation is its high number of antioxidants. Some of the antioxidants found in this tea include quercetin and aspalathin, and some studies have even found that drinking rooibos tea can increase the antioxidant levels in your body too.
• Caffeine-free tea: While caffeine is found in green and black teas, this stimulant doesn’t occur in organic rooibos tea. Though low caffeine levels are safe to consume, they can cause unwanted side effects in some people. This tea is safe to consume if you don’t like caffeine or have bad reactions to it. Rooibos tea bags also contain lower tannin levels and no oxalic acid, making it a more popular health drink than other tea variations.
• May reduce cancer risks: The rooibos tea health benefits are vast, but another key reason many drink this tea is for the fact some evidence shows it can reduce cancer risks. Certain antioxidants are found in this tea (luteolin and quercetin), some say it can kill cancer cells and even prevent some tumor growth too.
• Improves heart health: Another one of the best rooibos tea benefits is that the tea can supposedly benefit your heart health too. Research has shown that ingesting organic rooibos tea can have good blood pressure effects and improve your cholesterol too. Though there are a few studies that support these claims, more evidence is needed for a certain result.

Some additional benefits to consuming rooibos tea that need more testing include: improved digestion, better bone health, help with sleep problems, cures headaches, alleviation of allergy symptoms.

These are a few suggested benefits from long-term drinkers; however, more evidence is needed to support these claims.

Origin And Regions of Growing

Pure rooibos red tea dates back around 300 years, making it a younger tea than others (such as black and green teas). This South African tea is created from plant leaves and herbs that are processed to give a deep red herbal infusion. This is sometimes also called African red tea as well as rooibos tea. The tea was embraced by the Dutch settlers in South Africa in the 1700s, however, this wasn’t popular as a commercial tea drink until the 1930s. In the 2000s rooibos tea gained popularity and it was also used as a food flavoring due to its variety of tastes.

Types Of Rooibos Tea

Interested in the different variations of rooibos herbal tea? Here are some of the most common rooibos tea flavors!

Original red rooibos tea

The red rooibos tea is undoubtedly the most popular. This is named after its color, which is a by-product of the fermentation process. It’s common for this tea to have a nutty and sweet flavor, as it lacks tannins and caffeine. Organic rooibos tea tastes great alone, but you can add sugar or honey to taste if needed.

Green rooibos tea

Green rooibos tea skips the fermentation process that occurs in red rooibos tea. This leaves you with a healthy drink that’s full of antioxidants, nutrients, and more. This green drink is healthier than the traditional red version and it also has a more herbal taste.

Flavored rooibos tea

Alongside the classic red and green rooibos tea varieties, you can find additional flavored teas too. These include flavors like chocolate rooibos tea, rooibos vanilla tea, rooibos tea weight loss, rooibos mint tea, and more.

What To Look for In a Rooibos Tea

When you’re deciding which rooibos tea taste is for you, there are a few tea features you should consider. While rooibos tea benefits are found in all types, some offer more (e.g., green rooibos tea).

When Finding the Perfect Tea for You, Look At:

• The flavor of the tea. Do you want sweet? Herbal? Or a specialty flavor?
• The color of the tea. Are you after a green or red rooibos tea?
• Do you want organic rooibos tea or rooibos tea bags? You can also purchase loose leaf rooibos tea too.

Best Rooibos Tea for You

The rooibos tea taste is unforgettable, so if you haven’t tried it yet make sure you do soon! This tea is available online and in many modern cafes. Whether you’re a tea lover or new to the beverage, there’s a rooibos tea available to suit your palate - you just need to find it!

Have you tried rooibos tea before? What’s your opinion on this drink? Let us know in the comments!

FAQ:

Want to know more about this tea type? Here are the most common rooibos tea questions.

Which rooibos tea is the best?

Though rooibos tea preferences can change from person to person, the most popular type is African rooibos tea as this uses the traditional recipe and has a distinct red color.

What does rooibos tea taste like?

The red rooibos tea has a smooth taste. Many describe this tea as sweet, nutty, and it also sometimes features fruity notes. The green variations of this tea are more herbal and sometimes “grassy” too.

What does rooibos tea do for your body?

There is a range of rooibos tea health benefits, including:

• Antioxidants
• Caffeine-free
• Improves heart health
• Reduces cancer risks
• & More!

Is rooibos tea caffeine-free?

Yes, as rooibos tea is a herbal tea it has no caffeine in it. This makes it popular for those who don’t enjoy the effects of caffeine or anyone on a no-caffeine diet. It also doesn’t have tannins either.

Can I drink rooibos tea at night?

Since this tea doesn’t have any caffeine it’s a good evening drink as it won’t keep you awake during the night. Though some report it can help you sleep too, there’s no scientific evidence to this yet.

Is rooibos tea safe during pregnancy?

Rooibos tea is a pregnancy-safe tea, as it’s caffeine-free many expectant mothers use it to replace coffee, black tea, or green tea. Not only that, but the high antioxidant levels benefit the mother too.

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