Rooibos Tea

What exactly is Rooibos Tea and how do you drink it? Where can you buy it? What does it taste like? Does it have any health benefits? Rooibos Tea (also known as "Bush Tea", "Red Bush Tea", "South African Bush Tea" or "Red Tea") not surprisingly originates in South Africa. The people of South Africa have drank Rooibos Tea for many years, although it is only now catching up in other parts of the world with the other herbal tea varieties available. You can both drink this tea and use it in homemade spa treatments. Read on to explore this healthful tea variety.

A 'Protected Designation of Origin Food'

This Time article from March, 31, 2010, lists Rooibos Tea in its list of Top 10 Protected Foods.

The foods on this list all have been designated as 'Protected Designation of Origin' by the European Union. This means that only foods coming from a specified geographic area can call themselves by their name.

Top 10 Protected Foods

1. Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb (UK)
2. Prosciutto di Parma (Italy)
3. Rooibos Tea (South Africa)
4. Roquefort Cheese (France)
5. Champagne (France)
6. Vidalia Onions (United States)
7. Darjeeling Tea (India)
8. Tequila (Mexico)
9. Kobe Beef (Japan)
10. Cachaca (Brazil)

Rooibos tea was used by the indigenous Khoisan tribe of South Africa. They bruised the leaves of this shrub with hammers, fermented it and left it to dry in the South African sun. Botanist Carl Humberg was introduced to this tea by the Khoisan tribe in 1772. Russian immigrant Benjamin Ginsberg began marketing Rooibos tea as "mountain tea" back in 1904, espousing its benefits as an herbal alternative to black tea.

Rooibos tea's popularity didn't develop until after 1970, with Annique Theron's book "Allergies: An amazing discovery."

This book was the work of Theron's research on the tea's healing properties: she had been using Rooibos tea to help her infant child with both colic and insomnia.

Rooibos tea is naturally sweet and nutty so no sweeteners are required. It is traditionally drank with milk and sugar in South Africa though. Rooibos tea can be served iced or hot. One thing is for sure however, the taste of Rooibos tea improves when you brew it longer.

Here's everything you need (aside from the garnishes and tea scale) to make your own iced Rooibos and Hibiscus tea as per the video instructions above. Enjoy!

I came across the following recipes for rooibos tea cocktails. Drinking your red tea in this way might diminish its health benefits, but it sure looks yummy!

• Rooibos Iced Tea Cocktail - cachaco, rooibos tea, lime juice, honey, orgeat, vanilla, vanilla & cardamom bitters

Rooibis Sangria Ingredients

• 3 rooibis teabags
• Castor sugar or honey
• 2 mangoes, diced
• 2 limes, peeled and diced
• 2 oranges, peeled and diced
• 2 bottles red wine
• 250 ml brandy
• 1 liter soda water

Rooibis Sangria Preparation

Using the rooibis tea bags, prepare 1 liter of hot rooibis tea. Add the caster sugar or honey and allow for it to dissolve. Remove the teabags and leave the tea to cool. Add the chopped fruit, wine and brandy to your rooibis tea. Chill the mix and add ice and soda water prior to serving.

Rooibis Gluhwein Ingredients

• 2 Rooibos tea bags
• 1 bottle red wine
• 1 Lemon Rind
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• Ground Cloves
• Sugar
• Sugar

Rooibis Gluhwein Preparation

Prepare half a liter of rooibis tea using the tea bags. Add the sugar, lemon rind, cinnamon sticks and ground cloves to the rooibis tea and boil the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the red wine and bring this mix to the boiling point again. Remove the tea bags, cinnamon and lemon rind. Serve your rooibis gluhwein.

• Chocolate Chai - has a ginger flavor with cardamom and citrus as well as dark chocolate chips. This is a dessert tea and an excellent immune booster (dark chocolate has extra antioxidants to add to those already in the rooibos leaves).
• Peach Rooibos - has peach and other fruit added. This variety is never fermented nor oxidized and is limited to a small growth area within the Cederberg area of South Africa's Western Cape.
• Rooibos Bourbon - gets its name for the Bourbon Islands in the Indian Ocean and not the liquor! The taste of Rooibos Bourbon has a hint of vanilla.
• Green Rooibos - has its fermentation period end after the cutting of the leaf, has an earthy flavor and is good served either hot or cold.

African Drumming, an interview with an African tea importer on the Rooibos variety and a demonstration of how to make a Rooibos latte. What more could you ask for?

• Caffeine Free - You can drink this tea at night and still get a good night's sleep. Also, whereas caffeine dehydrates, rooibos tea replenishes you.
• Low tannin levels - You can steep rooibos tea for long periods of time without it getting bitter (tannins make for bitter tea). Rooibos tea actually improves in taste the longer you leave it to steep.
• High Antioxidant Content
• - One of these is called Peroxide Dismutase (SOD) that mimics the activity of free radicals, thus limiting their consequences. Rooibos' antioxidants are beneficial to heart health, minimizing cholesterol builup and preventing clots.

Search on eBay for your tea accessories and you might find yourself a deal. To get the best taste and full health impact of Rooibos Tea, you'll want to drink the loose variety and for that you'll need the proper equipment. Here are some featured items being auctioned online at eBay right now.

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Have you ever drank Rooibos tea before? Where did you try it out and how long ago did you discover it? Are you drinking Rooibos tea for the taste, the health benefits or both? Do you like the taste? What is the best brand you've tried? Anything you'd like to comment about this variety of herbal tea is welcome here!

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