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Tea Journey - African Reds |
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Actually classified as herbal tisanes, the red teas of Africa are gaining wide acceptance
and following.
A favorite in many parts of the world is Rooibos.
Rooibos (ROY-boss), sometimes misspelled as rooibus, is also known
as Red Bush Tea or just Red Tea. In Japan, this infusion is known as 'Long Life Tea' due to
its anti-aging properties. This tasty and delightful infusion is claimed to
have many benefits. For much more information of rooibos, see the articles at
Rooibos Tea. This site says
that Rooibos 'should' be your next cup of tea. If sure is a favorite of ours!
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Rooibos is an African slang word of Dutch origin meaning "red bush". Its uses include tea, natural food coloring and food flavoring. Rooibos Tea is the perfect daily beverage that can be enjoyed in unlimited quantities. This African Herbal tea is rich in many essential natural elements and is the healthiest tea you will ever drink.
Rooibos contains no caffeine and tannins that can be irritating to some. There are many claims that Rooibos can have a soothing effect on allergies, headaches, disturbed sleep patterns and digestive problems. Rooibos originated in South Africa where the locals discovered that the needle-like leaves of the Aspalathus Linearis plant made a tasty and aromatic tea.
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Rooibos tea is harvested during the summer (Southern Hemisphere). Most of the tea is picked manually. The tea is then bruised and cut using tobacco cutting machines. At this stage, Rooibos is still green. Fermentation is essential in order to enhance the flavor of the tea. Rooibos is fermented in mounds and then spread out to dry in the sunlight. Fermentation turns the tea red. Rooibos' nick name "red bush" does not apply to a live plant since it is green until it is fermented. In the final process Rooibos is sterilized by steam, dried in commercial dryers, sifted and packaged.
More information on Rooibos is at Jintu-Rooibos at Itm Online.
While talking about red tea, we must also mention Honeybush. Similar in appearance to Rooibos,
Honeybush flavor is similar to Rooibos but slightly sweeter. Honeybush flowers emit distinct
'honey' scent. Hence the name 'Honeybush'. African Honeybush contains no caffeine and can be
served hot or cold.
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Honeybush is similar to Rooibos but a little sweeter, hence the name. Honeybush flowers emit distinct honey scent. To produce the best flavor and scent, the Honeybush plant is harvested during flowering season. Honeybush tea is a delicious tasting beverage that can be served hot or cold. To enhance the flavor of Honeybush just add a little slice of lemon, fresh mint or a dab of honey. Honeybush makes an outstanding iced tea drink!
For extensive information see Honeybush also on ItmOnline.
If one needs yet another reason to drink Rooibos or Honeybush, both are almost without
tannin. Ceylon tea can contain as much as 30% tannin which many cannot tolerate. Oh, and did you know that tannin inhibits absorption of minerals?
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