Rooibos is an organic herbal tea made from sprigs of Aspalathus Linearis, a shrub common in South Africa. It has a sweet aroma, reminiscent of honey, but also slightly balsamic. It is highly valued for its red and warm liquor color.
We can try it pure, without additions, or flavored and with theaddition of fruits, spices or flowers.
The flavor is also sweet, not becoming astringent or bitter.
Because it is not a tea, it does not contain caffeine, as it is not derived from Camellia Sinensis, which is the tea plant.
Rooibos: the perfect herbal tea for Fall
Rooibos is valued for its properties, such as its high amount of antioxidants, mineral salts and vitamins. In particular, it contains the flavonoid aspalatin, which is beneficial to the body in prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Among the vitamins, Rooibos is recognized to contain vitamin C; it promotes an excellent supply of calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Thanks to its vitamin C content, Rooibos is definitely a perfect beverage for the fall season, as it helps us protect our immune system.
How to prepare hot Rooibos
The preparation of Rooibos is very simple, and is similar to that of any herbal tea.
Rooibos is not made up of large leaves, but fragments of red leaves and twigs. To infuse it you can use ateapot with filter, both glass ones and cast-iron ones are fine.
Forcorrect preparation of Rooibos, follow these directions:
measure 3 grams of Rooibos (equivalent of two teaspoons)
pour the leaves into the filter of the teapot
pour the water at 95°C, until the Rooibos leaves are entirely covered
wait 5 minutes
You'll be amazed at how the Rooibos infusion manages to be sweet, balsamic, pleasant, with this beautiful red color in the cup. Containing no caffeine, Rooibos is suitable for any time of the day, especially in the evening, after meals.
How to prepare cold Rooibos
You can enjoy the benefits and fragrance of Rooibos when hot, but during the summer it becomes a perfect drink for cooling and hydrating.
Rooibos can be cold infused:
measure 2 tablespoons of Rooibos
pour the leaves into a 1-liter pitcher or bottle
pour cool or room-temperature water over the leaves
place the container in the refrigerator for 5 hours
Cold infusion can take a little longer: the Rooibos will never become bitter!
When you decide to drink it, you can pour the cold Rooibos into a glass with ice and add pieces of fruit (e.g., peach), spices, or honey to taste, to accentuate the already sweet notes of the drink.
Rooibos is not red tea
Rooibos,is still called red tea by many. However, this classification is wrong.
Rooibos cannot be called tea, for one reason:it is not obtained from the tea plant.
- The plant from which we get all kinds of tea is Camellia Sinensis.
- Rooibos is obtained from a South African shrub, called Aspalathus Linearis, which has nothing to do with Camellia Sinensis.
With red tea, in China, we mean black tea, that is, the totally oxidized tea, the one that we in the West like a lot at breakfast.
In China, but also in Taiwan, and Japan, what we know as black tea is called red tea.
Some red teas, particularly the Chinese ones, are very sweet and also more delicate than the classic black teas of India or Ceylon. In addition, their liquor often has a beautiful ruby color, with a tinge tending toward red.
So, when we talk about black teas produced in China, Japan or Taiwan, we can continue to use the term "black teas," or we can call them "red teas."
