Caffeine-free, antioxidant-rich rooibos tea makes a wonderful, relaxing tea you can enjoy any time of the day. Read on to find out more about rooibos tea and how to make it at home.
What is Rooibos Tea?
Rooibos tea is an herbal tea made from the red bush plant, Aspalathus Linearis, grown in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa. It is also known as bush tea, red tea, or red bush tea.
The oxidized (leaves are exposed to the air in order to dry and darken) version of rooibos tea has a fruity flavor. The unoxidized version has a strong, earthy flavor.
Rooibos is not a true tea since it is not made from the Camellia Sinensis plant. There are five true teas, which include green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, and Pu’erh. Rooibos tea is a tisane or herbal tea. To learn more about true tea, read my post on What Are the Types of True Tea?
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Types of Rooibos Tea
There are two types of rooibos tea:
Red rooibos tea is the traditional and most common rooibos tea. The rooibos tea leaves are oxidized to produce a deep red color and a sweet taste.
Green rooibos is less common and more expensive. The leaves are left to dry in the sun, producing a tea with an earthy flavor.
Of course, you can purchase varieties of rooibos that have been blended with other flavors or spices, such as vanilla rooibos, chai rooibos, or cinnamon rooibos, all of which use the red rooibos leaves as the base tea.
This tea can be purchased as loose-leaf tea or in rooibos tea bags. Loose-leaf tea is usually the better quality tea. The leaves in tea bags tend to be the “scraps” or chopped-up bits of the leaves.
Benefits
Rooibos is a caffeine-free tea full of antioxidants. Because of its calming effects, rooibos tea is ideal as a pre-bedtime drink.
This tea also contains very few tannins, which results in a mild flavor. Tannins give the tea a bitter taste.
The antioxidants in the tea may provide many health benefits, such as reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and preventing heart disease. For more information on the health benefits of rooibos tea, see this article from WebMD.
How to Steep Rooibos Tea:
- Use filtered water if possible. Bring water to a rolling boil – 200°F – 21°F. Using a kettle with temperature control would be helpful for this.
- Use some of the boiled water to warm the teapot. If water is poured into a cold teapot, it can reduce the temperature of the water slightly. Just swish the hot water in the pot and dump it out.
- Add your tea leaves to the pot. Use 1 tsp of loose tea leaves per 8 oz of water. If you are using tea bags, use 1 tea bag per 8 oz of water.
- Pour hot water over the tea leaves and allow the tea to steep for 5 – 8 minutes.
- Pour the hot tea into a teacup or mug using a fine mesh strainer or a linen strainer. Rooibos leaves are small, so they can pass through some regular tea strainers. (You can also use a French press to brew the tea and minimize the tea leaves that get poured into the cup.)
- You can add a sweetener of your choice and/or milk. It’s a matter of personal preference.
Iced Tea Variation
Iced rooibos tea is a refreshing summer drink. You can simply refrigerate hot brewed rooibos until it cools down to your desired temperature. Add ice cubes to make it even colder, but this may dilute the strength of your tea slightly.
The best way to enjoy iced rooibos tea is to cold-brew it. Just add your desired amount of cold water and tea to a pitcher and refrigerate overnight.
If you are adding a sweetener to your cold brew tea, it is best to make a simple syrup because sugars and other sweeteners are difficult to dissolve in cold tea.
Rooibos tea is a great caffeine-free alternative to black tea. A hot cup of this delicious tea can be enjoyed any time of the day. The antioxidant levels in rooibos are among the highest of any tea and are a good reason to enjoy the wonderful flavor of a perfect cup of rooibos tea.
Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea is caffeine-free and is naturally sweet. It's easy to make a cup of hot rooibos tea or an iced rooibos tea.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon rooibos tea leaves or 1 tea bag
Instructions
- Use filtered water if possible. Bring water to a rolling boil - 200°F - 21°F. Using a kettle with temperature control would be helpful for this.
- Use some of the boiled water to warm the teapot. If water is poured into a cold teapot, it can reduce the temperature of the water slightly. Just swish the hot water in the pot and dump it out.
- Add your tea leaves to the pot. Use 1 tsp of loose tea leaves per 8 oz of water. If you are using tea bags, use 1 tea bag per 8 oz of water.
- Pour hot water over the tea leaves and allow the tea to steep for 5 - 8 minutes.
- Pour the hot tea into a teacup or mug using a fine mesh or linen strainer. Rooibos leaves are small so they can pass through some regular tea strainers. (You can also use a French press to brew the tea and minimize the tea leaves that get poured into the cup.)
- You can add a sweetener of your choice and/or milk. It’s a matter of personal preference.
Notes
How to Make Iced Rooibos Tea
The best way to enjoy iced rooibos tea is to cold-brew it. Just add your desired amount of cold water and tea to a pitcher and refrigerate overnight or for at least 12 hours.
Strain the tea with a fine mesh or linen strainer into a tall glass. Add ice and a sweetener if desired and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 1Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 10mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It’s not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Some herbs can exacerbate underlying medical conditions or interfere with medication. Always check with your medical professional before choosing herbal remedies.