What Does Rooibos Tea Taste Like?
Rooibos tea is a naturally sweet tea that is extremely smooth and gentle with nutty notes. The longer you brew Rooibos the richer and more full-bodied it becomes. In rural South Africa, it isn’t unusual to have a pot of Rooibos tea simmering all day on the stove. No matter how long you brew Rooibos, it won’t become bitter.
Where is Rooibos Tea From?
Rooibos tea grows exclusively in the Cederberg Mountains in South Africa.
In July of 2021, South Africa received the exciting news that Rooibos tea joins the list of the European Union’s protected designation of origin products. Rooibos tea is the first food from Africa to receive this distinction, which will help protect farmers from competing with any Rooibos teas which might be grown outside of South Africa’s Cederberg Mountains.
This along with South Africa’s decree that all Rooibos tea industry profits must be shared with the San and Khoi peoples (the first users of Rooibos and indigenous peoples of the Cederberg Mountains) helps us confidently source Rooibos knowing all involved in the growing and production are being treated fairly and compensated appropriately.
Does Rooibos Tea Have Caffeine?
Since Rooibos tea is not from the camellia sinensis plant, it does not have the caffeine normally found in green or black teas. Rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free.
How To Brew Rooibos
We especially love Rooibos not only for its flavor but also because you can’t over brew it! Use one heaping teaspoon of tea for 8 ounces of water. Brew with hot boiling water for at least five minutes. Because Rooibos comes from a different plant than traditional green and black teas, it has lower levels of tannins which can give ‘normal’ tea a bitter taste. Even if you leave Rooibos tea to brew all day, it will remain sweetly smooth.
Everybody has their own way of drinking Rooibos, brewed weak or strong, plain or flavored, with milk or without milk. Any way you decide to sip your Rooibos, it’s a great caffeine-free alternative to traditional black tea.
Our Favorite Rooibos Teas!
If you are new to Rooibos tea, you can’t beat starting out with straight traditional Rooibos!
Our Rooibos Herbal Tea is a mild tea alternative with a smooth, fruity-floral, slightly sweet, and nutty tea-like flavor that requires no sweetening. It is a wonderful evening tea for before bedtime as Rooibos tea is caffeine-free. We also enjoy drinking it with lemon or lime desserts as its natural sweetness complements the tartness of the citrus.
Looking for a sweet way to start or end your day? The warm and subtle Caramel Rooibos will hit the spot! The slightly woody and smooth flavor of the Rooibos blends perfectly with the caramel flavoring making this cup especially satisfying!
Orange Cream Tea is a customer favorite! This Rooibos tea is caffeine-free and naturally sweet. A Rooibos tea blended with orange, vanilla, and dehydrated yogurt, this tea brews up creamy and refreshing! Takes us right back to the creamsicles of our childhoods!
Our Rooibos tea collection wouldn’t be complete without a Green Rooibos tea. Green Rooibos tea comes from the same plant as Red Rooibos, but just like green tea, it is heated to stop the fermentation or oxidation process.
Eliah created this delicious organic blend of black tea, green Rooibos tea, lemon myrtle, and orange peel specifically for cold brewing. The Green Rooibos added a smoothness that makes this a refreshingly smooth tea!
Find More Rooibos Teas and Over 100 Loose Leaf Teas at Spice-Topia.com
What is Rooibos Tea?
Note
Read more about South Africa's Landmark Decision to share Rooibos Profits:
Read more about Rooibos new EU designation: https://theconversation.com/rooibos-tea-eu-protection-is-good-news-for-south-african-agriculture-163502