Rooibos

Rooibos loose leaf tea.

Rooibos (pronounced “Roy-Boss”), in generic terms, is an herbal tea originating in South Africa. It is also known as bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea. In South Africa, it is often prepared with milk and sugar. In the United States, as is common with most teas, it is usually enjoyed plain or with sweetener to taste. It is naturally sweet and has a vibrant, yet pleasant aroma. Some importers have added chai to their rooibos, which gives it a spice-like kick.

I reserve the right to exaggerate tremendously.

The health benefits of regular rooibos drinking are impressive. The tea contains high levels of antioxidants, which aid with dermatological issues such as acne. In my personal experience, I found the acne fighting properties of rooibos are particularly strong. While drinking strong cups regularly, I stopped using other dermatological treatments altogether and my skin hadn’t been so clear in ages. Other long term benefits include the cancer fighting properties of  two of it’s flavonoids, quercetin and luteolin.

Caffeine is absent in rooibos. It has gentle, calming effects that assist in conquering nervousness and combat insomnia. This makes it the perfect cup of tea to wind down with at night.

Import Options

Rooibos has become a very popular alternative to green tea in the West, and is therefor easy to find in most tea shops and even neighborhood grocery stores. Importing from South Africa doesn’t need to be done directly, and the leaves can be purchased from a number of online vendors.

Loose Leaf

I recommend Teavana’s blends for those who are new to teas and want a tasteful, gourmet brew. The company also sells sweeteners like rock sugar and honey, which can sweeten the blend to taste without overpowering it. Teavana teas are available online and in a limited number of locations across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

For pure rooibos and other red teas, try Mountain Rose Herbs. The company also offers bulk importing of plant material.

Bagged

Bagged varieties of rooibos can be purchased just about anywhere. Twining‘s sells a decent blend that can commonly be found in grocery stores. It is important to note, however, that bagged tea of any variety lacks the full flavor of freshly brewed loose leaf tea. It is comparable to a hamburger you would order at a fast food restaurant, it can be tasty, but it’s more the idea of a hamburger than a true, gourmet hamburger.

The reason for this is the teas found in bags are usually composed of leftovers, smaller pieces of plant material or “scrapings” from the vendor’s loose leaf varieties. Because they are mass produced and mass marketed, they are usually kept in improper conditions and may even contain unnatural preservatives to maintain an artificial “freshness.”

Place of Origin

South Africa, known officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. The cuisine includes a lot of meat dishes, with a type of preparation known as Braai (Afrikaans for grilled meat) quite popular. Desserts like melktert — a confection similar to a pie with filling made of flour, sugar, milk and eggs — and koeksisters, which are similar to doughnuts, are also common.

The country is well known for its vineyards and is one of the leading producers of wine in the world.

Some traditional South African foods.