The History Of Rooibos Tea

In 1772, a botanist by the name of Carl Thunberg, was the first to report Rooibos Tea. However, for thousands of years before that, people of Khoisan were using the tea for its value medically. Later, because black tea was so expensive, many people turned to Rooibos Tea as an alternative. Depending on the process of the tea, it can be green or red. This directly depends on if fermentation or oxidation is used in the creation process.

Also known as Red Tea, Rooibos Tea, is a very popular drink among many nations and ethnics. For example, in most places, the tea is consumed without the addition of any milk or sugar, because most people define the tea as a sweet drink, with a slightly nutty taste. However, in the South African region, the people generally add some sugar and milk prior to drinking.

Rooibos Tea is known as a very close relative of the black tea. The two processes and brewing preparations are extremely similar. The only real differences are the end color and the amount of brewing time needed. You see, with black tea, you end up with a dark black color, hence the name. At the same time, steeping of black tea is short, oversteeping results in an extremely bitter taste. However, with Rooibos Tea, the longer you brew the tea, the more improvement the flavor shows.

Of course, besides the great tastes to be had with this type of tea, there are many medicinal properties as well. One very popular aspect of Rooibos Tea, particularly with the health conscious is that it is caffeine free. In fact, it has been compared with Chamomile Tea, with the only difference between the two being the fact that Rooibos Tea is free from caffeine and Chamomile is not. If this is true, then Rooibos Tea is a great natural alternative to medication for many ailments such as, colic, allergens, depression, menstrual cramps, toothaches, and even insomnia. Of course, there are many other health benefits that the tea possesses, all of which has been based on extensive research and studies.

So, as you can see Rooibos tea has a long history and is not only tasty but it's good for you to! It's no wonder, that this is being touted as one of the new health drinks and is being sold in many health stores as well as local markets.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://tea.topicgaint.com where you can learn more about different types of tea and tea accessories.