Red rooibos is fermented much longer than green. The main difference between the red and green rooibos is how long they undergo the fermentation process. This lack of caffeine makes it an ideal nighttime tea, is safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding, and is one of the rare tea types that children can enjoy. Plus, green rooibos is entirely caffeine-free. Although green rooibos is similar to green tea in many ways, the antioxidants you receive from green rooibos are very different. Because green rooibos is less oxidized, it has a higher level of antioxidants and a slightly different chemical composition than red rooibos. This technique retains its color and fresh, grassy flavor. Like green tea, rooibos is dried immediately after it is steamed, and will undergo a heating process that will halt oxidation. This newer variety is rarer and less oxidized, leaving the tea in its natural, green state. In the mid-90s, an unfermented version called green rooibos was developed. More oxidized rooibos will be redder in color, and the taste will be sweeter and richer. Red rooibos is the most fermented and most popular variety of rooibos. Oxidation is the method used to bring out the plants’ natural essential oils and develop their color and flavor. Then the bundles are sorted and further cut to promote oxidation (exposure to oxygen). During the harvest process, the stems and leaves of the rooibos bush are cut by hand and bound into bundles. The rooibos plant is harvested and processed very similarly to the methods used for the Camellia sinensis “true tea” plant. In the last decade, rooibos has blown up in the United States and has become one of the most accessible tea varieties. By the early 2000s, rooibos became a mainstream beverage and a common ingredient in cooking and cosmetic products. Rooibos became a staple in South African kitchens during World War II when the Camellia sinensis plant became scarce, and the locals figured out rooibos was a better alternative. It was not until the 1930s that rooibos became a commercial tea crop. By the 1700s, Dutch settlers popularized the brewing of rooibos to drink tea that was less expensive than the trendier black tea. South Africa’s first-nation people, known as the “Sans people,” primarily used rooibos for medicinal purposes. Like the Camellia sinensis plant that produces black, green, and white tea, rooibos has been around for thousands of years. Its beautiful, red color has dubbed rooibos as the “African red tea” or “red bush tea.” Once the plants are harvested and dried, the herbal infusion will create a reddish-brown cup. Rooibos is technically an infusion because the plucked tea is in needle form instead of the typical leaf shape. The rooibos plant has long slender leaves with yellow flowers and is usually harvested in the summer. Grown in Cederberg’s mountainous region (three hours north of Cape Town), rooibos comes from the Aspalathus linearis plant, which is part of the legume plant family. The fact it is enjoyed globally but only grown locally is perhaps what makes this tea so unique. Despite their effort to harvest beyond their borders, South Africa continues to be the only rooibos producer in the world. Rooibos (pronounced “roy-boss”) is an herb native to South Africa.
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