Green Rooibos Tea Description:
A rare and delightful alternative to traditional rooibos! Typical production methods for rooibos tisanes involve oxidation and baking to impart a characteristic earthy flavor and red color. Green rooibos leaves, however, are processed similarly to green tea and are unoxidized and steamed. The resulting flavors are light, fresh, and herbaceous, with a lingering aroma of sweet hay and subtle malt.
Green Rooibos is a naturally caffeine free herb steeped for its refreshing taste. Since it is caffeine free, not simply decaffeinated, it’s a great afternoon alternative for those sensitive to caffeine. It is also refreshing as an iced tea
Want to know more? Learn more about rooibos, where it comes from, and the many blends it provides.
Ingredients:
South African Green Rooibos
South African Rooibos Significance:
The scientific name for rooibos, which comes from Afrikaans meaning “red bush”, is Aspalathus Linearis. Coming from the legume family, rooibos is related to beans, peas, clover, and peanuts, though the family also includes over 16,000 other species. It is a shrub that grows up to 6’ in height with green, needle shaped leaves and yellow flowers.
Rooibos is only grown in one location in the world, the valleys of the Cederberg Mountain region of Western Cape, South Africa, to the north of Cape Town. Rooibos has been consumed by local Khoisan inhabitants for more than 300 years. The arriving Dutch settlers to South Africa in the 1700’s started to consume rooibos due to the high cost of imported black tea. Commercial production began in the 1930’s and more recently its anti-oxidant properties have attracted significant demand, initially from Japan but now from many other countries as well. In fact, exports have increased over 700% from 1993 to 2003.
The specific region where rooibos is grown recently was designated a World Heritage Site, yet the majority of land is privately owned, so the need for responsible land use and development practices has driven the South African Rooibos Council to develop Right Rooibos, a program to foster sustainable production practices for the industry and support production while protecting the environment.
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- Step 1:
- Preheat mug with boiling water, discard and refill.
- Step 2:
- Steep 2 light tsp or 3-4 grams of tea per 8 oz water.
- Step 3:
- Steep for 7-10 minutes as desired. Great candidate for cold brewing tea for a summer iced treat.
