How to brew rooibos: different cooking methods, features, taste

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Recently, rooibos tea has become popular. It is a drink from South Africa, where it has been consumed for many centuries. In European countries, he became known only recently, but has already gained popularity. After all, a pleasant taste, unusual aroma and tonic properties distinguish it from other types of tea. And the presence of many nutrients and the absence of caffeine make this drink useful. The main thing is to know how to brew rooibos correctly. Then he will give the drink all the healing properties and it will be delicious.

General characteristics of rooibos tea

How to brew this drink correctly, few know yet. Only recently, rooibos tea has become popular all over the world. And in South Africa, where it grows, the locals have long used the leaves and twigs of this plant as medicine. They believed that this drink gives vigor, he alth and prolongs youth.

Rooibos is a small shrub that growsonly in one area of Africa. Only here the climatic conditions are favorable for it, in other places rooibos does not grow. Therefore, it is grown on an industrial scale and supplied to all countries of the world. Rooibos tea is most popular in Germany and Japan.

This drink is made from the young twigs and needle-like leaves of the plant. Those who know how to brew rooibos correctly note that the tea has a pleasant sweetish taste with a slight sourness. Its aroma is also unusual: a little nutty, woody or herbal.

Benefits of this drink

Many people are now trying to figure out how to brew rooibos. After all, having learned about the many medicinal properties of this drink, everyone wants to try it. This tea has a tonic and refreshing effect, has a pleasant taste and aroma. But unlike the currently popular tea and coffee, it does not contain caffeine, so even children can drink it.

This plant contains many trace elements, vitamins and nutrients. It contains a lot of antioxidants, essential oils, flavonoids, contains magnesium, iron, fluorine, copper, calcium. In addition, rooibos contains a substance similar in action to tetracycline, so it can be considered a natural antibiotic.

If you know how to properly brew rooibos, you can take advantage of its beneficial properties, just by drinking a delicious drink. It has the following effect on the body:

• calms, helps to cope with stress, normalizes sleep;
• strengthens the immune system, has anti-inflammatoryproperties;
• helps to cope with intoxication, removes toxins from the body;
• due to the large amount of calcium, strengthens bones and protects teeth from caries;
• relieves spasms, removes flatulence and increased gas formation in the intestines;
• strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• activates blood circulation;
• improves memory and mental activity;
• slows down the aging process;
• improves skin and hair condition;
• prevents the development of cancer.

Who needs to drink rooibos tea

Unlike many other medicinal plants, rooibos can be consumed even by children and pregnant women. During the bearing of a child, the use of this drink favorably affects the he alth of mother and baby. And during lactation, rooibos increases the production of breast milk. This drink can be consumed by everyone, at any time of the day, without fear of overexcitation and insomnia.

Rooibos tea is especially useful for nausea, heartburn, flatulence, constipation. It is recommended to drink with diabetes, hepatitis, high blood pressure. Rooibos is given even to young children to improve the quality of sleep and fight intestinal colic. And due to the absence of oxalic acid and tannin, it can be drunk by people with a predisposition to stone formation.

It is recommended to know how to brew and drink rooibos for people with high blood pressure, nervous disorders, depression, sleep disturbance, allergic diseases. This tea helps withanxiety, fatigue, headaches, hangovers. It should be drunk for the prevention of cancer, to normalize the work of the heart and kidneys. It is recommended to use rooibos in the spring, when the body is weakened, with increased physical and mental stress.

Possible harm of rooibos tea

This drink is considered absolutely safe, it is not for nothing that it can be given even to small children. But some people may experience individual intolerance to the components of the plant, in which case it should not be consumed. It is not recommended to drink this tea on an empty stomach, with exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea. People with severe chronic conditions should consult their doctor before starting a new drink.

Types of rooibos tea

The twigs and leaves of this plant, which are needles, are brewed. Despite the fact that rooibos has nothing to do with ordinary tea, it is made in the same way. There are two types of tea: fermented and not. Rooibos green tea is the leaves of the plant, only lightly steamed. This helps to preserve the color and aroma of the plant, as well as its specific taste.

For fermentation, the raw materials are laid out on baking sheets, moistened, and then dried. After that, it is crushed with special presses. Fermented rooibos tea is also called red, and the drink from it takes on a pleasant orange hue.

Rooibos is sold like regular tea: by weight, packaged inboxes, as well as in bags for single tea leaves. Sometimes manufacturers add other herbs, pieces of fruit, flavors to the plant. You can find rooibos strawberry tea on the shelves, very popular in Africa, as well as a drink with orange slices, mango, apples, lemon, cinnamon or rose petals. Rooibos goes well with lemongrass, chamomile, stevia, immortelle, hibiscus, cornflower, goji berries. Many well-known tea manufacturers produce their own special rooibos drinks. This is "Greenfield" with a delicate creamy flavor and aroma of vanilla or "Lipton" with cinnamon.

How to properly brew rooibos tea

This is a vitamin drink, the value of which depends on how well it is prepared. Fans note that there are no difficulties in brewing rooibos. The main thing is not to use earthenware for this, as it will absorb the aroma and taste of tea. Rooibos is brewed in an enameled, metal or glass teapot. Add a few tablespoons of dry raw materials or a tea bag to a cup and pour boiling water over it. Tea is infused for 3-5 minutes. But many say that the longer it sits, the tastier the drink turns out. In Africa, rooibos is brewed for at least half an hour.

Many people are wondering how many times you can brew rooibos. A feature of this plant is that the taste of the drink only benefits from repeated brewing. Some tea lovers prefer to boil it for several minutes when making tea. In this case, a specific taste and aroma is formed, but many useful propertiesare lost.

Drink options

In addition to the usual way of brewing rooibos, many people prefer to cook it in the traditional African way - on fire or in a water bath. So the plant gives off more flavor, and the drink is more saturated. You need to heat it for no longer than 2-3 minutes, and it is recommended to interfere with it with a wooden stick.

Rooibos tea is good for breakfast, throughout the day and even before bed. It goes well with other herbs, cinnamon, lemon. Drink it with honey, cream or milk. This tea is delicious both hot and cold. It can be the basis for non-alcoholic cocktails with fruit juice or fruit. Also, based on this plant, decaffeinated coffee is prepared. You can make espresso, latte or cappuccino. It turns out a delicious tonic drink that even children can drink.