It's all the rage these days and is being used to treat ailments and also for helping tea drinkers everywhere kick the caffeine habit. We're talking about Rooibos Tea. Over the years our customers have asked about this exotic Herbal Infusions and we thought we would compile a bit of Rooibos 101 right here to help you understand the plant a little more.
Rooibos tea (Aspalatus Linearis) is grown in the Cederberg region of South Africa, about 250km north of Cape Town. The locals would steep the fine, needle like leavs of the bush and realized it made a very satisfying tisane. Today the tea is exported to over 140 countries worldwide and is used in many applications including teas, shampoos, shaving products, skincare, and in culinary dishes.
Does Rooibos Tea Have Tannins?
Yes, but the good news is that it's significantly lower than black tea. Tannins in Rooibos are about 1%, whereas in black tea it hovers around 12%.
Does Rooibos Tea Contain Caffeine?
No. Unlike Green Tea or Black Tea Rooibos Tea contains absolutely no caffeine! When we conduct our tea blending workshops at Herbal Infusions we often recommend that anyone that has a caffeine sensitivity use Rooibos (or Honeybush) as a base for blending their custom teas. For example, Earl Grey tea is made using bergamot oil and black tea. Instead of using black tea, you can achieve a very satisfying blend of naturally caffeine free Earl Grey tea by using Rooibos as the base instead!
So there is a little bit of background on Rooibos tea. Why not check out our collection of Rooibos tea blends that are hand blended right in our tea boutique and add them to your inventory?