How to Brew Rooibos Tea? [5 Easy Steps To Follow]
If you haven’t yet tried rooibos tea, you are missing out. This traditional African tea is becoming more popular in the west, and for good reason! Pronounced roy-boss, rooibos tea is not just tasty, but it boasts many health benefits, too.
It assists with weight loss, supports heart health, and improves digestion. Its high levels of antioxidants make it a great choice for all around health. (1)
Plus, its calming and soothing properties make it a great choice to assist with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Rooibos tea is a great option for any time of day due to it being naturally free of caffeine.
When they think of rooibos tea, most people think of red tea, but there is actually a green variety as well. Red rooibos tea tastes sweet and floral, whereas green rooibos tea tastes more earthy, not unlike yerba mate tea. Green rooibos tea is harder to find, and is more expensive than red rooibos tea.
Brewing rooibos tea may sound as simple as just adding hot water, but there’s a bit more to it than that. Follow these steps to make your next cup of rooibos tea taste even better.
What you’ll need:
- Filtered water: the quality of your water will directly impact how your tea tastes. Brew with fresh, clean, filtered water, because tap water can impact how your tea tastes.
- Rooibos tea: either loose-leaf or prepared sachets.
- Teapot with strainer
- An electric kettle: ideally, one made specifically for brewing tea, with a tea setting.
How to Brew Hot Rooibos Tea?
Step One
Boil your filtered water. If your kettle has a temperature setting, set the kettle to between 200 and 212°F. If you are using loose leaf tea, use one teaspoon for every 250 ml or eight ounces of water. Add a bit of extra water so you can heat your teapot before you add the tea!
Step Two
Warm up your teapot by pouring some hot water into it and letting that sit for a minute. Otherwise, your boiling water will rapidly cool once you add it to the pot, and your tea will not brew as well. Once your teapot is warm, toss out the water.
Step Three
Add your tea leaves or sachet and hot water to the teapot. Let it steep for between 5 to 10 minutes, tasting every few minutes after 5 minutes has passed. The longer it is brewed, the more healthy compounds and flavor the rooibos tea releases. This is unlike many other teas, which become bitter and unpleasant if they are brewed for longer than a few minutes.
Step Four
Remove your tea bag or loose leaves. They’re organic matter so make sure you put them in the compost bin, not garbage can!
Step Five
Pour in your favorite mug and enjoy! It’s delicious on its own, or with milk and honey.
How to Brew Cold Rooibos Tea?
In these hot summer months, you may not be able to stomach the thought of a hot cup of tea. If cold tea is more up your alley, follow these steps:
Step One
Boil your filtered water. If your kettle has a temperature setting, set the kettle to between 200 and 212°F. If you are using loose leaf tea, use one teaspoon for every 250 ml or eight ounces of water.
Step Two
Add your hot water to a heat-proof water pitcher with your rooibos tea leaves. Let it steep for between 5 to 10 minutes, tasting every few minutes after 5 minutes has passed.
The longer it is brewed, the more healthy compounds and flavor the rooibos tea releases. This is unlike many other teas, which become bitter and unpleasant if they are brewed for longer than a few minutes.
Step Three
Strain tea leaves and discard in the compost.
Step Four
Cover the water pitcher and let it cool to room leave in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours.
Step Five
Enjoy your cold rooibos tea! You can add honey or other sweetener of your choice if you desire. Add some ice cubes and a reusable straw, and you have the perfect summer beverage!
Benefits of Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea has a number of amazing benefits for your health. A great reason to make this your cup of choice. So, apart from the great taste, why should everyone be drinking Rooibos tea?
- Rich in antioxidants
- Caffeine free
- Low in tannins
- Some studies show that Rooibos tea can have beneficial effects on blood pressure (2)
- It is thought to be able to reduce risk of cancer (3)
- It is thought to help digestion
Conclusion
The next time you’re looking for a simple cup of comfort, try some red or green rooibos tea. Get in touch and let us know your favorite way to enjoy this healthy year-round treat!
References –
- Marnewick JL, Oguntibeju OO, Canda BD, Effects of Consumption of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and a Rooibos-Derived Commercial Supplement on Hepatic Tissue Injury by tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide in Wistar Rats., retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3967803/
- Persson IA_L, Persson K, Hagg S, Andersson RGG, Effects of green tea, black tea and Rooibos tea on angiotensin-converting enzyme and nitric oxide in healthy volunteers., retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20144258/
- Lee LT, Huang YT, Hwang JJ, Lee PP, Chun K F, Nair MP, Kanadaswam C, Lee MT, Blockade of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase activity by quercetin and luteolin leads to growth inhibition and apoptosis of pancreatic tumor cells., retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12168845/
Written by Stephanie Moore
Stephanie is a professional writer who is a ‘SIBO survivor’ herself with broad experience writing in the health field. She is a regular writer for SIBO Survivor and calls Berlin, Germany home.
