Rooibos tea exploded into the tea market about 3 years ago. At least that’s when I first tried it! Okay, so maybe it exploded before that, but I just didn’t notice.
My first impression three years ago was that as a tea the taste was very weak. It seems like when new products are introduced into the American market, a very watered-down version hits shops and restaurants first. And so it still is the case at Starbucks where I have enjoyed the beverage several times.
But then someone or other gets the notion that to really bring the full-bodied flavor out you have to make the tea much stronger. Such is the case now with Numi’s Rooibos tea. Very bold tasting with complex after-tastes, verging towards the bitter side.
Rooibos tea is actually not standard tea at all (which originates from the Camellia Sinensis plant). It is a product of the leaves of the African Red Bush. Apparently it is only grown in Western Capetown Provence in South Africa. The tea leaves are oxidized which produces the reddish hue. “Green” rooibos is also available which is tea from unoxidized leaves. According to Wikipedia, green rooibos contains more good “stuff” than oxidized rooibos.
It would interest me greatly to see a scientific breakdown of all the compounds found in all the types of teas, green, oxidized, partially fermented, and fully fermented.
