How Rooibos Tea Harvesting Methods Change Taste and Color

Ever dared taking a hot brew of Tea? This question belongs to those who don’t drink Tea Perhaps, don’t enjoy the taste! However, Rooibos Tea breaks this dilemma of sour and spicy taste of tea with its heavenly grounded and grassy spectrum of taste. The methods of cultivation and processing Rooibos Tea surprisingly adds variation to its taste spectrum. With a little nutty and malty taste, Rooibos can refresh your taste buds and soothes your mind with its light and refreshing taste. The Dutch settlers were the first in Europe to bring Rooibos due to its aroma and a competitive yet cheap substitute to green and black tea.

Oxidation gives Rooibos Tea its Taste and Color

The harvesting process of Rooibos tea is similar to the Camillia Sinensis. The color and taste of the Rooibos is greatly varies from red and sweet to light green and mineral like flavor due to oxidation. The Red Bush tea plants are harvested after every 18 months between February and March. The leaves and stems are cut and bound into bundles. The bundles are later sorted for the purpose of oxidation to develop its rich flavor and red color. More the Rooibos plant is exposed to oxygen, the more it’ll be red and sweet in taste. Rooibos is also dried immediately through steaming and is less oxidized. This turns the color of Rooibos green and gives earthy flavor.

Fermented Rooibos Tastes Sweet by Reducing Astringency 

If you’ve been a little skeptical about consuming Rooibos tea, fermented Rooibos might help you decide. Red Rooibos undergoes the process of fermentation and oxygen as well. This process reduces the astringency and bitterness of the tea by exposing the leaves to humidity and oxygen. Since you now know the how to differentiate the Rooibos tea based on its taste and color. You might want to brew a cup of Rooibos with a couple of tips that help you with the aftertaste and mouthfeel.

More Infusion makes the Rooibos Tea Stronger

For having a great taste of Rooibos tea, begin with filtered water or spring water is the best. Having good quality leaves should be left in the vessel for steeping. The temperature should be about 200 or 210 while covering the vessel or tea pot for infusing. Unlike the green or black tea, Rooibos doesn’t adapt to a more astringent and bitter taste. Rather, boiling Rooibos tea infused longer will have more strong taste and will be flavorful. If you’re still skeptical about the taste, you can enjoy brewing with a either milk or cream with sweetener.

This 300 year old brew is also known as the Mountain Tea as the tea is cultivated in the mountainous region, Cederberg in South Africa. Rooibos tea is completely caffeine free and is often substituted for caffeinated beverages. With incredibly rich nutrients in the plant, the tea is increasingly been used to treat several health condition. People with Stomach cramp and poor immune systems are often recommended to consume Rooibos tea. Rooibos tea has become an essential brew of many people’s appetite. The Rooibos tea now comes with tons of different flavors that you might like.

Make the Rooibos Tea of your Choice

You can gulp in the heavenly flavor of Rooibos without adding any flavors. But, adding a little skosh of milk with sugar or cream can improve the taste. Rooibos is now being sold in the premium beverages category starting from Rooibos latte to Iced Tea and or savory mocktails. The deep red color with an earthy taste gives an entirely new sensation of taste to you. Since the drink is caffeine free, it offers its own set of health benefits that might sound intuitively considerable. Drinking a decaffeinated Rooibos tea can reduce anxiety, and help sleep better.