Rooibos Tea Buyer’s Guide
Rooibos tea, also called redbush tea, is made from the needle-like leaves of perennial plant from South Africa. This tea is thought to boost overall health, reduce stress and anxiety and promote heart health, but many people enjoy it for its refreshing, nutty flavor. Whether you enjoy your tea for its medicinal and health value or simply like to relax with a steaming cup of tea, knowing how to buy the best tea is important.
How to Choose Rooibos Tea
Look for tea that is labeled as organic or natural. The country of origin for rooibos tea should be South Africa as this is the only place that it is grown successfully. If your tea box indicates the tea was grown elsewhere, the contents probably are not true rooibos tea. As with all herbs and herbal remedies, you should always purchase your tea from a brand or company that your trust.
Rooibos tea can be purchased as loose leaf tea ready for steeping in a tea pot and infuser, or can be purchased in tea bags. While many claim the flavor of loose leaf tea is better, the convenience of tea bags shouldn’t be overlooked. If you choose to purchase rooibos tea in bags, look for biodegradable tea bags without strings, tags and staples. This ensures there has been minimal mechanical processing and eliminates the need to separate the old tea from the bag before composting.
Where to Buy Rooibos Tea
You can purchase rooibos tea in health food stores, specialty shops, pharmacies and in the grocery aisle. You can find it alone or combined with other herbs and spices to create a unique blend of rooibos tea. If you are interested in trying rooibos tea blends, check out that Celestial Seasonings has to offer.
They offer several rooibos tea blends to choose from and are readily available in your local supermarket or can be ordered online.
- Pomegranate Rooibos Tea: Try Pomegranate Rooibos tea for a fruity blend of rooibos tea. This blend is made from rooibos, hibiscus and pomegranate to create a sweet-tart tea suitable to start the day or as an after dinner beverage.
- Safari Spice Rooibos Tea: This blend is a host of aromatic and flavorful spices like hibiscus, piquante pepper, blackberry leaves, ginger, allspice, cardamom, cloves, bananas and chicory. Try Safari Spice for a quick afternoon pick-me-up or sip it in front of the fire on cold winter nights. If you are trying to encourage the man in your life to drink more tea, Safari Spice may do the trick.
- Vanilla Rooibos Tea: This blend is sweet and mild and is just right for relaxing after a long day’s work or to relax the body and soul before bed. It contains both French vanilla flavoring and vanilla beans.
We liked the convenience and versatility of Celestial Seasonings rooibos tea blends. Because they are sold in tea bags, they are easy to transport to work or when traveling. They also offer a choice of flavors that all contain rooibos tea so you can reap the amazing health benefits of this tea. In addition, the tea bags are tag and staple-free and can be added to the compost bin when you finish your tea.