In Africa, rooibos tea is as popular as coffee in other countries. This ethnic African drink has a rich sweet taste and a delicate woody-nutty aroma. For its manufacture, leaves of the same-name shrub, which is found only on the Cape of Good Hope, are needed. This plant grows to 1.5 m in height, has thin branches and acicular soft leaves.
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Rooibos tea: what is it, chemical composition and calorie content
In Europe, the drink appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century, but quickly gained popularity. Since the plant grows best only in South Africa, this country has become a monopolist in its supply. The scale of export is very impressive - up to about 6 thousand tons of raw materials are exported from the country to other continents. Harvested only from two-year-old shrubs, cutting off the tops of the upper branches. The collected raw materials are transported to the factory and crushed.
Tea is made from leaves, which, depending on the processing, can remain greenish or acquire a rich brick-red hue.
- In the first case, the leaves are simply steamed under high pressure, omitting the fermentation process. The taste of this tea is grassy, and the color is light.
- Fermentation and drying in the sun are necessary for making red rooibos. The finished drink acquires a brick-red color and rich sugary taste.
But in Africa they even love to sweeten and dilute it with milk.Even local African espresso is made from rooibos, which in appearance and characteristics practically does not differ from the usual coffee.
Local residents say that a cup of such tea can be called a food supplement. But according to research, the amount of vitamins and minerals is not so large as to cover human needs.
- Nevertheless, rooibos contains a large amount of antioxidants - in this parameter, it is several positions higher than green tea common in our country. These chemicals are able to bind and expel toxins in an inactive state, which has a positive effect on overall health.
- Tea contains a decent amount of light monosaccharides, so the finished drink can be drunk without sweeteners. But this largely depends on the individual taste preferences of each person.
- The calorie content of tea is low - only 16 kcal per 100 g of dry raw materials.
For premium rooibos, only long leaves that are not damaged by insects are chosen. The remains of raw materials go to the production of low-grade tea.
The beneficial and healing properties of rooibos tea
Natives have long used tea not only as a drink, but also as a medicine and a persistent natural dye.
This drink is a rich source of natural tetracycline, so it is considered an effective bactericidal agent. Decoctions and infusions can be taken orally and used externally as lotions and compresses for various skin diseases. They well remove itching, rash, irritation and inflammation on the skin. It is useful to drink the drink even for young children with colic and insomnia.
You can cook a lot about the beneficial properties of tea.
Its use helps:
- get rid of parasites;
- lower blood pressure;
- improve digestion and metabolism;
- increase hemoglobin level;
- to facilitate the discharge of sputum from the respiratory tract;
- prevent the development of heart and vascular diseases;
- maintain healthy dental health;
- strengthen immunity;
- get rid of a headache;
- reduce the risk of cancer.
Africans often use rooibos as a cure for a hangover.
Essential oils give the drink a characteristic taste and aroma, while they have a calming and tonic effect.
For women
A large number of antioxidants makes rooibos an indispensable drink for women who want to preserve their beauty and youth for many years. It also normalizes the menstrual cycle, restores the skin a healthy appearance. From this tea, you can prepare tonics and rubbing, which help restore elasticity and freshness to the face.
For men
The drink is also useful for men, especially if their work is associated with heavy physical exertion. Athletes and people with active lifestyles also leave positive feedback about this tea.
Can rooibos tea be pregnant
Against the background of ordinary tea and coffee, rooibos looks advantageous, since there is no caffeine in it.
Therefore, expectant mothers and lactating women can drink such a drink without fear.
Instructions for use
When choosing tea, you need to pay attention to its appearance. Leaves in a dry mixture should have the same color, size, the composition itself should be light and crumbling. If the mixture contains yellow leaves, then the quality of the tea is low. The presence of small pieces of branches or bark is welcome - this indicates the excellent quality of tea.
The drink can be brewed several times, while it does not lose its taste and intensity at all. For the first test, flavored rooibos with vanilla or strawberries are best suited. The specific smell of hay in combination with a hazelnut and sweet and sour taste may not seem very attractive.But you just need to get used to this taste.
How to brew
There are no special tricks when brewing, the drink is prepared like regular tea, but still there are some nuances. For the full disclosure of taste and aroma, it is desirable to brew it in a thermos. You can use any dishes, except clay teapots and cups. Clay absorbs the smell of the liquid in it, and the drink loses its aroma.
Rooibos can simply be infused for 5-7 minutes. Such a drink is less concentrated, with a pleasant aroma and color. To obtain a thick ruby drink, the tea leaves can be boiled for 10 minutes. On a glass of boiling water you need to take 1-2 tsp. dry raw materials.
- Tea goes well with a slice of orange or lemon.
- It is desirable to brew it in a paper filter, since the tea leaves are small sawdust of red-brown color, which easily penetrate even through a fine sieve.
- For brewing, you can use not only water, but also milk.
- For a complex taste, vanilla, cinnamon, and citrus zest are added to such a drink.
Rooibos is good in any way, but you shouldn’t drink it too hot. The fluid should have a comfortable temperature. In the heat, it perfectly refreshes and quenches thirst. Among the advantages, it is necessary to mention that the drink does not lose its benefit even the next day.
Use for various diseases
Knowing how to brew rooibos tea, you can drink it to prevent various diseases or to alleviate your current health condition.
The drink has compounds that have an antispasmodic effect on the smooth muscles of the intestines, so it is useful to drink with flatulence and constipation. Tea also relaxes the smooth muscles of large blood vessels, expanding their lumens and lowering pressure. Therefore, hypertensive patients are better off choosing such an African drink than black tea or coffee.
Rooibos is one of the best drinks for vegetarians. It well compensates for the lack of iron in their diet.
How to use slimming rooibos tea
Tea can also be drunk to lose weight. But this does not mean that the mere use of rooibos without playing sports and restricting food can destroy fat accumulated over many years.
In principle, there are no appetite suppressants or fat-burning supplements in this drink. This tea is best drunk before meals to drown a little hunger and eat a smaller portion of food at lunch or dinner. During tea drinking, do not eat sweets, cakes and sweets.
Contraindications and possible harm
Although the benefits of tea are beyond doubt, still certain categories of people need to be careful with their use.
- Diabetics should not drink rooibos at all, since it contains a lot of glucose.
- Since the drink lowers blood pressure, people with hypotension can drink it very rarely and in limited quantities. If you use it regularly, this will entail a violation in the work of the heart, blood vessels and kidneys.
- Also, do not forget about individual intolerance. If a person has never drank rooibos, the first time the volume of the drink should be minimal in order to check the reaction of the body.
To tea has the greatest benefit, it must be used as quickly as possible. Dry raw materials can be stored for years, but the amount of nutrients is significantly reduced.
