The Redbush Tea Company - Redbush Tea Bags

Advantages: Unique taste; plethora of health benefits; multiple uses
Disadvantages: Some may find the taste too unusual

...is an ideal beverage for the modern health conscious world. Although it is just beginning to catch on here, in its native South Africa rooibos tea holds 40% of the hot drinks market, and the average South African is reputed to drink around 5-6 cups per day. WHAT IS REDBUSH TEA? The hardy redbush shrub, Aspalathus linearis, grows only in the scenic Cederberg Mountains in the Western Cape of South Africa. The species has specially adapted to the ...
...have been unsuccessful. Due to the harsh conditions, the average redbush plant only produces three or four crops in its lifetime. For many centuries rooibos was used as a herbal medicine by the indigenous KhoiSan people. They harvested the thin needle-like leaves with axes, bruising them with hammers to bring out the flavour, and fermenting the leaves in heaps, before drying in the sun. The tea is still harvested by hand in the same way today, although ... Read review

Advantages: Good for you and caffeine free
Disadvantages: Possibly an acquired taste

...coffee shop there, and during the course of my shameless poncing of free beverages, along with a slice of some nice lemon cake he served me some tea which he described as "African bush tea". He's a bit of a tea expert. Alongside the coffee shop he also has a fancy shop that sells all kinds of imported tea, and this was some stuff that he'd just got in which he'd grown quite fond of. I'd never even heard of this stuff before, but I was suitably impressed ...
...true tea. It comes from the plant Aspalathus linearis, rather than the Camellia plants that produce traditional teas. The name Rooibos comes from the Afrikaans word for 'red bush'. The Rooibos plant is a small shrubby bush that only grows in South Africa. The bush grows anywhere from 1/2 to 1 metre in height, with very thin, needle-like leaves. The leaves are green, but turn the characteristic red after fermentation. Rooibos is totally pure natural ... Read review

Advantages: Tastes great and might just be good for you
Disadvantages: Not everyone likes the taste

...it is now available in the UK. The name has been anglicised here as Rooibos literally means Red Bush. The tea actually comes from South Africa and grows in the Cape where I come from. It is made from the leaves of a herb called aspalathus linearis and was originally used as a herbal medicine by the by the indigenous Khoisan tribes. This tea is different to the ordinary teas you can buy such as Tetley or PG. Firstly it is caffeine free instead of ...
...has had the caffeine removed where as this is naturally caffeine free. The other most noticeable difference is the taste. I wont lie, this is definitely an acquired taste and I think it’s delicious. It tastes more like herbal teas than fruit teas and is described on the packaging as having a delicate nutty flavour but I never think about it like that. It’s naturally sweeter than ordinary tea or green tea and I think it has a slightly fruity note ... Read review

Advantages: Healthy
Disadvantages: an aquired taste for sure

The highlight of my pre-school days was the aroma coming from the kitchen every day at 11 o’clock where my grandmother brewed a pot of Rooibosh tea. I grew up on it and to me it was like mother’s milk but my older siblings disliked the taste and smell. Gran made a strong brew, using the loose leaves (it was not available in teabags then). Definitely an acquired taste, but one worth cultivating. Rooibosch (Aspalanthus linearis) is indigenous to the ...
...probably the first to use and discover the healing properties of the bush. Unfortunately, European settlers forced these people off the land and much of their knowledge about this (and other) plants were lost forever. The plant was rediscovered around 1772 and South Africans enjoyed it for its refreshing taste, unaware of its amazing properties. In the 1960’s, Annique Theron a South African mother, discovered that it calmed her baby and relieved ... Read review

Advantages: Tastes great, positive health benefits, and no caffeine
Disadvantages: a bit pricey compared to black tea

The first and most obvious thing to say about Redbush Tea is that it tastes good. Otherwise, it would take a real masochist to continue to drink it for its health properties alone. No, it doesn’t taste exactly like normal tea, but it’s the nearest in taste I’ve ever found – slightly sweeter, with an almost nutty aroma and flavour. This natural sweetness means you don’t have to add sugar, though if you are a real died in the wool tea drinker you can ...
...it once. After brewing (just the same as black tea – pop a teabag in a cup or pot, add boiling water and infuse for 2 – 5 mins according to your taste), the colour is a rich reddish brown, and it looks satisfyingly like traditional tea, both with and without milk. It’s also delicious as an iced tea on its own, or mixed with fruit juices, for a refreshing summer drink. Redbush tea is naturally caffeine free, unlike de-caffeinated teas, which undergo ... Read review