Rooibos is a popular African herbal tea. The lack of caffeine in this drink allows people with cardiovascular diseases and young children to include it in their diet without any fear.
What is rooibos made of?
Rooibos, or rooibos, is a herbal tea made according to an African recipe from the leaves of the Aspalatus Linear plant. This is a shrub from the legume family, the leaves of which have a pointed shape, similar to the needles of conifers. Leaves and shoots are collected, dried and used to make medicinal infusions and drinks.
The most famous positive quality of rooibos is its lack of caffeine, as it contains only herbs and not tea leaves. Thanks to this, the healing drink can be consumed without problems for people who are contraindicated in the use of ordinary tea or coffee: patients suffering from hypertension, insomnia, diseases of the cardiovascular system, young children, the elderly, pregnant and lactating women. It can be drunk at any time of the day, even before bedtime, as it does not excite the nervous system and does not lead to insomnia.
The brewed leaves of linear aspaltus have disinfecting and restorative properties due to their high content of antioxidants. Because of this anti-inflammatory effect, compresses soaked in Rooibos tincture can be used to treat acne and some other skin conditions. In addition, it is very useful to drink it for colds, coughs, runny nose. Some people report its healing effects on hangovers. This type of herbal tea contains trace elements such as fluorine, copper, magnesium and potassium, but lacks vitamins.
How to brew rooibos properly
Dried aspalatus leaves have a very dense structure, so there are a few things to consider for a good brew. Firstly, the duration of brewing should be at least five minutes, because only during this time the leaves will be able to sufficiently soak and give their taste and aroma to the water. Secondly, it is better not just to pour rooibos with hot water, as we do with ordinary tea leaves, but to boil it. Aspalatus filled with boiling water is advised to be put in a preheated oven or put on the stove so that the water temperature does not drop. Of course, for this you need to take dishes made of heat-resistant materials. With strong heat treatment, the drink will become as rich and aromatic as possible, and, unlike classic tea, it will not release harmful substances into the water.
Another attractive feature of Rooibos is the ability to brew it multiple times. The shoots of the plant are so dense that at one time they simply do not have time to brew completely. By the second and third brewing, the saturation of the tea practically does not decrease.
