Rooibos all year round: history of a natural tonic
Very popular throughout Europe, rooibos is a natural cure-all. But where does it come from and what are its benefits? Let’s discover the origins, properties and uses of this precious ally for your well-being.
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Beloved throughout Europe, rooibos is called after a weird-looking African bush. It comes from far away but you can hear about rooibos in every herbalist shop. However, not everyone knows exactly what rooibos is and what it is used for. So let’s start to discover more about rooibos, its history and how rooibos tea is made.
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Rooibos plant ![]()
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The plant
Rooibos is a drink obtained from spalathus linearis, a South African shrub. The name derives from afrikaans, a language spoken by theboer settlers of dutch origin and means “red bush“, to emphasize the vermilion color of the drink. Rooibos can be prepared in two ways which will consequently give your tea two very different colors, green or red. Green rooibos is ground and dried, a process which enhances antioxidants and gives a more herbaceous taste; on the other hand, the red one is fermented before being dried and it has a more delicate taste on the palate. Still considered an iconic drink of South Africa, rooibos has a sweet pleasant taste and it turns out to be really useful for your health.
But how did rooibos arrive in Europe and why has it become so popular?
History
The first to encourage rooibos’ importation to Europe was Benjamin Ginsberg, a colonist of russian descent who started its large-scale production in 1904 by spreading it quickly worldwide.
What are the properties and benefits of rooibos?
Today, sipping a cup of rooibos tea is no longer an exoticism. First it must be said that its consumption is linked to digestion: this drink gives, infact, has soothing properties on the digestive system. In addition to that, it relieves skin allergies, insomnia, nervous tension and circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
Full of antioxidant properties, rooibos must thank aspalatine, quercetin and vitamin C if it’s considered to be a totally natural long life elixir. Quercetin, together with aspalatine, is an excellent antioxidant and it’s useful to prevent circulatory and heart problems. Caffeine-free, rooibos is a first-rate ally to sleep better. Rooibos, just like many natural remedies, is an ingredient to discover and appreciate: no doubts it will make your lifestyle healthier and wilder than ever.
How to use rooibos?
Wondering how to prepare rooibos tea? It’s pretty simple: with a little water. Main ingredient of our Remedium n.0 – Morning, rooibos combined with cocoa, cinnamon and ginkgo will be the tasty awakening you can’t live without. You can buy loose leaf or teabags. Ready to give your infusion a twist for the next hot season? Try it cold! Refreshing and invigorating, this drink will quickly become your favourite one!
Curiosity
For a healthy and tasty dessert, try syruping fruit in an infusion of rooibos. On the other hand, if you are looking for a beauty tip to give your skin new life, try a rooibos mask. You can find several types on the market and they promise a radiant and toned skin.
Sources
https://www.greenme.it/mangiare/altri-alimenti/rooibos-te-rosso/
https://www.macrolibrarsi.it/speciali/te-rooibos-quali-benefici.php
https://www.comunicaffe.it/rooibos-esaminiamo-in-dettaglio-il-te-rosso-africano/
https://www.cucina-naturale.it/ingrediente/rooibos/