Green Rooibos Organic

Organic Green Rooibos is one of the more recent developments in Rooibos history. The modern Rooibos industry was started in 1904 by Benjamin Ginsberg, a Russian immigrant to South Africa whose family had been in the tea business for years. This experience gave him the marketing savvy to know how to produce and sell what his intended target consumer was looking for. Initially, Benjamin realized that Rooibos could have a broad mass appeal owing to its unique delicious flavor, purported health benefits, and the scarcity of black and green teas throughout the South African colonies. For a time, his standard production Rooibos filled the needs of this market. Over the last century however, as Rooibos’ popularity grew throughout North America and Europe, innovative new products were needed to supply emerging niches, such as the certified organic market.

Enter Organic Green Rooibos. Although normal Rooibos cultivation uses pesticides very sparingly to begin with, and fungicides never at all, the growing demand for organic produce saw the planting of Organic Rooibos patches overseen by 3rd party certification authorities. Following this came the development of green, unfermented Organic Rooibos. (Like all Rooibos teas, organic green Rooibos is naturally caffeine free.) The leaves were harvested, bruised and immediately fired, foregoing the traditional fermentation process. A hit was born!

Green Rooibos is delightfully aromatic and more delicate than a traditional rooibos. The cup is light in appearance but displays a hearty herbal flavor with grassy overtones reminiscent of a quality Sencha. The next time people come into your shop, restaurant, or café looking for something new, organic, and delicious tell them, “I’ve got just the thing!”

200 ml (about 7 ounces) of brewed Rooibos contains the following nutrients:

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of Rooibos for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the pot, cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes. Pour into your cup; add milk and sugar to taste.

Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of Rooibos into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the Rooibos. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the Rooibos into the serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.

References: [1] South African Medical Research Council - www.mrc.ac.za//promec/antimutagenic.htm