With all the attention that tea has been receiving lately, many people are trying rooibos or red tea for the first time. This delicious tea deserves our attention for its wonderful flavor and health benefits.

Rooibos tea is not really tea at all, but rather an herbal infusion of the plant Aspalathus linearis. Rooibos is a small shrub that grows only in South Africa. As the name Rooibos means "red bush", the leaves are green when picked and only turn red when fermented. The resulting tea is remarkably red.

The Rooibos South Africans have been consuming for medicinal and recreational purposes for a long time, but began to be grown specifically for tea after being discovered in 1904 by Benjamin Ginsberg. Ginsberg was a Russian immigrant who so enjoyed the tea started growing and marketing.

Rooibos, because there is a true tea but an herb, which contains no caffeine and is low in tannin. Studies in South Africa have documented health benefits, including:

• Acts on the nervous system to ease irritability, headaches, nervous tension and insomnia.
• Relieves pain stomach and colic in babies
• Used to treat hay fever, asthma and eczema
• It slows the aging process of the skin when applies directly
• Improves immune system function

Rooibos tea is prepared like black tea, except beer time is longer. Bring water to boil, then brew for 6 to 8 minutes. In South African rooibos, is served with milk and sugar, but in others is usually served plain.

Diane Watkins is an educator and cook. She writes about food and cooking at Easy Southern Cooking. To learn more about tea varieties and brewing visit All About Tea – Brewing Tea. Brewing instructions and serving suggestions for Rooibos tea can be found at http://tea.easysoutherncooking.com/rooibos-tea.php

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