About the Plant

Rooibos plant is a shrubby bush with thin and needle like leaves. Leaves produce a light, sweet and delicious brew with a difference in color. The light red color lets its drinkers enjoy a nice change from green or brown color of traditional teas.

South Africa, the native place of Rooibos bush, had witnessed the great relishing of its population with this wonderful brew for centuries. During World War II the import of Asian teas had been restricted. So millions of people had to look elsewhere to find their afternoon cup of tea.

Farmers in Cedarberg mountains used to harvest the low-volume seeds to get their Rooibos drink that had gained popularity all over the world. Finely chopped leaves are left in South African sun to dry.

The original Rooibos green leaves turn red after fermentation process. Fermentation is a kind of oxidation process in tea processing that bears no resemblance with chemical fermentation used to manufacture alcohol where sugars are fermented to make alcohol. The oxidative fermentation of leaves makes them ready to yield a delectable drink.

Health Benefits

The great taste of Rooibos is fortified by Mother Nature with other benefits as well. Rooibos possesses antioxidant properties without having caffeine. This caffeine free drink can be used freely by persons suffering from hypertension. The cancer preventing elements are intact even without caffeine. The low tannin content allows you to enjoy several cups without any concern of poor digestion, constipation, lower absorption of iron and other minerals from intestine.

Immunity boosting property is also found in Rooibos by some researchers. Stomach cramps are also relieved with its use. Persons suffering from Kidney stones can also enjoy it as it is free from oxalic acid. So you can assume Rooibos to be a recipe or remedy for health.

You may find the product labeled Herbal Allergy tea, owing to its reputed ability to aid allergy sufferers. Or it may be labeled Red Bush and available in the section used to treat skin disorders, such as eczema.

But, again, by any other name it is still a wonderful addition to the tea tin. And that’s a tradition that is worth maintaining.

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If you happen to be among those who vote for caffeine-free coffee then you may find it interesting that a type of coffee tree was recently discovered that has almost no caffeine. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that that coffee tree will be commercially grown anytime soon. So, for now, you may be stuck with traditional caffeine removal methods.

You are probably wondering how such methods affect the taste of your coffee, right? Well, honestly, blind taste tests have shown that lots of people can’t tell the difference between regular and decaf if the cups are brewed properly. If you think that there is a difference, though, you are not crazy. The difference does exist.

First, you need to understand the:methods of removing caffeine from coffee.

• The least expensive way to remove caffeine from coffee is hot water and methylene chloride treatment. It begins when the coffee beans are rinsed in hot water after they are picked. The hot water rinse softens the outside of the fruit, so it can be easily removed. Once that is done, the coffee beans are rinsed in a chemical, called methylene chloride. The methylene chloride bonds with the caffeine and then both the caffeine and methylene chloride are rinsed away.
• An alternate method of removing caffeine from coffee is a hot water soak. When the beans are soaked in hot water for several hours, all of the caffeine is rinsed into the water along with several flavor components. After a while, the beans are removed and the methylene chloride is put into the bath. As it does in the rinsing process, it bonds to the caffeine only. After that process is complete, the beans are put back into the bath, where they are able to reabsorb their flavors.
• If the idea of methylene chloride doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. A method called the Swiss method doesn’t use it at all. The Swiss method also involves soaking the beans in hot water for several hours. However, instead of methylene gas, the water is filtered through activated charcoal, which bonds to the caffeine.

There is a major debate about whether or not any of those methods remove flavors from the coffee permanently. If you’d rather take a different approach to limiting your caffeine then consider darker roasts. Darker, less acidic roasts usually have less caffeine, because the caffeine is lost as the beans are roasting. Also, if you want to cut your caffeine intake back a bit, without eliminating it entirely, you can try a blend of decaf and regular coffee. That may help you limit your caffeine, while increasing the flavor of your coffee.

As with anything else, regular vs. decaf coffee is all a matter of individual preferences. Now that you know the differences, you can find the coffee that works best for you. Enjoy your own personal perfect cup!

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Botanically, the leaves of Camellia Sinensis plant produce all kinds of real tea. Among four popular varieties of tea, black tea is the most oxidized of all followed by Oolong, Green tea and White tea. What a great difference can be brought about by a little variation of oxygen and sunlight! Western shores are mostly ignorant about White tea.

In whatever form the leaf makes it to market, the flavor is largely the result of the region from which it came and the processing used there. The leaves of black tea are plucked, washed and dried and then packed in bags either as a whole leaf or in parts.

The biggest producer of tea is China near Mount Wu Yi, in the Fujian Province. One style, the Lap Sang Sou Chong, is dried by holding the leaves over burning pine. The result is a delightfully strong, smoky flavor. Another style, the Yunnan hails from the Yunnan province and this variety has rich flavor and is dark and malty.

India is one of the largest producers of tea for centuries with two prominent varieties – Assam and Darjeeling. These two places are equally famous as the tea from them. Assam is full-bodied and with a distinctive astringency that prompts many to dilute it with milk. The Darjeeling from West Bengal is more delicate, but still a very robust tea. It makes a perfect breakfast drink due to its slightly spicy flavor.

Initial efforts to grow tea in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) in the 18th century were met with utter failure. But the growers persisted and tea drinkers around the world are the beneficiaries. The black Ceylon teas grace many fine tables in their home country and throughout the world.

Vietnam has recently made efforts to join the ranks of major producers. The light aroma of a Vietnamese black is deceptive. This dark brew has a wonderful taste that is the real deal.

The black tea of Turkey would be the delight of every aficionado. This mahogany colored brew hails from the Rize province on the eastern coast. It is prepared in a samovar and served up ‘koyu’. Why not get a few sips of it and get the flavor translated to you and get ready for a sweet jolt!

Several traditional and modern blends also partner in an excellent way with Black tea. A favorite is the famed Earl Grey Tea (named after its 17th century promoter) is a fragrant, slightly sweet blend that obtains its distinctive taste from tasty bergamot oil.

You have the opportunity to enjoy every flavor, so try many types of black tea either straight or flavored. Enjoy!

The preferred way to preparing tea in India is quite different from Chai tea, in fact. It is made using the boiling of leaves together with milk to get a strong flavor and color out of it. Chai is, however, more popular than coffee in India and is a relatively popular beverage in coffee houses in other countries around the world. It is also known as somewhat of a specialty at European music festivals and other special events because of its strong association with various underground cultural ideologies. These ideologies are often derivative of the people that partake in Chai tea and represent a philosophy of peace.

The Art of Making Chai

The making of Chai tea is quite an interesting and engaging process, especially if you intend to follow the old world instructions. There is no actual fixed recipe for Chai, however, and many Indian families actually have their own special recipes for the tea. Chai, especially in the Eastern world, should be considered a class of tea itself instead of just a singular type. This is because of the wide variety of preparation techniques and other options available with Chai itself. It is extremely varied in possibility, spice, and overall flavor content.

All Chai tea has four basic components. The first of these is tea; the base of Chai is generally a very strong black tea that it used so that other flavors and sweeteners do not overpower it. The second component is sweetener. This is generally plain white sugar, but some traditionalists use molasses or honey as well. The third component of Chai tea is milk or other cream possibilities. The fourth component is the spices. Adding spices such as ginger, star anise, or even peppercorn can augment a wonderful cup of masala chai and create a terrific and unique beverage for all to enjoy.

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Now people are turning to herb teas for simple enjoyment and flavor – and the possibility that some of the ancient folklore is true.

Possible Uses of Herb Teas

Regular tea is derived from a plant called Camellia Sinensis, which are processed into four categories – Black, Green, Oolong and White tea. Although there are many types of tea in the world, herb tea and black tea are the most popular kinds. While black teas are those made from dried leaves, herb tea is made from different plants and can be made from an assortment of parts like the roots, seeds, barks and flowers, instead of just the leaves.

Since herb teas can be made from different parts of a plant, they provide various distinctive flavors, aromas and colors. Unlike black tea that gives out limited variations of its flavor, the blending of flavors from different kinds of herbs make herb teas a special, healthy and flavorful sensation.

When a certain herb, such as chamomile, rosehip or peppermint, is combined with other herbs, it can help in treating different kinds of physical complaints such as dandruff, heart disease, cancer, skin damage, weight loss, arthritis, liver disorders, pneumonia, infections and other health conditions.

For people who wish to detoxify body pollutants, Herbal Tea can give instant cleansing to your body. In addition, some medical experts could prescribe in taking herbal supplements if you don’t have the time to sit down and relax on a cup of herb tea.

Herb teas have no caffeine content, which gives the beverage a soothing and mellow effect. Because of this, many consumers choose herb tea over other kinds of tea to ease the pressures of daily living. However, if you don’t like hot beverages, you can always drink the herb tea with ice, add it up with lemon, orange, cherries or other fruits and flavors of your preference.

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Anyone who enjoys high quality tea has a lot of choices to choose from. Many premium tea choices are available, but that can make it difficult to choose one to drink.  Some of the premium tea varieties include tea, Chinese green tea, chamomile, assam, and spiced black tea.  Different people drink tea for different reasons.  Some people enjoy its rich flavor, others enjoy the tradition of drinking premium tea, and others enjoy yea because of the soothing benefits it provides drinkers.  There are many benefits to drinking tea.  It is full of antioxidants and has no calories.  It also makes your metabolism work faster so you can burn more calories.  The premium tea varieties can also help your immune system get stronger, reduce the risk of heart attack, lower your risk of stroke, protect your bones, and help you stay hydrated.

Many people who are concerned about their health drink herb tea because it has potential healing effects.  Premium tea that has chamomile in it is also known for calming problems with the nerves or digestive problems.  Bayberry tea can also help tissues grow and repair themselves after an injury.  Some people like to have their tea when it is iced, especially black tea.  Green tea is another premium tea that is also iced in some occasions.  You can order all these teas at our Coffee and Tea Store.

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