Uniquity

Interesting thought, to sneak some green rooibos into an essentially lemon tea. When did green rooibos hit the market, anyway? I’ve only recently heard of it, and I’m curious as to when it emerged. I will ask you instead of Google, because well, why not? :P

I really don’t know. I don’t know anythign about it, actually, other than that it seems like people who don’t like red rooibos often like or don’t mind green. I think KeenTeaThyme also doesn’t get headaches from green rooibos, but does from red. What a difference oxidization makes!

Green rooibos is a recent addition for adagio it seems, or at least their green rooibos sampler pack is. It definitely has less wood to its taste and my wife who can’t stand red rooibos really likes a lot of the green rooibos teas. I’ve never had one with lemon that I can think of but I could see where the green rooibos would mix well with it. I would expect a malty undercurrent added to something that was pure lemon…

Green rooibos has a much cleaner and lighter taste than red roobios, and, if blended, does not dominate as red rooibos often does. Drinking them solo. the difference really is comparable to green vs black tea. I love green rooibos. I have less and less patience with red rooibos these days.

I really liked red rooibos. I think I still do…but I’m getting tired of it. I think I’m going through another tea cycle. : )

Ah, I see! Color me wary on red rooibos as well; I have tried it several times, and each time, flavored or not flavored, I am left thinking, in a word, “Yikes.” There’s a certain amount of guilt involved there, though, heh. I always feel like my palate isn’t developed or hardy enough when I admit to disliking the “tobacco underbelly” of rooibos. (Caveat: a dash of Adagio’s rooibos vanilla chai in a blend can be pretty darn tasty, but I suspect that’s because the chai spices cover up the malty/woodiness of the rooibos.)

Is green rooibos just an Adagio thing? That’s where I first heard of it, too, but I wonder if this new infusion comes from a new-fangled plant (i.e., one that was bred to produce this tea recently) or … uh, an old-fangled one (i.e., one that has been producing green rooibos for many moons, but we just haven’t heard of it before). Maybe green rooibos should be next on my trial list, since everyone is in agreement about its marked difference!

Thanks for the food (drink?) for thought!

Green rooibos is a global thing…my green rooibos teas are from david’s tea, they’ve got a surprising number of them. From what I understand it’s from the same plant as red, but dealt with in a different way. Lezz oxidization? more? Something like that!

I believe it is less oxidization based upon what I’ve read somewhere. That being said in a quick search I can’t find the “somewhere” that I read it!

Here’s what davidstea.com says about green rooibos:

“When South African rooibos is quickly withered and steamed to prevent oxidation, it retains its green colour. The benefit? Studies are showing that green rooibos has more antioxidants – making it comparable to green tea. So it may be better at preventing cancer, slowing the aging process and all those other great things that red rooibos is known for. Plus it has a light, fresh taste all its own.” (http://www.davidstea.com/rooibos/green-rooibos-organic, accessed 16 March 2011.)

That’s interesting, since there seems to be constant debate about whether red rooibos or green tea have more antioxidants…If green rooibos has more than red rooibos, then it would presumably have more than green tea!

Of course, but then I find a website claiming that white teas has the most with up to five times as much as green tea. Gah. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Antioxidants—-Foods-High-In-Antioxidants-Include-Loose-Leaf-Tea&id=757228)

We need more scientific studies! I have seen something quoted that claimed white had more antioxidants than green tea as well. No idea who funded that study, if it happened to be white tea growers…

I guess the only consensus is that black doesn’t have the most..

But hey, it’s all good in the end. Even a cup of Tetley (blech!) doses you up with good stuff.