What's the difference between green rooibos and red rooibos? I mean aside from the oxidation of red rooibos? Is it anything like with green tea, where (some believe?) there are more antioxidants available? How about the taste difference?
I've read on several sites that red rooibos is slightly lower in antioxidants than green tea but that green rooibos is slightly higher. Who knows how authoritative this is. I bought a box of Numi teas green rooibos and it seemed just like the red except lighter in color and flavor. This probably was not the best quality rooibos, however. I plan to buy some top grade green from South Africa and try that soon.
I heard from a tea vendor that green rooibos is a lot higher in antioxidants than red rooibos or true tea. The flavor of the green rooibos varies quite a bit in my experience. I was told (by the same vendor) that this depends on the season in which it's harvested. If it's during the warmer part of the year, the leaves darken and it tastes more like red rooibos than if it's harvested during the spring before it gets hot. If this is true, I prefer the spring harvest. To me it tastes a bit like a cross between a green and a black tea. It doesn't have the smokiness of the red rooibos. Unfortunately, it seems harder to find than the stuff that's almost as dark as the red/oxidized version.
Agalena
DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.