# Rooibos tea - love it, hate it, meh, never heard of it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 4, 2023, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561 "2023-11-04T03:01:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/41 "2023-11-04T18:57:34Z")
It may not do either. In my experience, rooibos is fairly common. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/42 "2023-11-04T19:20:23Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > But it also has this weird astringent quality that dried out my mouth ⁢ > > Excellent description. I agree. ⁢ In that case, I read online that this quality is made much worse by oversteeping. And since you always oversteep for ice tea, that could be part of it. IT also said the green version is less astringent. I’ve not tried steeping less myself. I only looked up rooibos tea online to make sure it was the one I was thinking of, since the one I tried didn’t _taste_ bad, but just left my mouth dry. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/43 "2023-11-04T19:43:51Z")
I’ve never had it straight, but it’s the main ingredient in a blend that I find nice. The blend also contains hibiscus,rosemary, cinnamon and star anise. In case anyone is interested, it can be found here: > **[Kitchen - Jorma's](https://fur-peace-ranch-company-store.myshopify.com/collections/the-captains-kitchen/products/kitchen-jormas-rhythm-tonic-tea-in-black-bags)** > >  Rooibus was the perfect tonic for the artist as it encourages the creative process by strengthening the systems of the body without the ups and downs of caffeine." Now and again you can catch Jorma sneaking off to the camp gourmet kitchen for a... (Disclaimer: I don’t know what is meant by “strengthening the systems of the body”. It’s just a nice hot cup of sipping stuff to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/44 "2023-11-04T21:32:03Z")
Not in these here parts. I assure you she’s never heard of it. She’s just now getting into “teas” We shall see. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/45 "2023-11-07T04:31:57Z")
I heard of it when the book, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” was made into a short-lived TV series. Set in Botswana, where the ladies drank this tea that I still have trouble spelling and pronouncing. I tried it, but like a lot of herbal varieties, rose hip and such, it didn’t seem like a proper tea. Not terrible but nothing I’m likely to return to soon. Every ten years or so, I try drinking Moxie, just to see if I’m missing something - so far no. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/46 "2023-11-07T13:01:08Z")
Even here in Chicago at my grocery store it took me a little digging yesterday. There’s like I swear about fifty to sixty varieties of teas and tisanes they sell, and it took me a couple minutes to spot the one rooibos they stocked, and it was the Celestial Seasonings with Madagascar vanilla. (Given the descriptions here, that does not seem like a pairing I would expect.) Couldn’t find anything plain. I bought some, but haven’t had a chance to try it yet. I suspect I’ll like it fine, as I tend to like flavors most people don’t like, and I especially love herbal and astringent stuff (for example, I really like Moxie and have to buy a can anytime I’m in a region that sells it.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/47 "2023-11-07T13:16:18Z")
Well, I just made myself a cup and it’s kinda hard for me to form any opinion on it. I’m not getting any strong flavor out of it, though I can definitely taste the vanilla. It does have a bit of a dry, astringent aftertaste, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin to describe the main flavor. Maybe earthy and leaf-y? Not bad, not great. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/48 "2023-11-07T13:36:00Z")
> [@Hatchie](#): > > Set in Botswana, where the ladies drank this tea that I still have trouble spelling and pronouncing. I think it’s pronounced something like “ROY-bush”, but I may be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/49 "2023-11-07T14:26:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I wouldn’t even know where to begin to describe the main flavor. Maybe earthy and leaf-y? Not bad, not great. That’s the gist of it, and somewhat of a consensus, too, from what I gather. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/50 "2023-11-07T19:51:33Z")
I have a variety of rooibos-based teas from The Republic of Tea, with various flavorings added, and like them. But then, I like flavored black, green, and white teas too. Plain rooibos is meh. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/51 "2023-11-07T22:12:44Z")
Yeah, “earthy” is a fair description of the flavor. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/52 "2023-11-08T04:49:56Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I think it’s pronounced something like “ROY-bush”, but I may be wrong. More like ROY-Boss. [/ˈrɔɪbɒs/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/53 "2023-11-08T09:26:35Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I guess I could have eliminated the “never heard of it” choice in my thread title. I’ve never heard of it, but I’ve never tried any type of boiled-leaf beverage and don’t follow the product category. (I am of course familiar with some types through cultural osmosis, though, for instance Captain Picard liking a variety know as Earl Grey, which he prefers hot.) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/54 "2023-11-08T10:05:19Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > More like ROY-Boss. [/ˈrɔɪbɒs/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) Maybe I heard the Afrikaans pronunciation. Does Afrikaans tend to “Sean Connerify” its S into Sh, like Dutch? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/55 "2023-11-08T15:02:31Z")
No, that is the Afrikaans pronunciation (well, put into English phonemes) Afrikaans doesn’t Sh its S. You _may_ have heard Dutch, that is how they pronounce it - Rooibosch. Or you heard an English brand that uses Ye Olde Tyme spelling as an affectation - Eleven O’Clock [calls itself that overseas](https://elevenoclocktea.com/) although they’re not stupid enough to try that cutesy shit here, [where they spell it properly](https://www.checkers.co.za/All-Departments/Drinks/Tea/Rooibos-Tea/Eleven-O%27-Clock-Tagless-Rooibos-Tea-Bags-80-x-2-5g/p/10131887EA). ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/56 "2023-11-09T14:53:35Z")
I’m a fan, though I don’t drink it straight, just as I don’t drink black tea unadulterated. Rooibos with a little honey and milk is absolutely delectable. There’s a small tea importer near me that adds vanilla to their rooibos and it’s magic. Or throw a little malted milk powder in there for a malted vanilla rooibos - mmm mmm mmm. It goes well with cinnamon and other spices, too - I find it to be quite versatile and the perfect evening hot beverage when I don’t want caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561/57 "2023-11-09T21:28:22Z")
I like it, just like most herbal teas it tastes better to me than black tea. which is also OK but needs to have milk and sugar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rooibos-tea-love-it-hate-it-meh-never-heard-of-it/992561.md?page=2)