Like we all already know tea is not only famous because they taste delicious but also because it is beneficial to our body. The preparations of the beverages is also pretty simple, we only have to pour water to steep it and let the flavor and color transfer to the water. There are currently several type of tea available today, they are black tea, green tea, red tea, white tea, herbal tea, and oolong tea. In this article we will talk about green tea and red tea. Most of you might be already familiar with green tea and less familiar with red tea. Even though it is called tea, actually it does not come from the same plant as many other tea. And unlike common tea which originated from China, red tea came from South Africa. Here is a brief information about red tea and green tea, also their differences.
Red tea in this article is referring to Rooibos tea which was originated from South Africa. Rooibos means red bush and having a scientific name Aspalathus linearis. The plant is having a broom like shape and a member of the Fabaceae family of plants growing in South Africa’s fynbos. The genus names refer to the plant Calicotome villosa, aspalathos in Greek, which has a very similar growth and flower to Rooibos plant. The plant is currently being used to make herbal tea called Rooibos in Southern Africa and called redbush tea in Great Britain. This product is popular in Southern Africa and being consumed for generations in many countries. Rooibos also sometimes called Rooibosch because of the Dutch etymology. Rooibos is commonly grown in the Cederberg, which is a mountain area located in the region of the Western Cape Province in South Africa.
Before the tea could be steeped there are few stages that need to be done first. The rooibos leaves have to undergo an oxidation process which make the tea have its distinctive red color. Same as tea leaves, there is also a variety called “green rooibos” which does not undergone an oxidation process. Because of the high demand on green rooibos the price becomes more expensive. Green rooibos have a malty and slightly grassy flavor somehow different from oxidized rooibos. Rooibos is said to bring many benefit because, it is rich in many minerals namely iron, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese, zinc magnesium, and alpha hydroxy acid. And it does not contains oxalic acid which make it safe to be consumed by people who suffer from kidney stone. Rooibos is also rich in polyphenols similar to tea, it makes rooibos have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimutagenic qualities. Unlike typical teas which contains caffeine, rooibos does not contain any caffeine. So people who suffer from insomnia can drink it with ease.
Green tea is probably the second most popular type of tea. Green tea is very famous crowned as a healthy drink with many benefits. Green tea leaves come from the Camellia sinensis plant which is not undergone an oxidation process done to black tea. Green tea is originated from China but the plants is currently being cultivated in many region across the world. Green tea color may range from green, yellow, and light brown when brewed. With high quality green tea is steep using cool water in a short period and low quality green tea is steeped longer in a hot water. Higher quality green tea like gyokuro can be steep multiple times for short period. Steeping tea in a hot water for too long can release it tannins and make the water bitter regardless its quality. Green tea is packed with many benefits. Like all of us already know green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols and theanine content, which is good to fight free radicals and delay the symptoms of aging. It also can be used to boost immunity, prevents cancer, reduce bad cholesterol, improves cardiac & atrial health, controlling blood sugar, and also able to boost stamina and metabolism.
Both red tea and green tea have two different antioxidants, green tea antioxidants is called epigallocatechin while red tea antioxidants is called superoxide dismutase. They are different but have the same effect. Green tea contains higher in tannins while red tea have less tannins, this is why green tea tend to taste more bitter than red tea. Red tea also do not contain any caffeine while approximately green tea contains 26 mg of caffeine in each 6 oz. serving.
|- Comes from Aspalathus linearis plant||- Comes from Camellia Sinensis plant|
|- Originated from South Africa||- Originated from China|
|- The steeped water is red||- The steep water is vary from green, yellow, to light brown|
|- It does not contains caffeine||- It contains caffeine|
|- It does not contains tannins||- It contains tannins|
When choosing both of them based on taste alone, there is no other way than try them one by one and see yourself which one suit your taste better. But when it’s about benefit, both of them are equally beneficial. If you do not favor the bitter taste in green tea than red tea might be suitable for you.