The marmite of the teas (Tetley Red Bush Tea)

Member Name: mosaic369

Product:	Tetley Red Bush Tea
Date:	08/07/09 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Caffeine free, full of antioxidants, hydrating, tastes nice

Disadvantages: Not to everybody's taste

I first discovered redbush tea about a year ago and I haven't had regular tea ever since. Love it or hate it, it is different from anything you've ever tasted. It does take some getting used to - in my case the first three cups - but once hooked, you can't go back to your regular beverage as everything else just tastes bitter.

Redbush tea is naturally sweet and contains no tannin, which is responsible for the bitter aftertaste of most black teas. If you leave a regular teabag to soak for more than just a few minutes, it turns bitter. This never happens to redbush tea. You can soak it as long as you like and you can even reheat it without compromising the taste. It has a nice golden reddish/brownish colour. I like mine with a little milk, but it tastes equally good just by itself. The smell is quite different from the smell of regular black tea, and I can't really describe it. You really have to try this tea to decide for yourself whether you like it or not. I don't normally like herbal teas myself, but this one is different. It's kind of a cross between a herbal tea and a black tea. The good news is, it is naturally caffeine free, so you can drink as much as you like. It is packed with antioxidants and according to the packet "as hydrating as water". Finally, something I really enjoy, that's also good for me!

The most widely available brand in the UK is Tetley's Redbush tea. It usually comes in a pack of 40, but I have seen packs of 80 as well. It is normally priced at around £1.69 for a pack of 40, but occasionally, it comes on offer for just £1. A few months ago they were sold in a reusable metal tin instead of the usual cardboard plus cellophane packaging, but it must have been part of a marketing campaign, as I haven't seen these tins on sale for a while now.

I've tried a few other (more expensive) brands of redbush tea, and I can honestly say I can't taste any difference. That's probably because all redbush tea comes from the same part of the world, South-Africa. I have read somewhere that in South Africa they give this tea to babies when they have an upset tummy, so it's got to be good for you!

Summary: Either love it or hate it