Well, let me tell ya ’bout this African tea, you know? It ain’t like that Lipton stuff you get at the store, no sir. This here’s somethin’ different. They call it all sorts of names, like “Rooibos” and “bush tea” and whatnot. Sounds fancy, but it’s just a plant, you know? Grows right outta the ground in Africa, that’s what they tell me.

Now, I ain’t no doctor or nothin’, but folks say it’s good for ya. They say it’s got this stuff called “ant-eye-ox-see-dants” in it. Sounds like somethin’ you’d spray on ants, don’t it? But they say it helps keep your insides clean, like washin’ the dishes after supper, you know?

This Rooibos tea, that’s the one they talk about the most. It don’t have no caffeine, so you can drink it all day long and still sleep like a baby at night. That’s what my niece told me, anyway. She’s always readin’ those fancy health magazines. Says it helps with your heart and keeps you from gettin’ that sugar sickness, whatchamacallit, “die-a-beet-us.” Sounds like a lotta hooey to me, but hey, if it makes her happy.

• They got other kinds too, not just that Rooibos stuff.
• Some are purple, some are spicy, some taste like flowers.
• I tried one that smelled like dirt, but my friend said it was good for ya. Tasted like dirt too, if you ask me.

They do this fancy ceremony with the tea over there in Africa, they call it “Attaya.” It’s like a big to-do, you know? Three rounds of tea they drink. The first one’s bitter, like life, they say. The second one’s sweeter, like when you finally find a good man. And the third one’s just right, like sittin’ on the porch swing on a summer evening.

There’s this other tea too, called “kat” or somethin’. Folks chew on the leaves like they’re chewin’ tobacco. Said it makes you feel all peppy and happy, but I ain’t touchin’ that stuff. Sounds like somethin’ that’ll get you in trouble. My grandma always said, “Stay away from things that make you feel too good for no reason.”

Anyway, this African tea, it’s been around for a long time. Folks been drinkin’ it for ages, way before they had all these fancy doctors and pills. Maybe they knew somethin’ we don’t. Maybe it’s just good for ya, simple as that. Or maybe it’s just a nice warm drink to have when the weather turns cold. Either way, it can’t hurt to try, I reckon.

So, if you’re lookin’ for somethin’ new to drink, somethin’ that ain’t got all that sugar and fake stuff in it, maybe give this African tea a whirl. You might like it, you might not. But hey, that’s life, ain’t it? You gotta try new things, even if they taste like dirt sometimes.

And don’t forget, this here Rooibos tea, they also call it “African red tea” or even “red bush tea”. Don’t get confused now, it’s all the same thing, just different names that them fancy folks like to use. They say it has all these things called “polly-fee-nols” too. Sounds like a bunch of made-up words to me, but if it keeps you healthy, who am I to complain?

Now, I heard they grow this tea in South Africa, but other places too, I guess. Africa’s a big place, you know? Lots of different folks and lots of different plants. It’s kinda like my garden, but on a much bigger scale. I got my tomatoes, my beans, my corn… they got their tea. Everyone’s gotta grow somethin’, I always say.

So that’s the story on African tea, as best as I can tell ya. It ain’t rocket science, just a bunch of leaves and hot water. But sometimes, the simplest things are the best, you know? Like a good cup of tea on a rainy day. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go water my petunias.

Tags: [African Tea, Rooibos Tea, Herbal Tea, Health Benefits, South Africa, Antioxidants, Caffeine-Free, Attaya, Kat, Red Bush Tea]