Red Tea, Black Tea, and Rooibos—what’s the difference?

A common question that we get at the shop is "what is red tea?" Often times people mistakenly believe that in selling red tea we are offering an African herbal called Rooibos. In this article, we are going to try and help clear up the difference between red tea, black tea, and rooibos.

First of all, what is the red tea that we have at our store and on this website? This red tea is made of our oxidized white tea leaves. The leaves of our red teas (Golden Needle, Tangerine Blossom, and Bai Lin Kung Fu Classic Red) are almost fully oxidized (85-95%) and have a richer, bolder taste than our other teas, and are very similar to black tea.

So when it comes to red tea and black tea, there is not much difference. Chinese red tea can be a little less oxidized (have slightly less heat added) than black teas from other countries, which means that the red tea can be slightly lighter, smoother, and have more natural sweetness.

In China, though, the term black tea or dark tea typically refers to a tea that we call Pu-erh in the United States. This tea goes through an oxidation process and is then aged for anywhere from 2 months to 20+ years in order to create dark black leaves and a dark color when brewed. In this fermentation process, the leaves are intentionally kept damp in order to encourage good microbes and bacteria to slowly ferment the leaves. This is distinguished from red tea which typically only takes about 6-10 hours to oxidize. Pu-erh tea typically has a strong fermented taste, but high quality pu-erh should not taste overly earthy as this is a sign of lower quality production.

Neither red nor black tea is to be confused with Rooibos, which is often called “Red Bush Tea” or “Red Tea” for short (even though it is technically an herbal tisane and not actual tea). Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) is a South African plant that is a member of the legume family and is not related to the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Rooibos has a very different taste and feel than red or black tea, as it is sweeter and lighter than red or black tea, although it is often mixed with sugar and cream just as you might find done with black tea in areas such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

Hopefully this helps clear up the difference between red tea, black tea, and rooibos. If you have any follow-up questions, please feel free to stop by the shop or send us an email at support@shangtea.com. And make sure to check out our red teas on this site.