Cultures used to drinking milk with black tea will often add milk to roobios tea, also known as "red tea" or "African red bush tea." Roobios has enough body that milk or cream will not to drown out the flavor, but they will cut down on it. The tea's similarity to black tea is what made roobios tea popular in the United Kingdom long before green tea. The roobios brands Eleven O'Clock and Tick Tock sell in all major stores in the UK along with regular black tea. The manufacturer of these teas, Dragonfly Teas, states the tea can be served exactly like black tea. The South Aftrican Roobios Council claims that many tea drinkers in South Africa, where roobios is from, prefer milk in their tea.

On the Other: Drinking Without Milk

People living in cultures not used to putting milk in black tea may have difficulty adjusting to milk in roobios tea. According to "Tea Bliss" by Theresa Cheung (2007), most Asian countries and countries that rarely use dairy products do not put milk in their tea. Roobios can also be purchased mixed with fruits such as lemon and spices like licorice which may clash with milk.

Bottom Line

People who prefer milk in black tea will be more inclined to like milk in plain roobios tea. Roobios mixed with many other flavors should be tried plain.

Source:

"Dragonfly Tea: Tick Tock"

"South African Roobios Council: Roobios Tea Facts"

"Tea Bliss"; Theresa Cheung; 2007

More Information:

"Steepster.com: A Tea Drinking Community"

"Roobios.org"

"South African Roobios Council"