Organic Rooibos Tea

Organic Rooibos Tea

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Also increased production of high quality rooibos tea is needed to meet the demands of a growing, discerning local and overseas market. Development of optimum quality can only be realized with processing under controlled conditions in place of the current open-air method of floor fermentation and sun-drying. Rooibos tea quality depends, amongst others, on fermentation time. Optimum fermentation temperature needs to be determined before recommendations for controlled fermentation on a commercial scale can be made. Drying of rooibos tea should also take place under controlled conditions to ensure optimum tea quality.

 However, the effects of drying temperature and drying under controlled conditions as opposed to sun-drying on rooibos tea quality are not known. Tea processors believe that sun-drying is essential for the development of the leaf colour of the tea and for the sensory characteristics of the liquid, but to date no research has been carried out to substantiate this. Drying of fermented tea should commence as soon as the characteristic rooibos tea aroma has developed in order to arrest further fermentation. Over-fermented rooibos tea is of poor quality and has dull, dark brown instead of red-brown leaves. The resulting dull, brown and turbid extract is of unacceptable quality. The aroma of the extract is very flat, sometimes woody and musty, and without the characteristic strong, sweet note. The taste is soft, watery, without any body and astringency and sometimes an uncharacteristic woody or hay-like taste is obtained.

 This study was undertaken to determine the effect of fermentation and drying temperatures on the aroma and taste of organic rooibos tea. Controlled drying as opposed to sun-drying was investigated in terms of its effect on tea quality, objective leaf colour and residual chlorophyll content. Harvesting of 20 kg tea for each treatment combination of experiment I took place over 10 weeks from a sub plot of a 6-year-old commercial plantation in the district. The tea was processed within 24 h after harvesting. The tea was cut into 3-4 mm lengths with a commercial cutting machine at the processing yard of the Organic Rooibos Tea Co-operative. After cutting the moisture content of each batch of comminuted tea was increased from c. 48% to 60% (wet basis) to facilitate expressing of phenolic compounds to the leaf surface during bruising.

 The small-scale bruising apparatus consisted of fixed twin rollers, covered with neoprene, and a stainless steel sliding table. The rotation speed of the rollers was controlled to give a table sliding speed of 0.012 to 0.014 m s1. Moistened tea was spread in a 25 mm layer over an area of 75 mm X 445 mm on the sliding table. Bruising was accomplished by moving the rollers once over the tea, compressing it to c. 11 mm, mixing it, and repeating the process. After bruising the moisture content was adjusted to 65% (wet basis) and fermented without delay. Fermentation was carried out with an experimental rotary unit. A'tray drier with cross-circulation of air at 2 m g"' was used for controlled drying. Drying took place on 30 mesh stainless steel trays.