MEERLANDSVLEI | VALUE ADDITION
FROM GREEN PLANT TO ROOIBOS TEA
During tea season, the drying yard operates six days a week, and Willie explains how the process works.
“ The tea is cut and brought to the yard. The following day, the cutting machines work continuously to process the load. The twigs are mechanically cut into fine pieces of about 1 mm to 5 mm. They are then bruised by driving tractors over them so that the tea juices are released. This is essential for the chemical reactions that take place during fermentation.
“ On the same day, the cut tea is placed in long rows on the yard, known as sweat heaps, and moistened. It is left like this for about 16 hours so that the fermentation process can begin. This is when the colour of the tea changes and its characteristic aroma develops. You have to be careful not to leave it for too long, otherwise it starts turning into something resembling kraal manure, with the leaves turning black.
“ The following morning, when we want to stop the fermentation process, the heaps are opened up and spread in a thin layer across the hot concrete yard. The tea is left there for about six to eight hours, after which it is mechanically swept up and stored in bulk bags before being sent to processing facilities.”
Herman says the moisture content of the tea is critically important. Moistening the tea is essential for fermentation.
“ It is a combination of oxygen, moisture and heat that drives fermentation, and the temperature inside the tea heaps can rise above 40 ° C.
“ The easiest way to determine whether the moisture content is right is to pick up a handful of tea and squeeze it firmly. If a thin stream of moisture runs out, the moisture content is very close to the 65 % we are looking for.