The tea season is in full swing, with teams working tirelessly to harvest this year’s rooibos crop. Early indicators suggest a high-quality yield, though overall quantities appear slightly lower than last season. This is an important factor for bulk buyers to consider when planning their purchases.
From Crop to Cup: The Harvesting Process
Once harvested, rooibos undergoes a meticulous process to ensure the highest quality standards. The tea is cut and bruised to initiate natural oxidation, a crucial step that gives rooibos its rich colour and flavour. After oxidation, the tea is spread out in the drying yards, where the warm African sun completes the process. From there, the dried tea is collected, sorted, and graded before being packed and sent to customers worldwide.
Stringent Quality Checks
Every batch of rooibos is subjected to rigorous quality control measures. These include:
- Visual Colour: Ensuring a deep, rich red hue, indicating proper oxidation and drying.
- Cut Size: Verifying consistency in tea particle size for uniform infusion.
- Cup Infusion Colour: Checking that the brewed tea has the signature warm amber colour.
- Taste and Aroma: Evaluating the tea’s flavour profile for smoothness, sweetness, and natural earthy notes.
- Density: Ensuring optimal weight and texture for efficient brewing and packaging.
“Despite a slightly smaller yield this season, the quality of Rooibos remains excellent. Our team is working hard to ensure that every batch meets the highest standards for our bulk clients. Now is a good time for buyers to secure their supply while stocks are available,” says Ryk van Romburgh, Operations Manager at Bergendal Rooibos.
“It is a busy, yet rewarding time of year, as raw tea from the dry yard enters our internal laboratory to be graded daily by our trained QC’s and expert tasting panel. So far, the quality is very good compared to January the previous year,” says Ilze Bruwer, Quality Assurance Manager at Carmién Tea.
Looking Ahead
As the season progresses, there is a shared optimism among the team. “We are looking forward to the 2025 rooibos harvesting season. Best wishes to all our rooibos tea producers. May the rooibos yields be more than expected; may our hot African sun, once again shine upon our drying yards to make the best quality rooibos tea; may all the natural goodness of our rooibos reach our clients in good time; may everyone sharing a cup of Carmién Rooibos tea be exalted and full of joy; may we all help to make the world a better place during the year to come,” shares Mientjie Mouton, Founder and Managing Director at Carmién Tea.
With the 2025 season ahead, we remain committed to delivering the finest rooibos to our clients, ensuring each cup carries the essence of our sun-drenched fields and expert craftsmanship. Now is the perfect time for buyers to plan their orders and secure premium-quality rooibos for the year to come.