Tagged: quality control

How Rooibos Is Graded, and Why a Finer Cut Tastes Stronger

Every batch of rooibos is graded on cut, colour, and aroma before it becomes a teabag, a loose-leaf tin, or an extract. Here is what Superior, Choice, and Standard grade actually describe, and why a finer cut tastes stronger while a coarser one tastes sweeter.

Rooibos Ferments in the Open, So Processors Heat It Before It Ships

Rooibos is fermented and dried outdoors on bare ground, which is exactly why Cederberg processors run every batch through a heat and steam step before it ships. Here is what that step actually does, what a 2014 peer-reviewed review found it does not fully guarantee, and how long the kettle you already use needs to run to close most of the gap.