How Is Rooibos Tea Made? From Red Bush to Your Cup
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Ever wondered how rooibos tea goes from a green mountain shrub to that rich, amber infusion in your mug? Here's the fascinating step-by-step process.
Rooibos tea doesn't just happen — it's crafted through a carefully timed process that transforms a bright green plant into the warm, ruby-red tea you know and love. And the magic lies in a process called enzymatic oxidation.
Step 1: Harvesting
Rooibos plants are ready to harvest after about 18 months of growth. Farmers cut the top 50 cm of the shrubs during summer (January–February), binding the cuttings into bundles. The harvested material is then mechanically cut into uniform lengths - from fine espresso cuts to longer loose-leaf pieces, depending on the intended product, finally through a specialized process to the reditea Instant Rooibos powder.
Step 2: Bruising & Oxidation (The "Fermentation" Stage)
This is where rooibos gets its colour and flavour. The cut plant material is bruised — slightly crushed — to release natural compounds. It's then spread into large "sweat heaps" on open drying yards, watered, and left to oxidise for 8 to 24 hours in the hot Cederberg sun. During this enzymatic oxidation, the leaves transform from bright green to a deep, rich red-brown — and that signature sweet, earthy aroma develops. (Note: This is technically oxidation, not true fermentation — but the terms are used interchangeably in the industry.)
Step 3: Sun-Drying
After oxidation is complete, the rooibos is spread thinly across the drying yard and left to dry naturally in the African sun. The entire cut-bruise-oxidise-dry cycle takes less than 24 hours, and the tea is dried to below 10% moisture — making it shelf-stable and ready for packaging.
☕ From harvest to your cup in under 24 hours — rooibos production is as fascinating as the tea itself.