Lemon myrtle tea is fast emerging as a potential international export as one of the country’s largest commercial growers of the botanical, Australian Native Products, expects to substantially increase its production by 2021.
Australian Native Products CEO James Gosper said lemon myrtle has a range of health benefits, which makes it an exciting flavour for herbal tea makers and the global tea market, now valued at around US $12.6 billion.
“Lemon myrtle has more than 10 different antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds – more than many other herbal teas. In fact, it has similar antioxidant properties to black tea, but without the caffeine,” said Gosper.
“Lemon myrtle also has a high level of citral, a potent antioxidant. It’s higher than lemongrass and other lemon scented herbals that are common ingredients in tea blends.”
Gosper said distillers such as Four Pillars have already harnessed the potential of Austrlaia’s native botanicals in gin and believes the same opportunity exists for tea.
Australian Native Products harvests more than 300 tonnes of lemon myrtle leaves each year and turns approximately a third of that into dried loose-leaf tea. The company expects production volume to substantially increase by 2021 as its North Queensland plantations mature over the next three years, as well as gaining organic certification, due to its sustainable growing practices.
The plants do not need herbicides or pesticides, and are drought tolerant, requiring only minimal amounts of water throughout the year.
“Lemon myrtle has been used by Indigenous Australians for thousands of years, but it’s really been in the last decade that interest in the plant and other Australian natives has started to grow – it ticks a lot of boxes not just on flavour but for its health benefits and sustainability,” said Gosper.
The by-products of the harvest can also be used as microfibre or a mulch, which is scattered on the soil around young trees to return nutrients to the soil. This also prevents the growth of weeds and slows the evaporation of moisture from the area where the tree is planted.
Gosper says the team is keen to get lemon myrtle into the hands of more tea markers around the world as soon as international travel returns.
