Manufacturing Process and Various uses of Savannah Herbal Tea (Lippia multiflora) in Cote d’Ivoire

This study aims at determining the manufacturing process of tea from Lippia multiflora collected in Côte d’Ivoire and describe its various uses. A survey was conducted among pickers, sellers and consumers in five cities (Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Toumodi, Katiola and Bondoukou). The results show that (92.11%) of the women harvesting tea, cut leafy stems at tea tree base, (80.65%) carry their harvests on the head and (60.95%) dry their harvest from 1 to 3 days or 7 days. The harvest period ranging from April to August is the most important one (80.15%). In Abidjan, the use of Lippia multiflora as food is 79.80 % and in other areas of the country, it is used for both food and medicine with the respective frequencies of 46.56 and 46.44 % and its insecticidal use represents only (6,16%). It appears from this survey that the leaves of Lippia multiflora are most used by consumers; the manufacturing of this herbal tea is performed according to traditional process. The savannah tea has nutritional, insecticidal and medicinal values. It would be better to afford the opportunity to transform the leaves of Lippia multiflora in tea in order to have a crop with a high added value.