THE IMPACT OF DRYING TIME AND TEMPERATURE ON THE QUALITY OF HERBAL DRINKS MADE FROM COCOA LEAVES (THEOBROMA CACAO L.)

Abstrak

Pruning is one method of controlling pests and diseases to increase cacao plant output. Because cacao leaves include advantageous components that make them suited for processing into food products like herbal tea, the leaves that are obtained from pruning can be used. Finding the ideal drying temperature and time to create premium cacao leaf herbal tea is the goal of this study, along with evaluating any potential interactions between the two variables. Two parameters were used in a Randomized Block Design (RBD): drying length (W) at three levels — W1 (100 minutes), W2 (150 minutes), and W3 (200 minutes) — and drying temperature (T) at three levels — T1 (70°C), T2 (80°C), and T3 (90°C). A 5% significance level analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the data, and if significant differences were discovered, the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test was used. According to organoleptic evaluation, the best aroma was obtained at a drying temperature of 70°C, and the best color was obtained after 100 minutes of drying. Regarding the quality of the herbal tea made from cacao leaves, no discernible relationship between drying time and temperature was found.