Tea wine, tea yoghurt to be showcased at Nairobi International Trade Fair

More than 300 local and international exhibitors are showcasing their innovations at the Nairobi International Trade Fair at the Jamhuri Park off Ngong Road.

Joseph Mugo, chairman Nairobi International Trade Fair said the trade fair seeks to embrace sustainable agriculture and cutting-edge technologies to drive economic growth while safeguarding the environment.

President William Ruto is expected to officially open the show and he will also be expected to take part in the auctioning of livestock. 

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi will attend the ASK show on Thursday and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua will be the chief guest on Friday.

Tea wine and tea yoghurt

The University of Nairobi is showcasing tea value addition where they have produced tea wine and tea yoghurts.

Harrison Mogeni, a Ph.D. student at the University of Nairobi, department of Food Science is showcasing tea product diversification and value addition products.

Of particular interest to the showgoers are the tea wine and tea yoghurt.

He explained that consumption of tea in Kenya is low at five percent while the rest is exported.

In order to encourage Kenyans to consume more tea, the university has come up with other products apart from black tea which is mainly consumed by Kenyans.

He said besides the green, purple, and yellow teas that are currently in the market, they have some new products like wine and yoghurt which are not commonly known tea products.

Mogeni explained that to make the tea wine, they extract the tea and ferment anaerobically using wine yeast. It then forms alcohol at 13 percent alcohol, after which it is harvested and filtration is done.

“We do not put any chemical which can be harmful to the body. We want to ensure the wine is as organic as possible so we package all the full benefits of tea and alcohol,” he said.

He said it is a table wine, which can be taken after a meal but he was quick to warn of overindulgence to avoid being drunk. The wine comes in a 700 ml bottle of premium and white wines which is either sweet or semi-dry.

They also have iced tea which is made from the extracts. “We extract tea and we sweeten and chill it. It is supposed to be taken chilled or at room temperature,” Mogeni said.

For the tea yoghurt, they ferment the milk with yogurt culture. After making the yoghurt, they add the tea extra as a flavor.  

“We get the full benefit of tea in the glass of wine and in the yogurt,” he said.

The tea wine is currently being sold at the university at Sh1,000 for a 700 ml bottler while the iced tea is selling at Sh100 for half a litre. The tea yoghurt is selling at Sh100 for 500 ml and Sh50 for 250 ml.

“Currently we are selling the products at the university but they will be out in the market soon. In the next two months, you can be able to access the tea value-added products at your nearest convenient store,” said Mogeni.

This year's theme is promoting climate-smart agriculture and trade initiatives for sustainable economic growth.

Mugo said the theme aligns well with the National Government’s commitment to fostering innovation and technology for sustainable agricultural sector growth.

“So far 320 exhibitors have confirmed, and this is a significant increase from last year’s 185 exhibitors. We have 15 international exhibitors, doubling last year’s count of seven,” he added.

Mugo said the trade fair is aimed at introducing new technologies which can help the country to sustain itself and grow.

He noted that due to climate change, people are not able to grow enough food to sustain themselves and also sustain themselves for economic growth.

“The country is not growing food in an ecological manner, and as a result of that the harvest is not good hence the need to focus on climate-smart technologies," Mugo said.

"We want farmers and traders to come here to exhibit their technology to the showgoers so that they can be able to shift to clean smart agriculture so that we can improve our economy,” Mugo added.

Gate charges are Sh300 for adults and Sh250 for children. There is also a category of special parties (groups of more than 10) with gate fee charges of Sh250 for adults and Sh200 for kids.

The Nairobi International Trade Fair will run for seven days from September 25 to October 1.