{"id":21997,"date":"2026-07-07T13:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralis.no\/?p=21997"},"modified":"2026-07-07T14:22:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T12:22:23","slug":"from-himalayan-fields-to-the-solar-dryer-can-sunlight-preserve-the-aroma-of-nepalese-lemongrass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ruralis.no\/en\/2026\/07\/07\/from-himalayan-fields-to-the-solar-dryer-can-sunlight-preserve-the-aroma-of-nepalese-lemongrass\/","title":{"rendered":"From Himalayan Fields to the Solar Dryer: Can Sunlight Preserve the Aroma of Nepalese Lemongrass?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mathilda Hult\u00e9n, Master student in Biotechnology at Lund University.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the problem Mathilda set out to explore as a part of her master\u2019s thesis, conducted within the SolarFood project in Dhulikel, Nepal \u2014 a small town 30 km east of Kathmandu, sitting at 1550 meters above sea level with the Himalayas viable on a clear day. In this newsletter, she shares her findings from her MA research.<\/p>\n

Eight hours versus eight days<\/h2>\n

At the center of my study was a 5th<\/sup> generation hybrid indirect solar dryer, built by the Energy Department at Lund University and stationed in Dhulikhel. Rather than exposing the lemongrass leaves directly to sunlight, the dryer heats air through a separate solar collector and circulates it through stacked drying trays. This is a more controlled and hygienic approach than traditional open-sun drying.<\/p>\n

To understand what the solar dryer actually achieved, I compared it against shade drying. This method involves spreading leaves in a single layer at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.<\/p>\n

The results were striking in their efficiency. Fresh lemongrass leaves with around 73% moisture content were dried to approximately 10% within just 8-10 hours on a sunny day. Achieving the same moisture content level through shade drying took more than a week. From a practical standpoint for smallholder farmers, this difference is enormous.<\/p>\n

However, not everything was perfectly uniform. The bottom tray in the right column of the dryer consistently retained higher moisture than the other across repeated experiments \u2014 a finding that likely points to differences in airflow between the two columns. This is an important detail for future dryer optimization.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The hybrid indirect solar dryer used for testing. Photo: Mathilda Hult\u00e9n<\/p><\/div>\n

What happens to the quality?<\/h2>\n

Drying fast is one thing. Drying well is another. Lemongrass is valued precisely for the volatile compounds in its essential oil \u2014 citral, geraniol, limonene \u2014 that give it that characteristic sharp lemon fragrance. These compounds are sensitive to heat, so the question of what solar drying does to quality was central to the thesis.<\/p>\n

I measured antioxidant capacity using DPPH assay, and found that drying reduced it regardless of method, where solar and shade drying performed comparably. Microscopy images taken with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed something intriguing: solar-dried leaves appeared to retain more intact glandular trichomes \u2014 the oil-storing microstructures on the leaf surface \u2014 than shade-dried leaves. This may be because the much longer shade drying process causes greater mechanical disruption to these delicate structures over time.<\/p>\n

Essential oil yield was around 70% lower in solar-dried leaves compared to fresh, though large variation between batches made it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Biological variation in the raw material, for example differences between individual plants and harvest times, became a recurring theme throughout the analysis.<\/p>\n

\"Fresh<\/a>

Fresh lemongrass placed on a tray in the dryer. Photo: Mathilda Hult\u00e9n<\/p><\/div>\n

Sensory tea test<\/h2>\n

Perhaps the most memorable part of the study was the sensory evaluation. Four different lemongrass teas were tested in focus groups with both Nepalese and Swedish participants.<\/p>\n

The Nepalese panel was clear in their preferences. Solar-dried and shade-dried teas scored highest for aroma and flavor, both described as having a strong lemon character. The commercial tea scored lowest by a significant margin, described as tasting little different from hot water. This is likely a result of volatile compound loss during high-temperature industrial drying. The solar-dried tea received the highest color rating of all four samples, with participants noting it matched their expectations. Statically significant differences were found across all three attributes.<\/p>\n

The Swedish panel found fewer significant differences between samples, though they consistently described the solar- and shade-dried teas as having a stronger lemon aroma than the commercial alternatives. All samples met WHO microbial limits for herbal products, and importantly, no bacterial growth at all was detected in brewed tea. This suggests that the product is safe to consume.<\/p>\n

\"Mathilda<\/a>

Mathilda along with lab partners at Kathmandu University. Photo: Mathilda Hult\u00e9n<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

What this means for SolarFood<\/h2>\n

Lemongrass, already a meaningful income source for rural Nepalese women, represents a concrete case where solar drying technology can add real value. A product that dries in a day rather than a week, that meets safety standards, and that scores well in sensory tests, is a product that can more reliably reach markets. Ensuring efficiency and quality in dried products increases chances of investment in such solar dryers, which is an important step in developing sustainable business models for such technologies in Nepal and Bhutan.<\/p>\n

Further work remains. A larger number of replicates would strengthen the conclusion on antioxidant capacity and oil yield. SEM imaging of fresh leaves as a baseline would help understand what is actually preserved or lost during drying. Also, investigating the airflow characteristics within the dryer, particularly between the two columns, would be an important step toward improving the drying uniformity and making the technology more reliable at scale.<\/p>\n

The results are promising: The hybrid solar dryer offers a faster alternative to traditional drying methods, without sacrificing quality.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mathilda Hult\u00e9n completed her MA thesis in 2026, with the title \u201cSolar Drying of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) in Nepal\u201d. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Mathilda Hult\u00e9n, Master student in Biotechnology at Lund University. 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