Your Favourite Tea Bag is Killing You.

Loose leaf tea or tea bags? Authentic or Quickie?

The debate is on since the time someone in America “invented” tea bag by mistake (the dumbest and most horrifying invention to any true blue tea lover).

Well, I made my point already there! You see, if you consider yourself a true blue tea lover, you can’t be seen with a tea bag (Forget Simon Baker in Mentalist. He even added milk to a Chamomile tea bag!) Trust me. It’s like blasphemy. Or, may be more! It’s like drinking premixed “scotch” (sounds weird right? A brand tried to sell a premix whisky – didn’t work at all) and calling yourself a whisky connoisseur.

Now, that was all about passion. But passion, these days, are not that relevant after all. We need rationale. And we need scientific reasoning. So, here it is:

Before that let’s clarify what includes loose leaf and what’s a tea bag:

Most (90%) tea bags contain small cut leaf which is primarily tea dust and very broken tea leaves and twigs; while  Whole Loose Leaf Teas are primarily made up of Whole, large and Unbroken Leaves.

Tea grades such as dust & brokens have higher surface areas which means higher exposure to the essential oils and more of a chance for them to evaporate. The large grades have a relatively lesser surface area and hence the essential oils remain intact. Hence better Aroma, Better flavor and more Antioxidants!

Tea bags have limited space for the tea leaves to let water flow and absorb very little water and hence the infusion and the yield is not very flavorful, Loose Leaf tea have space to expand and hence allow the water to be absorbed and flow through the leaves and extract good amount of vitamins, minerals, flavors all along with great aroma.

Loose leaf teas can be reinfused several times (in many cases) unlike a tea bag.

Tea bags may release tannins more quickly when compared to loose leaf tea resulting in bitter and astringent brews.

Most tea bag teas are machine picked and machine make unlike most whole loose leaf tea which are carefully handpicked and carefully selectively processed.

Not convinced yet?

Ok… No problem. Let me share with you a study called the The Glaucus Studies, 2013

The Study consisted of 25 varieties of tea bags that were tested for 365 different illegal pesticides of the eight well-known brands. They are manufactured in India and China for global distribution. Some countries already have banned these brands, but not the U.S.

Here is the list of eight brands and 25 types of teas that were found “adulterated”:

1. Tetley – Pure Green Tea, Long Leaf Green Tea
2. Twinings – Classic Assam Tea, Classic Lady Grey, English Breakfast, Earl Grey
3. Uncle Lee’s Legends of China – Green Tea, Jasmine Green Tea
4. Celestial Seasonings – Authentic Green Tea, Antioxidant Max Blackberry Pomegranate, Antioxidant Max Blood Orange, Antioxidant Max Dragon Fruit, English Breakfast Black K-Cup, Green Tea Honey Lemon Ginger, Green Tea Peach Blossom, Green Tea Raspberry Gardens, Sleepytime Herbal Teas, Sleepytime Kids Goodnight Grape Herbal
5. Lipton – Clear Green Tea, Darjeeling Tea, Pure Green Tea, Yellow Label Black Tea
6. No Name – Black Tea
7. King Cole – Orange Pekoe
8. Signal – Orange Pekoe Two Cups

Unfortunately, if you drink tea, you may see several of your favorites on the list! The Glaucus Testing selected an independent and highly accredited lab, so there would be no discretions. The brands were chosen because they were specifically marketed as “100 percent natural and healthy.”

Source : https://www.sadakafirm.com/tea-bag-containing-deadly-pesticides/

It’s kind of ironic because some of the names like “Pure Green Tea” are nothing more than a marketing ploy to make you feel believe that it is all natural, this is exactly why organic whole leaf tea is always a better choice.

  

Toxic Tea Bags

So, if the alarming levels of pesticides wasn’t enough to get you to make the switch, perhaps the epichlorohydrin that is used to treat these tea bags to ensure that they do not disintegrate or tear, will. This chemical, epichlorohydrin is a chlorinated epoxy compound that is used as an industrial solvent. It is not only a strong skin irritant, but also a known carcinogen. According to Dow, it is a very dangerous chemical that requires a special handling procedure, and yep, that’s right – the tea bag companies mentioned above use this chemical to spray their bags. That chemical is not only being absorbed into our skin, but it’s being extracted in hot water and then consumed.  

Given your love for tea bag which you have been drinking as tea for a while now, how much poison are you now carrying in your body?

Conclusions:

Tea bags gained momentum in an era when there were no alternative to the convenience that they offered. People had foregone quality for convenience.

Now days there are enough tea accessories available in the market so making loose leaf tea is as much a convenience as much a tea bags!

I usually carry a strainer like this with me along with my tea leaves. It costs something between Rs.150-Rs.200 and are easily available in Amazon. If you are living outside India, please check online stores in your own country.

Must Visit 6 Tea Factories in Darjeeling & Kurseong

Darjeeling – The land of Exquisite Tea and Mesmerising Tea Trails

Darjeeling tea is called the Champagne of tea for, perhaps many a reasons. It is considered one of the most premium and sought after tea among the tea connoisseurs around the globe. Most royal families of Europe wake up every day to a cup of Darjeeling tea.

Darjeeling has 4 major production sessions in a year called the flush. The first flush is the produce right after the harsh winter is over and spring has just stepped in. The first flush Darjeeling tea is one of the most premium teas available from India. Second flush Darjeeling tea, which is produced during the summer, is well known for its unique muscatel flavour and also fetches premium prices in the global market. Darjeeling tea is a legally protected geographical designation that is grown and manufactured in this very specifically defined region “Darjeeling”.

Darjeeling is situated over the lower Himalayan ranges located in the state of West Bengal, India (I had to clarify this since I realized many ‘Indians’ think Darjeeling is in Assam!) . Most of the tea bushes in Darjeeling owe their origin to tea seeds from China “smuggled out” by famous adventurer and botanist Robert Fortune nearly 200 years ago. If France represents Champagne in the world of Sparkling Wine, India is known around the world for its Darjeeling Tea.

In this second blog post that continues from my last blog https://teawithsusmita.com/2019/04/07/darjeeling-the-land-of-exquisite-tea-and-mesmerising-tea-trails/ ‘ , I am going to talk about 6 tea gardens and factories here which are very different in terms of the size and production capabilities but nonetheless produce some of the best Darjeeling teas of the region. These are also the gardens and factories that I have visited myself and found them unique in some way or other. These gardens are part of the Darjeeling tea trail and I recommend visiting at least a couple of them – if not all – to have a good understanding of how teas are produced and manufactured as well as experience tea tasting directly at the source.

The list is in no particular order.

Goomti, Kurseong

A picturesque tea garden that lies between Jungpana to the east and Castleton to the west, is planted on the mountain slopes between 3000 and 6000 feet considered most ideal location for the production of some of the best quality Darjeeling tea.

The tea garden is now run by the third generation owners who are fully dedicated in maintaining the quality and improving the processes that meet world class standards. The Goomtee tea factory is certified under ISO9001 and the HACCP protocols. However, their biggest assets are their co-workers’ families who are in their third generation of service as well and possess great artisan skills.  They exactly follow the original and traditional methods of Darjeeling cultivation and processing.

Try their First Flush and Oolong Tea. They have an elaborate tea tasting facility and you can taste the day’s produce if you go visit them with a confirmed appointment.

I had the privilege of being with them for 3 consecutive days and had the opportunity of walking around its tea garden, visiting the factory, talking to their employees and meeting with their very passionate factory manager Mr. Mishra.

Goomti also has a tea bungalow where you can stay while in Kurseong; however it is under renovation and should be ready only by end of the year.

Ambootia, Kurseong

Ambotia Tea garden, another picturesque Kurseong garden, is run by Mr. Sanjay Bansal who is one of the pioneers in bio-dynamic farming in Darjeeling and a champion of transforming run-down tea estates with uncertain futures into sustainable ones. Their website mentions 14 tea gardens that the Ambotia Group owns and managers under their umbrella.

This one that I visited is situated very close to the Cochrane Place and if you are staying at this hotel, they shall be happy to arrange for a factory visit to this estate.

Avoid visiting any tea factory on a Monday, because you will not be able to see any production happening (Sunday being a holiday no plucking happens on a Sunday and hence no processing on Monday). I had visited them on a Monday morning and though I couldn’t see the tea being made, the factory manager was kind enough to give me a thorough tour of their state-of-the-art factory that was built keeping in mind all the possible requirements for bio dynamic standards.

I couldn’t taste their teas since the factory was not operating, but if you are visiting them with a proper confirmation taken before hand, I am sure you shall be able to enjoy some of the best teas that the estate produces.

Makaibari, Kurseong

Girish Chandra Banerjee, the scion of a zamindar family from Borai around 100km from Kolkata, had taken over the garden in 1859, but it was under the fourth generation owner Swaraj Banerjee – also know an Rajah Banerjee –  who made Makaibari tea estate what it is today. Under his leadership and guidance and with his foresight, Makaibari became the first completely organic tea garden in the country in 1988. Makaibari follows a form of integrated forest management utilizing permaculture where the tea bush is part of a multi-tier system of trees and plants typical of a sub-tropical rainforest, as opposed to a monocultural farm that grows only one crop. Makaibari retains 70% of its entire area under forest cover creating a bio trope for many species of animals to thrive here, including endangered panthers, tigers, birds, butterflies, snakes, spiders and many others, feeding off of each other as part of the natural food chain.

Down the years, Makaibari has carried the signature of Darjeeling and India around the world. Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi gifted Queen Elizabeth Makaibari tea when he called upon her at the Buckingham Palace in 2016. The Makaibari tea was also served to participants and officials at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. Makaibari’s Silver Tips Imperial was sold at a record Rs 1.17 lakh per kg in 2014.

A visit to Makaibari tea factory is must when you are in Kurseong. It is located on the main road from the Bagdogra airport to Darjeeling via Kurseong. There is a Rs.30/- per head charge that you have to pay while entering the factory. The factory tour guide is usually very brisk and brief in showing around the factory but if you insist he will spend more time and explain the processes in more details. The fresh tea brews can be tasted at the small cabin near the main entrance which also serves as a selling point for its teas.

Makaibari estate also runs some homestays which are typically the employees’ houses converted and renovated for the purpose. (More details on this in my next blogs.)

Marybong, Darjeeling

Marybong – which literally means Mary’s place in Lepcha – is situated about 12 km from Ghoom, the second highest railway station in the world. At an altitude between 3000 to 6000 feet with unparalleled views of the entire Himalayan range with its crowning glory Mt. Kanchenjunga (the world’s 3rd highest peak)  and the ruling mountain in these parts of the Himalayas, Marybong is perhaps, one of the most picturesque tea estates in Darjeeling. The tea estate changed a few hands until it was taken over by the Chamong groups who helped it get back to its earlier glory.

Marybong factory is not always open to outside visitors and it is good idea to get your permission from their Calcutta office; and if you are lucky you might just be invited to the General Manager’s bungalow where you can sip  the freshest brew over some fascinating stories of this very old estate.

Giddapahar, Kurseong

Giddapahar, which means Eagles’ Cliff in English, is a smaller family owned estate that you can find on your way to Darjeeling from Kurseong. The Shaw family owns this estate since its inception in 1881 and they are known for their perfect First Flush Darjeeling teas. Their tea factory has undergone lots of renovations over the years and is now ran very efficiently by the current owners and a team of very dedicated and well trained employees. If you are visiting them any time in the near future, you might just be invited to the owner’s house for a cup of their best teas. They are building a nice view point that overlooks their factory, bungalow and the gardens which shall also serve as a tea tasting place for their visitors and buyers.

Singtom, Darjeeling

Singtom is the second oldest tea estate in Darjeeling which was planted by a German priest Joachim Stoelke in 1854. He is also known to have planted the regions first tea garden called Steinthal Tea Estate, in 1852. The two estates are right next to each other, with Darjeeling town in between. Singtam was the original name for Sintom which meant ‘abode of lions, and was so named as the area around there were famous for lion spotting at the time when the estate was started.

Singtom tea factory, one of the oldest tea factories, still runs based on old traditions of tea manufacturing. Their very passionate factory manager shall give you a very thorough tour of the factory while explaining the minute details of the tea making process. It was one of the best tea factory visits that I had experienced in Darjeeling.

Singtom also runs the world’s oldest tea resort which is located just about 300 m away from their factory. It’s one of the best destinations to live in a tea estate with majestic views of the Himalayan peaks all around (more on this in my next blogs).

If you want to visit any of the tea estates while in Darjeeling, I shall be happy to help.

Pictures are copyrighted to TeawithSusmita , except for the last (preview) picture which is internet sourced.

France’s Love For Tea & Its First Teas Of The World Contest

“Not one cup of tea have I taken without cursing the glory and the ambition that keeps me away from the soul of my life”, part of Napoleon’s letter to his beloved Josephine in 1796.

 

Tea, indeed, has a very long history in France. The first tea came to Paris via the Dutch in the 17th century, a few years before it arrived in London. Soon it became a drink of the elite and the aristocracy. Unlike the British where the tea was and still is a part of everyday household affair, tea in France stayed at the aristocratic salons frequented by the rich and noble. But with the French Revolution tea made an exit from the life of French people (I had mentioned about it in my last blog as well) … until now.

 

Today, tea is finding its foot back to France – slowly, yet firmly.

The silent tea revolution that is undergoing in France for the last couple of decade is developing into a refined and delicate affair – as befits their gastronomic heritage. Inside France, there is a sudden surge for tea that is sweeping the middle classes. In Paris and beyond, specialty tea rooms are opening up successfully. “People are taking classes to learn how to taste and to serve. Literally hundreds of varieties and blends are now available for sale.  A new generation of health- and fashion-conscious consumers has begun discovering the world of tastes that tea can open up.”

It is also not surprising at all then that the French treats their tea exactly like wine!  They explore the taste of tea exactly as they explore the tastes of wine – through different colours, vintages, new growth, single estate, fermented. Today in Paris, even Michelin starred restaurants are taught on how to serve tea instead of wine.

“The French are always interested in the origins of what they eat and drink, and in the cultures that produced it,” says Francois-Xavier Delmas, founder of the Le Palais des Thes chain of tea shops.  Top that up with France’s ‘field-to-table’ agricultural approach, you are sure to get a connection of what you are drinking (or eating) and it’s origin (where it is produced).

 

The story of AVPA started on similar thoughts.

Philippe Juglar (now President, AVPA), Jean-Emmanuel Jourde (current General Secretary and Oil Competition Lead, AVPA) and Boris Hleap (Coffee Competition Lead, AVPA) met more 30 years ago when they were in the coffee import business. They were the first to launch a contest for specialty coffees roasted at origin before it became trendy, with the exact same vision as the association has today. But it was too early, and it didn’t pan out.

In the early 2000s, the coffee crisis and personal interests brought them to other agricultural products, especially olive oils. The association AVPA (Association pour la Valorisation des Produits Agricoles) was created and the contest for edible oils began. Over the year this competition has set standards among the industry while working hand in hand with researchers to remain the spearhead of taste oriented best practices. All the other competitions follow the same path.

A competition for tea was brewing in their mind for a while, particularly keeping in mind the growing interest for this beverage in the country. With the legacy of two successful contests behind them and their strong association for origin of products – “Teas of the World” contest is created – a contest that emphasizes on the traceability of the teas or its origin.

 

“Contests must be a means, not an end: a springboard towards more events oriented towards the general public and hospitality professionals, who are the ones making changes in the way society drinks tea, and also the ones most lacking in reliable information and opportunities to taste great teas.” says Lauren Pascault, who takes care of the “Teas of the World” contest as the Contest Lead at AVPA.  Lauren has previously worked as tea salesperson with Dammann Frères (an ancient company with its origins – as they claim – going back to the days of Louis XIV, but in modern times it helped usher in the French tea revolution) and now runs her own tea consulting and event creation business.

The story of the Teas of the World Contest will not be complete without mentioning two very important ladies in the shadows: Marcela Thimonier and Ksenia Kashirskaya, who are in charge of the day-to-day administrative work, communications and contest coordination, making sure that it takes place as it is envisioned.

“The joy is that it (tea) is all for the French a re-discovery. For centuries we have had no real contact with tea. So unlike British, we formed no habits. This means we can learn about tea as a pure, new product.” Didier Jumeau-Lafond, Dammann Teas quips.

Well, the French has opened their doors and their hearts – teas of the world –  it’s now your opportunity to embrace this newly converted land of love.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

 

Teas of the World Contest Registration: https://www.avpa.fr/thes-en

Registration Open until 15th June 2018

 

About AVPA:

The AVPA (Agence pour la Valorisation des Produits Agricoles) is a non-profit, non-governmental association that promotes high-quality products of origin through contests. It started 15 years ago with the contest for edible oils (mainly olive), and went on with coffee (6th year in 2018), water (2d year) and tea (1st year).

Tea & Health

I very often get asked these questions:

Is tea really good for health?

What are the health benefits of tea?

Which of the teas I should drink to improve my health?

 

The answer to these questions is very simple :

Tea is NOT a medicine and therefore it should not be looked at only from a health perspective. Speciality teas are like wines; and some of the speciality tea are more expensive than wine or champagne (yes such tea come from India). Therefore speciality tea are for celebrations, snob values, prestige values as well as for lifestyle enhancement or style statements. Tea is such an interesting beverage that even if you drink one kind of tea every day of your life, you will still not have drank all the possible teas available in the world. And tea is also about experience and exploration.

To sum up tea is a philosophy  – you study that philosophy,  immerse yourself into it, get the good things out of it and enrich your life. Tea is not a paracetamol to help you reduce your fever but it is a soothing drink to help you sleep peacefully when you have temperature and make you feel better when you wake up. No other beverage in the world can be compared with the versatility of tea. So let us enjoy it for all the things that it offers to us –  after all, you don’t drink wine because it’s good for your health (they say red wine is good for your heart).

A fine tea is like a good romance. You will never get enough of it. Enjoy Life!

 

For health benefits of Tea, please read by blog post : http://teawithsusmita.com/2017/11/10/all-teas-are-good-for-your-health/

Welcome to France’s 1st Tea Championship – Join AVPA’s Teas of the World Contest

As a tea lover and tea artist, every time I see a Coffee Championship happening, and see the vibrant activities, the spirit of the participants, the-let-your-hair-down attitude and having fun while doing serious stuff – I say to myself, “why not with tea?” I guess, and it is a very personal observation – that the coffee industry runs of co-optation and cooperation; while tea runs on pure competition.

Tea (also wine and coffee) is a knowledge industry and should not be part of beverages industry. Quickly the tea producers, tea brands and tea marketers understand this the better it is for the industry as a whole, globally. And as in any knowledge based industry, it is very important that knowledge is assimilated and shared among all stake holders for the overall growth of everyone within the industry.

 

Therefore, it is heartening to see AVPA’s first ever Tea Championship – The “Teas of the World” (https://www.avpa.fr/thes-en ), in Paris, France has its objectives right. One of their key visions is to bring tea producers, tea brands and tea marketers on one platform and enabling them to learn from each other. Particularly for producers, making tea is such a time-consuming affair that they rarely have the opportunity to look around at what is happening elsewhere and what are the best practices that are emerging every day. AVPA’s Tea Championship is going to be a meeting room for everyone with the objective of knowledge sharing and learning.

“Events are the best way to draw attention (from the professionals, the media, the general public) on an industry in need of recognition and standardisation. Cooking became a professional activity because the last centuries saw associations, competitions and training bodies work to protect workers and set their qualifications. Coffee has gone the same way with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), which works worldwide to provide state-of-the-art training and competitions. Tea has not yet succeeded in organizing itself, and it will take many initiatives to do so globally: the AVPA “Teas of the World” contest is one of those.” says Lauren Pascault, the contest leader for Tea at AVPA.

 

But is Tea a legitimate business idea in France? After all, tea lost grounds in France after the French revolution and a general distrust for anything British (the rivalry between the French and British is legendary and it extends to food habits as well!) making coffee the choicest beverage of the intellectuals, the artists, the bureaucrats and the common French people (being served in the army, hospital and school canteens).

Well, it seems like the drinking habits of the French are changing. Health is becoming a real issue and tea is slowly making its way back in France as a gourmet lifestyle beverage. And though they do not consume or buy the most tea in Europe, specialty teas account for a quarter of French sales in value, compared with 5% on the European scale! What better ground then than France for a taste standard, particularly for those tea and brands that are eyeing the very lucrative orthodox tea market of Europe.

 

AVPA’s First Tea Championship wants to give an equal chance and an equal voice to all producers of high-quality teas around the world, along with the supply chain, where exporters, wholesalers and resellers need to be encouraged in choosing and promoting specialty teas. The “Teas of the World” contest is open to any company who is able to give the required information of traceability, and as long as these teas are clearly identified, unflavored, whole-leaf and unblended. All tea-producing countries are welcome – whether it’s new like Netherlands, or old like China and India. They do not believe that the weight of tradition necessarily makes for a better tea, and want to encourage all countries to learn from each other irrespective of their heritage, history and place in the tea producing or tea drinking world.

AVPA’s Tea Championship in France, therefore, not only looks like a great knowledge sharing and learning platform for the global tea growers, brands and tea marketers, but also a platform that makes complete business sense and also an opportunity to enter the European / international markets as well. After all, French certification has great value worldwide.

 

This Tea Championship is also, in a way, a step towards legitimising France’s tea culture. For a long time now, the more popular tea cultures of the British and the Chinese have made the liberal French people feel that their opinions and practices on teas are getting trapped. This is to show to the world that tea has a rightful place in France, and France has a rightful place in the world of tea. Toast à cela!

 

Registration: https://www.avpa.fr/thes-en

Open until 15th June 2018

 

About AVPA:

The AVPA (Agence pour la Valorisation des Produits Agricoles) is a non-profit, non-governmental association that promotes high-quality products of origin through contests. It started 15 years ago with the contest for edible oils (mainly olive), and went on with coffee (6th year in 2018), water (2d year) and tea (1st year).

The team is made of a contest leader for each product, the president, the secretary and the communications officer. They all work with networks of professionals in each product, so as to act as a hub for knowledge, people and tastes!

https://www.avpa.fr/

 

 

Want to get in touch with me?

I am available at itsourcuppetea@gmail.com

 

 

*Pictures are sourced from the internet

Why You should drink Orthodox Tea?

Tea actually should mean orthodox tea only, because that’s the natural way to manufacture and drink tea.

However, my above statement will not go so well with the big billion dollar brands ,who make heavy bucks on selling tea which is NOT orthodox. Though majority of the world tea is produced in the orthodox process, it is estimated that at least 40% of the rest of the tea manufactured are not orthodox – they are CTC. This CTC tea is what is mostly available in the market in the branded boxes for the uninitiated buyers.

So, let us understand what is orthodox tea and why they are different from CTC. This understanding is very important to make informed decision about what tea you are going to buy and drink next.

Here it is:

Orthodox tea is made (or manufactured) in the traditional method – that is by hand. Once the tea  – leaves, buds and twigs – are plucked, they go through the traditional processes of withering, rolling, oxidization and firing. This takes time to make one batch of tea. However, this time taking is also responsible for creating the various varieties of teas like the white, green, oolong or black.

Since this is the traditional way of manufacturing tea, it is called Orthodox tea. Orthodox tea manufacturing takes time, needs huge manpower (as some processes can only be done by hand) and are more authentic in terms of it aroma, flavour and brew. Because these teas are made in this traditional ways, orthodox teas give the authentic experience of tea drinking by bringing out more complex and subtle multilayer flavours of tea, making such teas expensive and premium.

Orthodox tea and tea liquor

 

With an orthodox tea multiple infusions are also possible, which in a way, reduces the cost per cup for the consumer.

CTC, which stands for Crush, Tear and Curl, is a mechanized process of tea manufacturing where the plucked teas are put in rolling machines for processing. The machine slices everything of the tea-plant – the leaves, twigs and buds – creating a homogenous variety of standard black tea. Yes, CTC produces only black tea, which comes with a strong liquor and bold flavour . They are much cheaper (and poorer in quality) than the orthodox tea as they are machine produced for mass consumption.

CTC tea shall always require milk to be added to the brew (since the liquor is strong) while drinking, and are mostly used for tea bags which are, in turn, filled with the lowest variety of the CTC tea.

CTC Tea

With CTC tea multiple infusions are not possible.

 

 

Want to know more?

Write to me at : itsourcuppatea@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeawithSusMita

Instagram : teawithsus

 

Why Indian Tea is Unique?

India is the world’s second largest tea producer and produces some of the best quality teas in the world. In fact our teas are so good, that our Darjeeling Tea is called the Champagne of Teas. Not only that, when a tea growing nation tries to market their tea globally they benchmark it against our teas (my firsthand experience at this year’s Dubai #Gulfood).

The teas that come from India are, however, very unique as compared to rest of the world. And this uniqueness comes at the very basic level – that is the kinds of teas plants that we have, the produce of which gives an array of teas diversified in flavor, aroma, astringency, body and value.

India is the only country (only other the Szechuan and Yunnan provinces of China), which has teas produced from both the tea plants varieties (there are only two) – that is Camellia Sinensis as well as Camellia Assamica. While Camellia Sinensis came to India from China with the British, Camellia Assamica is a native of India. Our very premium Darjeeling teas are produced from Camellia Sinensis, while the robust Assam, versatile Nilgiris and other teas comes from Camellia Assamica.

Globally this is how teas are produced:

• Sinensis is grown in China, Korea, Japan and in Darjeeling in India.
• Assamica is grown in Kenya, Vienam, India – other than Darjeeling, Myanrma, Sri Lanka etc. Sinensis leaves are being brewed as tea for thousands years now, while Assamica became popular when the East India Company decided to make tea as a commercial commodity for mass consumption.

Relatively small and narrow leaves of Sinensis and larger Assamica

How this makes Indian Tea unique?

Well, to begin with India produces and exports some of the best Orthodox teas that comes from its various tea growing regions.

Second, the Indian orthodox tea (primarily Sinensis and some Assamica) is so good that they are one of the most premium teas in the world and they fetch high dollars based on the estate / garden they come from, or the time of the year that they are produced (very much like wine).

Third, our Assamica teas are used globally to make some of best tea variations, such as The English Breakfast Tea which is one of the most popular teas around the world.

Fourth, the lesser teas are also used in tea blends or flavoured teas where teas are enhanced with additional flavors from flowers and oils to herbs and spices.

It is interesting to know that many tea producing countries are positioning themselves as a source for flavoured teas, while this is an interesting variation to teas that they sell, it has to be kept in mind that only lesser or low quality teas are enhanced – a premium tea like Darjeeling will never be or should never be used for flavouring.

As a Darjeeling tea drinker, I may, at times, indulge myself with some flavour enhanced teas, but they would never be equal to the aroma and flavor of a second or a first flush, single estate, high altitude muscatel Darjeeling 🙂

 

Write to me or share your views at: itsourcuppatea@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeawithSusMita

Instagram : teawithsus

 

Next story: What makes a premium tea and what you should look for before buying one?

Tea with TWG, Dubai

If you are in Dubai, and you love tea, you have to be at TWG.

I was in Dubai to visit the #Gulfood 2018. On the last day when everyone was busy wrapping up their booths and giving way their displayed items to the visitors, I quickly took the metro from across the Dubai Trade Center and made my way to reach the Dubai Mall – the largest shopping mall in the world in terms of gross area covered. A part of the 20-billion-dollar Downtown complex, and including 1,200 shops, the Dubai Mall that opened on 4 November 2008, attracts over 54 million visitors every year!

So, on 22^nd Feb 2018, when I became one such number among that impressive number of visitors, I did two things:

1. I climbed up the tallest building in the world – Burj Khalifa
2. I paid a visit to TWG

It’s my love for tea that took me to TWG, but it’s the tea artist in me that was satiated. TWG, the Singapore based luxury tea brand with presence in over 14 countries, is well known for its tea rooms, luxury blends, handpicked teawares and tea based pastries / nibbles.

I entered TWG and was completely taken by the entire display of teas and teawares. Lot of thoughts have been put in creating the aesthetic as well as the functional elements of the tearoom. From colours used to the openness of the place, to the perfectly stitched smart uniforms to the displayed items – everything spoke volume about the brand’s positioning in the market and its vision about tea.

As I introduced myself as a Tea Artist from India visiting Dubai to attend the Gulfood, I was given a very warm welcome. Mr. Chandan Pradhan, the Manager at the tearoom showed me around the place, sharing interesting history or tit-bits about different teas that they had as well as some of the caddies that they have created.

However, nothing beat the feeling of actually seeing a spoonful of tea – they call the Gold Tea – that is priced at AED33,000 ! I figured the tea has actual gold flakes and gold powder! I felt real rich just looking at that wonderful tea.

The Gold Tea with real gold!

At the end of my visit, I was so very kindly, offered to try one of their teas. I happily accepted J I was offered a nice blend of green tea along with some macaroons (which are also made with tea). While the macaroons were a bit on the sweeter side, it perfectly complemented the fantastic aromatic tea that I had the opportunity to sip.

The Tea I sipped

Thank you Chandan for your hospitality even though we had only limited time in hand; and that you come from Darjeeling, the place where my favourite teas come from (and my home state) is indeed, the cherry on the top!

 

Chandan and Me

 

Get in touch with me at itsourcuppatea@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeawithSusMita

Tea – Trends for 2018

Tea takes you to places. Literally. So I ended up visiting Dubai to attend the Gulfood Festival and to witness what’s happening for our favourite drink all around the world. And what an experience it was!

The Gulfood Festival was held at the Dubai Trade Center (18^th to 22 February 2018) which with over 1.3 million square feet of covered exhibition and event space, 21 halls, over 40 meeting rooms across 3 floors, and hosting over 500 events annually – is a very impressive infrastructure. I couldn’t visit all the halls and exhibition areas even in 5 days. So instead, I simply remained at the beverages section enjoying the many intertwined  aromas of tea, coffee, juices, health drinks etc and experiencing the bustling activities around.

The Beverages Hall

As expected the tea section was dominated by the Sri Lankan and the Indian tea companies. The tea boards of both the countries were present, along with a host of small tea brands who participated under these two tea boards. There were also quite a few large tea companies who were there independently and had large spaces displaying their variety of teas. I was not surprised to find Dilmah, the very reputed Tea Brand from Sri Lanka, occupying one of the largest booths.

I found that the Sri Lankan Tea companies were displaying lot more functional teas with herbs, flowers, and spice blends, while the Indian tea companies where primarily focusing on pure orthodox or CTC teas and some tea mixes (No!). The green tea, which is growing strong with its positioning as a health drink, was one of the most discussed teas;  while I also found a few matcha tea booths offering interesting innovations.  There were no Chinese or Japanese tea representations, though. But I did found teas from Kenya and Vietnam (collected samples from them – they looked and smelled really nice); and found Argentine mate making inroads into Indian market as a direct competition to green tea. Mate, which is actually a herb, is the national infusion of both Argentina and Uruguay.

Tea trends in 2018

Based on my 5 day visit and after talking to quite a few tea suppliers from India, Sri Lanka, Kenya; buyers from UAE, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Russia (and others); tea brands from North America, Europe and Asia, here are my top 5 trends for tea in 2018:

1. Teas with functional ingredients are going to be the next big trend, primarily riding on the health benefit platform that most teas – particularly green teas – are offered with.
2. Herbal Teas are becoming very popular for the European and the American market (USA & Canada).
3. Look out for cold pressed teas.
4. Healthier tea drinking options – example iced tea without sugar.
5. Gourmet and specialty teas which have stories to tell.

My view:

Instead of copying the trends in coffee, which I am increasingly finding in tea, tea companies should focus on their own innovations and creativity. Tea is a more dynamic and versatile beverage as compared to coffee, therefore, imitating coffee trends for tea would be, literally, underplaying the possibilities that tea as a drink offers.

Tea is more like wine. While health is a great platform to be in for tea, tea should and must be positioned as a celebratory drink that can match every mood of one’s daily life.

Here’s to that cuppa!

 

Write to me at itsourcuppatea@gmail.com