Full-Leaf Tea Production on the Rise

It looks like the surge in popularity of full-leaf tea in the US, Russia, and Europe is making a major impact on producers' behaviors. According to a recent article from Reuters, orthodox tea production in India is on the rise and is being encouraged by the government-run Tea Board with a subsidy of 3 rupees per kg of orthodox tea produced. At present, many tea plantations in India (particularly those in Assam) produce CTC tea. Orthodox production involves the hand-plucking of tea leaves, which means that the whole leaves can remain intact and that the best new shoots can be plucked without also plucking older leaves and stems. CTC can produce a stronger flavor with a shorter brew time, but is generally a less nuanced and a much lower quality tea.* Most Indian CTC tea is consumed within the country, whereas most orthodox tea is for export.

*Despite this difference in quality, innovative Indian cooks can do amazing things with CTC! I had the best masala chai of my life when I was in Kolkata, and most of it was made from CTC. At one hotel near Darjeeling, I talked tea with the "tea boy," who had created an extensive, widely varied, and delicious tea menu out of both CTC and orthodox teas, as well as blends.

All this talk about Indian chai has me even more excited about my upcoming tea tour to India! More details on that soon to come...

Last Full Day in Kolkata (This Trip)

Today is my last full day in Kolkata. Well, for this trip, anyway! I hope to return again soon. The people are charming. (I'd heard so many bad things about the scams and the beggars, but it hasn't been a problem at all. Perhaps it helps that we're wearing local dress?) The city is completely overwhelming, in a good way. The food is delicious, as is the tea. The culture is rich and poetic. Perhaps I can visit again in two years...

Today, Natalia and I were taken under the wing of a local tea distributer. We were escorted to Kumar Tolli, a para (neighborhood) where artisans craft life-sized sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses for an annual festival that's held each October. They wrap straw around wooden rods and bind it with twine to form a base for the sculpture. Then, they coat it with clay from the Ganges, which has been mixed with wood chips (to make it sturdy). The top layer of clay is not mixed with wood chips, so it makes for a smooth surface. After it dries, it is painted with bright colors, and carried to the Ganges, where it is returned to the river. Such a beautiful cycle! Ideas of time and work are so different here. More on that later (when I have time... ironic?).

Afterward, we were taken to Tangra, where we saw some sights and ate more Chinese food. (It's a local favorite here. Don't worry-- we're eating local cuisine, too! And it's quite good.) Then we went to the Victoria Memorial and Botanical Gardens, which made me think of Central Park. The only real reasons are that it's an oasis of green in the middle of the city and that it has very little smog compared to the surrounding area. The local marble used to build the memorial was lovely, and the handwork was very intricate. Seeing the local flora was a real treat, too. Oh, and we saw the chipmunks, which have stripes and are much more adorable than American chipmunks. (Historical tidbit--their tail hairs used to be used to make brushes for Indian miniature paintings.)

It was so kind of the tea distributor to show us around. We had a fantastic time!

Now we're around our hotel again. I am contemplating the purchase of a deep aqua sari with silver handwork. Natalia and I might get henna painted on our hands. I'm sure we'll have some more masala chai. We leave early tomorrow, so I think we'll take it easy tonight.

I'll post back as soon as I can. Later!


~Vee

More of Kolkata

Kolkata is such a fascinating place. I think I'm getting the hang of everything but the pollution. (It's very smoggy here.) Walking in the streets, talking with people, navigation, and making purchases are all getting much easier.

Natalia and I have both bought some salwar kameez (salwar=pants, kameez=tunic/long shirt, a salwar kameez also has a dupatti, or scarf), which are being hand-tailored for us. The fabrics are exquisite! Similar garments would cost so much more in the US, and they wouldn't be custom-made. As someone with a textile design background and love for textiles, I am in heaven.

We tried some of the food and explored a bit. The local markets (which we visited yesterday, too) are now easily navigable. We checked out Park Street, ehich is a "cool" part of town. We tried some IndoChinese fusion cuisine (amazing, filling, and about $3 for the two of us--we had crispy fried tofu, spring rolls, gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian, vegetarian Thai curry, and jasmine tea) in a hidden-away, air-conditioned restaurant, then headed over to Flurry's ("Kolkata's only tearoom") to find that they are actually a restaurant. We bought some sweets (for which they are famous, we chose a dark chocolate torte slice and am almond cake "cube" (really a rectangular prism)) and headed over to Chinatown ("Tangra"), then explored the local market some more, and made friend with a few people in the para (neighborhood), including the chai wallah (tea vendor).

We had some more masala chai. It's still delicious! (You see, we have to check several times a day, just to make sure.) It comes in tiny, unfired, red clay cups, which you throw on the ground when you are done with your drink. If you live in the west, you are probably put off by that. (It seems like littering, right?) Don't worry-- the clay is smashed by pedestrians, rickshaws, jeeps, and taxis, then mixed back into the earth by the rain. If it's the dry season, then the chipped and broken cups become a temporary part of the sidewalk or road (which is often made up of stones, broken cement, and such). The local red clay deposits are later used to make the cups all over again. It's natural recycling.

I spoke with the owner of Makaibari Tea Estate today. I'm so excited about the visit! They were the first biodynamic (a step beyond organic) tea estate in the world, all the way back in the 70s (before it was trendy). There is so much to learn there. I can't wait!

More soon. Check back again.


~Vee

If you're reading this on Vee Tea, the post order may be funny. Try my Vee Tea Blogger page instead.

In Kolkata (Calcutta)

I arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta) today. It's filthy and poverty-stricken and crowded and loud... and I love it! There are so many beautiful colors and textures, so many wonderful people, so many things to do... Yes, there is bureaucracy. The lines are long and the traffic is terrible. There are people who will harass you on the street. There is trash and muck all around. A lot of people are completely destitute. It's hot and muggy. However, the rewards are worth the bureaucracy and the waiting. The harassment is typically in the form of asking you to buy something (many of the things they are offering are things I want--bottled water, hand-made clothing) or begging for food (which is simple enough to provide if you hand out your leftovers from the enormous meals they serve in all the restaurants). As for the poverty... it's hard to see, but tourism is a major industry here and it benefits the local populus. I can only hope that I can help. And as for the weather, well, it's probably worse in NYC right now! I thought it would be much worse than it is. It's really not that bad! I would never want to live in Kolkata, but I intend to visit again as soon as I can!

I'd also like to take a moment to talk about (of course!) the tea. The masala chai (hot, spiced black tea with milk and sugar, called "chai" in the US) is the absolute best I've ever had. It's sweet and creamy. The tea is dust (low-grade), but the spices are very fresh. The ginger is what makes it--I don't think I can go back to dried ginger in my masala chai after this! Indian masala chai varies by region. Here, the main flavors are sugar, ginger, and cardamom, with a bit of clove. Some areas use fennel, cinnamon, more clove, and other spices. In the US, it's usually heavy on the cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. I'm looking forward to trying Darjeeling's masala chai to compare with the other kinds I've had. I'm even more excited about visiting Darjeeling's tea estates, though! I can hardly wait...

I'm having a great time so far. More soon!


~Vee

PS--If you're reading this on Vee Tea, the post order may be funny. Try my Vee Tea Blogger page instead.