Showing posts with label Kurseong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kurseong. Show all posts
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Goom Tea Estate
Today I visited Goom Tea Estate, which is not in Goom (the town), nor is it near the Goom Monastary. (Confusing?) They have a manager's bungalow that has been converted into an inn. It's absolutely lovely. There's a prim little garden nearby and plants line all the drives. The food is completely vegetarian. (If you want meat, they suggest going to a restaurant in town.) The tea garden looks healthy from afar, but I didn't have the chance to see it up close. (Most of it is conventional, but they do have some organic production as well.) The factory is quite a sight. Almost all of the surfaces are white and it is immaculately clean. You have to wear special shoes, a hairnet, a surgical mask, and an apron to get in. (Strangely, you don't have to wear gloves.) The dryer has lighted windows that allow you to see they conveyor belt moving the tea along as it dries. Cool.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Castleton & Crafts
Today I visited Castleton's fields and continued with my craft project.
The trip to Castleton was very interesting. Suman showed me around again, explaining each step of the tea growth and harvesting as we walked. I saw where their quality teas come from up close. (The naturally rich soil and the location on the mountain, paired with watchful management explained the quality level well.) I saw some of their experiments-in-progress involving clonal teas. I also saw the difference between organic and conventional tea production. (I knew the biodiversity would be far lower at (conventional) Castleton than at (organic) Makaibari and that there were landslides due to insufficient ground cover, but what I didn't realize that there would be as much of an insect and fungus problem as there was.) Suman and I talked about the transition process (the change from conventional to organic, which they call the conversion process in India) and the possibility of organic production at Castleton. (I hope they make the switch!) While I was there, I had the pleasure of joining Suman, his wife, and his infant daughter for conversation, a splendid white tea, and a meal prepared by his "homely" wife. (In India "homely" is not a euphemism for "plain" or "unattractive." It means "good around the home.") We talked about Indian vegetarianism (which is different from American vegetarianism in that eggs, garlic, and onion count as "non-veg"), tea production, various tea blights, and the tea market in the US. All very nice.
Afterward, I met with the crafts group again. We talked about what kinds of things they want to make with the technique they've learned and where they can sell the crafts they produce. I often think of crafts as part of the Third-Wave Feminist reclaimation of traditional feminine activities, but in teaching women a technique that will empower them to earn their own incomes, I hope I've taken that notion a step further.
I'm flying to Delhi in two days and to London and NYC in three. I wish I weren't.
The trip to Castleton was very interesting. Suman showed me around again, explaining each step of the tea growth and harvesting as we walked. I saw where their quality teas come from up close. (The naturally rich soil and the location on the mountain, paired with watchful management explained the quality level well.) I saw some of their experiments-in-progress involving clonal teas. I also saw the difference between organic and conventional tea production. (I knew the biodiversity would be far lower at (conventional) Castleton than at (organic) Makaibari and that there were landslides due to insufficient ground cover, but what I didn't realize that there would be as much of an insect and fungus problem as there was.) Suman and I talked about the transition process (the change from conventional to organic, which they call the conversion process in India) and the possibility of organic production at Castleton. (I hope they make the switch!) While I was there, I had the pleasure of joining Suman, his wife, and his infant daughter for conversation, a splendid white tea, and a meal prepared by his "homely" wife. (In India "homely" is not a euphemism for "plain" or "unattractive." It means "good around the home.") We talked about Indian vegetarianism (which is different from American vegetarianism in that eggs, garlic, and onion count as "non-veg"), tea production, various tea blights, and the tea market in the US. All very nice.
Afterward, I met with the crafts group again. We talked about what kinds of things they want to make with the technique they've learned and where they can sell the crafts they produce. I often think of crafts as part of the Third-Wave Feminist reclaimation of traditional feminine activities, but in teaching women a technique that will empower them to earn their own incomes, I hope I've taken that notion a step further.
I'm flying to Delhi in two days and to London and NYC in three. I wish I weren't.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Down Time
I'm going to be leaving very soon. I decided to take some down time and mentally process my trip a bit. This meant doing a lot of not much at all. I hung out with the Makaibari volunteers and shot the breeze for a while. I drank a lot of tea. I took a tour of the local village, where many of the Makaibari workers live. Drank more tea. Met with the knotting group and found that they're making great progress with the technique. Talked with some of the loacls. Watched a silly movie. Read more of "The Book of Tea." Relaxed. Enjoyed the scenery. It was a good day.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Darjeeling to Kurseong, Plus a Birthday
Today, Nalin joined me (or, rather, I joined him) on the ride from Darjeeling to Kurseong, which is a good thing, because many of the drivers were on strike. He took me to the Tea Research Association (TRA) Clonal Facility, which is really more of a grafting facility, but was fascinationg to see. They have a dozen or so different varieties of tea growing in small sections night next to eachother, which makes it very easy for city-folk like me to see their many differences (color, size, shape, leaf-style, and bud size/shape/downiness). They also have a small greenhouse, in which young grafts are growing, and a miniature tea factory with tiny rollers, dryers, and everything else. We rode by dozens of tea estates, including Singleton and Margaret's Hope. I got to see skiffing (a light, mid-season pruning) and more picking along the way.
Back in Kurseong, I got the priviledge of joining in two 60th birthday celebrations of Rajah Banerjee, the owner of Makaibari Estate. The smaller celebration was pretty much a family affair. It included a traditional Bengali birthday meal of a fried foods, including a fish head, greens, okra, root vegetables, and eggplant, a dessert of rice pudding (which was eerily like the kind my grandmother used to make), the blowing of a conch shell, the application of a red powder to Rajah's forehead, and the lighting of an oil lamp. After the meal, the leftovers from Rajah's plate were buried as an offering to the earth. In the evening, there was a big party, which was very much like an American birthday party in a restaurant. (Drinking, lots of food, boisterous conversation, and a big cake. Well, two big cakes, actually.) I met some great people and laughed a lot. Fun times.
Back in Kurseong, I got the priviledge of joining in two 60th birthday celebrations of Rajah Banerjee, the owner of Makaibari Estate. The smaller celebration was pretty much a family affair. It included a traditional Bengali birthday meal of a fried foods, including a fish head, greens, okra, root vegetables, and eggplant, a dessert of rice pudding (which was eerily like the kind my grandmother used to make), the blowing of a conch shell, the application of a red powder to Rajah's forehead, and the lighting of an oil lamp. After the meal, the leftovers from Rajah's plate were buried as an offering to the earth. In the evening, there was a big party, which was very much like an American birthday party in a restaurant. (Drinking, lots of food, boisterous conversation, and a big cake. Well, two big cakes, actually.) I met some great people and laughed a lot. Fun times.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
The Bonus Day
I hadn't planned to stay in Kurseong today. I was supposed to go up to Darjeeling (the city... I'm already in the region). However, I am really glad I stayed, as I got to do some very exciting things.
First on the impromptu agenda was a visit to the Darjeeling Tea Research Centre to talk with Dr. Saha, the head researcher there. We talked about soil science (his forte), the plans for the DTRC's expansion (which include more staff, upgraded facilities, an auditorium for lectures and films, a library, and a museum... I can't wait to see it completed!), ground cover, mulching, composting, organic production, and Pranayama (which seems to be a very popular topic around here). Dr. Saha is very knowledgable and I learned a lot during my visit. I hope to get the chance to meet with him more the next time I come to India.
After the DTRC, I met Rajah for lunch (okra, rice, dal, greens, pumpkin soup, and mangoes) then began my craft education project. I taught several local women a craft technique called "knotting," which I learned from one of the world's top five masters in the field, Ed Bing Lee. He uses the technique to make tiny, richly-colored, sculptural pieces out of individual strands of embroidery floss. I use it to make very textural scarves. It's a technique that allows for an enormous range of styles, so I taught the women the basics, told them some of the ways they could vary the technique, and let them run with it. They pick it up so quickly it was astounding! I've taught seasoned crafters in the States the same technique before, but these women were pros with this stuff! Amazing... My hope is that they can use the technique to make crafts that can be sold locally or on the international market and bring some extra income to their families. The women in the Darjeeling region are very enterprising and motivated. I'm sure they'll do well with it, especially since they seem to enjoy the technique and what it produces.
After the craft session, I went back to Rajah's office (to let him know how it went) and met some documentary videographers from the US. We all talked about organic tea production and such for a while and then I headed back to my hotel for a special treat: a Himalayan stick massage. This type of massage is usually only practiced by Brahmins, but one man outside of the Brahmin class learned it and practices it around Kurseong. It is a unique type of massage that involves the rhythmic rapping of two sticks. (He actually uses the verb "beat" to describe this action.) He explained that the rhythm creates a vibration that aids in aligning one's chakras. I can't vouch for that personally, but I can say that it feels great.
In post-massage bliss, I floated up to the dining room to order my dinner. I was lucky enough to meet the hotel's owner, a lovely woman from Kolkata. She asked me about my day, I mentioned the knotting class, and the next thing I knew, we were bonding over dinner. She offered to carry the women's crafts at the hotel's shop (very exciting!). I gave her chef my tea granita recipes. Her chef made me a concoction for my cold, which was incredibly similar to my Witches' Brew (and exactly what I needed). We talked about politics, the hotel, travel, Indian culture, local legends, and a whole host of other things. What a fantastic conversation!
After dinner and talk, I headed back to my room to call Natalia and Pat. They're off in Agra, having a fabulous time. For a split second I thought, "Maybe I should have planned to spend a few days in the Golden Triangle," and then I remembered that the focus of my trip is tea and realized that I'll probably have much more fun in Darjeeling, despite its relative lack of "must see" architecture. Yes, it is all about the tea this trip.
I've decided that if all bonus days are like this, I should change my plans more often!
First on the impromptu agenda was a visit to the Darjeeling Tea Research Centre to talk with Dr. Saha, the head researcher there. We talked about soil science (his forte), the plans for the DTRC's expansion (which include more staff, upgraded facilities, an auditorium for lectures and films, a library, and a museum... I can't wait to see it completed!), ground cover, mulching, composting, organic production, and Pranayama (which seems to be a very popular topic around here). Dr. Saha is very knowledgable and I learned a lot during my visit. I hope to get the chance to meet with him more the next time I come to India.
After the DTRC, I met Rajah for lunch (okra, rice, dal, greens, pumpkin soup, and mangoes) then began my craft education project. I taught several local women a craft technique called "knotting," which I learned from one of the world's top five masters in the field, Ed Bing Lee. He uses the technique to make tiny, richly-colored, sculptural pieces out of individual strands of embroidery floss. I use it to make very textural scarves. It's a technique that allows for an enormous range of styles, so I taught the women the basics, told them some of the ways they could vary the technique, and let them run with it. They pick it up so quickly it was astounding! I've taught seasoned crafters in the States the same technique before, but these women were pros with this stuff! Amazing... My hope is that they can use the technique to make crafts that can be sold locally or on the international market and bring some extra income to their families. The women in the Darjeeling region are very enterprising and motivated. I'm sure they'll do well with it, especially since they seem to enjoy the technique and what it produces.
After the craft session, I went back to Rajah's office (to let him know how it went) and met some documentary videographers from the US. We all talked about organic tea production and such for a while and then I headed back to my hotel for a special treat: a Himalayan stick massage. This type of massage is usually only practiced by Brahmins, but one man outside of the Brahmin class learned it and practices it around Kurseong. It is a unique type of massage that involves the rhythmic rapping of two sticks. (He actually uses the verb "beat" to describe this action.) He explained that the rhythm creates a vibration that aids in aligning one's chakras. I can't vouch for that personally, but I can say that it feels great.
In post-massage bliss, I floated up to the dining room to order my dinner. I was lucky enough to meet the hotel's owner, a lovely woman from Kolkata. She asked me about my day, I mentioned the knotting class, and the next thing I knew, we were bonding over dinner. She offered to carry the women's crafts at the hotel's shop (very exciting!). I gave her chef my tea granita recipes. Her chef made me a concoction for my cold, which was incredibly similar to my Witches' Brew (and exactly what I needed). We talked about politics, the hotel, travel, Indian culture, local legends, and a whole host of other things. What a fantastic conversation!
After dinner and talk, I headed back to my room to call Natalia and Pat. They're off in Agra, having a fabulous time. For a split second I thought, "Maybe I should have planned to spend a few days in the Golden Triangle," and then I remembered that the focus of my trip is tea and realized that I'll probably have much more fun in Darjeeling, despite its relative lack of "must see" architecture. Yes, it is all about the tea this trip.
I've decided that if all bonus days are like this, I should change my plans more often!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Castleton Tea Estate
Natalia and Pat left for a tour of the Golden Triangle today. I miss them already! However, I had an exciting distraction. I got to visit Castleton Tea Estate!
Castleton is very well-known throughout the world. It is run by a company that is 70% British-owned. They own several other estates in Darjeeling, including the equally well-known Margaret's Hope. I met with Suman Das, the field manager, who has worked in the tea industry for some time and who cares very much about spreading knowledge and love for Darjeeling teas around the world. Today we he took me on a tour through the factory. Next week, he'll take me to the fields.
We began the tour with the withering room. It was pretty similar to the one at Makaibari. Not much to say about that.
Then, we went to the rolling room. There were two types of rollers, the regular, single-action kind I had seen at Makaibari, and a second kind that uses a more intense double rolling action to bruise the leaves for oxidation. We discussed the variations in pressure that are necessary to properly bruise the leaves, and then stopped by the "fermentation" (oxidation) tables and talked about the first and second nose (the two peaks of flavor that black teas go through as they oxidize).
From there, we went to the drying room and talked about the input and output temperature variance, the mechanized spreader (which keeps the tea input volume consistent), and the conveyor belt mechanism for transport of the tea to the sorting room.
In the sorting room, I saw several machines which were not present in Makaibari. They sorted the teas to varying degrees. Often, the tealeaves were run through the same machine multiple times for a more refined sorting. At Makaibari, this work is done by hand. I'm sure the machine method is much more efficient, but I have to admit that the hand sorters at Makaibari looked much happier than the workers who ran the sorting machines at Castleton. Either way it's done, at the end of the sorting, the leaves are divided into grades, the most basic of which are dust, fannings, broken leaf, and whole leaf.
(A side note: There are two main types of tea harvesting. One is done by machines. It's called CTC or Cut, Tear, Curl. It cannot produce whole-leaf teas. The other is called Orthodox production, and it is done by hand. It is more time and labor intensive, but it is the only way to get whole-leaf teas. Castleton is not organic, but it is Orthodox. This is part of why it has such a good reputation.)
The last stop in the factory was a multi-purpose room where the tea is run through an electromagnetic machine that removes any residual trash/foreign matter, piles of tea and a shovel (for blending), and crates and stencils (for packaging).
After the factory tour, we sat down for tea and talked shop for a while. We talked about the American market and tea education, and arranged for a field visit next week. I'm looking forward to it already!
Outside of the Castleton visit, today's highlights include:
Orange Blossom tea (Darjeeling with marmalade and orange peel)
The reading of Rajah's book, "The Wonder of Darjeeling"
Progress on the craft education thing I mentioned yesterday
Dinner and tea with Rajah (who has become a good friend over this visit)
Castleton is very well-known throughout the world. It is run by a company that is 70% British-owned. They own several other estates in Darjeeling, including the equally well-known Margaret's Hope. I met with Suman Das, the field manager, who has worked in the tea industry for some time and who cares very much about spreading knowledge and love for Darjeeling teas around the world. Today we he took me on a tour through the factory. Next week, he'll take me to the fields.
We began the tour with the withering room. It was pretty similar to the one at Makaibari. Not much to say about that.
Then, we went to the rolling room. There were two types of rollers, the regular, single-action kind I had seen at Makaibari, and a second kind that uses a more intense double rolling action to bruise the leaves for oxidation. We discussed the variations in pressure that are necessary to properly bruise the leaves, and then stopped by the "fermentation" (oxidation) tables and talked about the first and second nose (the two peaks of flavor that black teas go through as they oxidize).
From there, we went to the drying room and talked about the input and output temperature variance, the mechanized spreader (which keeps the tea input volume consistent), and the conveyor belt mechanism for transport of the tea to the sorting room.
In the sorting room, I saw several machines which were not present in Makaibari. They sorted the teas to varying degrees. Often, the tealeaves were run through the same machine multiple times for a more refined sorting. At Makaibari, this work is done by hand. I'm sure the machine method is much more efficient, but I have to admit that the hand sorters at Makaibari looked much happier than the workers who ran the sorting machines at Castleton. Either way it's done, at the end of the sorting, the leaves are divided into grades, the most basic of which are dust, fannings, broken leaf, and whole leaf.
(A side note: There are two main types of tea harvesting. One is done by machines. It's called CTC or Cut, Tear, Curl. It cannot produce whole-leaf teas. The other is called Orthodox production, and it is done by hand. It is more time and labor intensive, but it is the only way to get whole-leaf teas. Castleton is not organic, but it is Orthodox. This is part of why it has such a good reputation.)
The last stop in the factory was a multi-purpose room where the tea is run through an electromagnetic machine that removes any residual trash/foreign matter, piles of tea and a shovel (for blending), and crates and stencils (for packaging).
After the factory tour, we sat down for tea and talked shop for a while. We talked about the American market and tea education, and arranged for a field visit next week. I'm looking forward to it already!
Outside of the Castleton visit, today's highlights include:
Orange Blossom tea (Darjeeling with marmalade and orange peel)
The reading of Rajah's book, "The Wonder of Darjeeling"
Progress on the craft education thing I mentioned yesterday
Dinner and tea with Rajah (who has become a good friend over this visit)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Kurseong
Today, Natalia, Pat, Rajah, and I visited Kurseong, which is a town in Darjeeling (the region) in between the lowlands around Bagdogra airport and the peaks surrounding Darjeeling (the city). It is home to Makaibari, Castleton, Ambootia, Goom, and several other tea estates.
The focus of my visit was Goethal's, a school that just celebrated its 100th birthday. Goethal's is a prestigious, private, boys-only school. The students seemed happy, confident, (in many cases) fluent in English, and happy. We visited a few classrooms and I told one group of young students the story of Arachne, which they were reading for class. (I knew my college degrees in textiles and art would come in handy someday!)
It was interesting enough, but the real purpose of the visit was not Goethal's itself, but a small, girls-only trade school for students who would not be able to get a formal education elsewhere. They taught the regular school subjects, but also taught trades ranging from typing to hairdressing to sewing to cooking to professional driving. (Strangely, the cooking classroom only had bagged tea. I said something about the value in teaching about loose leaf tea to the school's headmaster, who said he'd have to do something about it.) The students were quieter and less confident than the boys in the next building, but you could see that their confidence was building as they learned new skills. And they looked happy, which is (I think) the most important part. Natalia (who teaches high school in NYC) led the classes for a few minutes, asking questions about their studies and things like "Indian Idol" (which is still EVERYWHERE up here... "Vote for Prashant" ads are in every storefront and people are canvassing for money to use on text messages to vote for him). It was an inspiring visit; I left with thoughts of tea and craft education buzzing around my head. I'll let you know if anything comes of it.
Natalia and Pat will be leaving tomorrow. We've been running around like the Three Muscateers. I guess when they go, they'll be the Dynamic Due and I'll be The Lone Ranger. I'll really miss them! Rajah invited us to a farewell dinner of carrot-cucumber salad, tomato-pumpkin soup, a grilled local, eggplant-like vegetable wrapped in whole-wheat chapatis (flat breads), aloo muttar (pea and potato curry), and gulab jamun (sort of like milk dumplings in sugar syrup) with fresh double cream. Oh, and wine and whisky (both premium items in India, as the import tax levied by the Indian government on them is quite high). What a lovely way to say goodbye!
Side note: I finished "The One-Straw Revolution." It was excellent.
The focus of my visit was Goethal's, a school that just celebrated its 100th birthday. Goethal's is a prestigious, private, boys-only school. The students seemed happy, confident, (in many cases) fluent in English, and happy. We visited a few classrooms and I told one group of young students the story of Arachne, which they were reading for class. (I knew my college degrees in textiles and art would come in handy someday!)
It was interesting enough, but the real purpose of the visit was not Goethal's itself, but a small, girls-only trade school for students who would not be able to get a formal education elsewhere. They taught the regular school subjects, but also taught trades ranging from typing to hairdressing to sewing to cooking to professional driving. (Strangely, the cooking classroom only had bagged tea. I said something about the value in teaching about loose leaf tea to the school's headmaster, who said he'd have to do something about it.) The students were quieter and less confident than the boys in the next building, but you could see that their confidence was building as they learned new skills. And they looked happy, which is (I think) the most important part. Natalia (who teaches high school in NYC) led the classes for a few minutes, asking questions about their studies and things like "Indian Idol" (which is still EVERYWHERE up here... "Vote for Prashant" ads are in every storefront and people are canvassing for money to use on text messages to vote for him). It was an inspiring visit; I left with thoughts of tea and craft education buzzing around my head. I'll let you know if anything comes of it.
Natalia and Pat will be leaving tomorrow. We've been running around like the Three Muscateers. I guess when they go, they'll be the Dynamic Due and I'll be The Lone Ranger. I'll really miss them! Rajah invited us to a farewell dinner of carrot-cucumber salad, tomato-pumpkin soup, a grilled local, eggplant-like vegetable wrapped in whole-wheat chapatis (flat breads), aloo muttar (pea and potato curry), and gulab jamun (sort of like milk dumplings in sugar syrup) with fresh double cream. Oh, and wine and whisky (both premium items in India, as the import tax levied by the Indian government on them is quite high). What a lovely way to say goodbye!
Side note: I finished "The One-Straw Revolution." It was excellent.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Makaibari: Day Four
Today I:
Crossed over to the dark side and drank a delicious Assam blend with fresh mint, spices, and milk
Learned just how hard it is to get laundry dry during monsoon season
Picked tea for the first time (with a basket with a headstrap and all)
Saw a secret project that's in progress at Makaibari, and realized that Makaibari is the tea version of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory
Saw the downy buds of growing Silver Tips firsthand
Walked through the Makaibari gardens, checking out the butterflies, streams (with tiny catfish), tiger tracks, and fragrant flowers
Got a leech bite
Got into a very mild car crash (with a tea bush, no less)
Ate more momos (Yum!)
Read more of "The One-Straw Revolution" (I highly recommend this book to those interested in organic agriculture and sustainability.)
Ate tea-smoked mushrooms and ginger "pudding" (cake) with black tea sauce (Double yum!)
AND
Watched a ridiculous movie called "American Chai."
Fun times.
Crossed over to the dark side and drank a delicious Assam blend with fresh mint, spices, and milk
Learned just how hard it is to get laundry dry during monsoon season
Picked tea for the first time (with a basket with a headstrap and all)
Saw a secret project that's in progress at Makaibari, and realized that Makaibari is the tea version of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory
Saw the downy buds of growing Silver Tips firsthand
Walked through the Makaibari gardens, checking out the butterflies, streams (with tiny catfish), tiger tracks, and fragrant flowers
Got a leech bite
Got into a very mild car crash (with a tea bush, no less)
Ate more momos (Yum!)
Read more of "The One-Straw Revolution" (I highly recommend this book to those interested in organic agriculture and sustainability.)
Ate tea-smoked mushrooms and ginger "pudding" (cake) with black tea sauce (Double yum!)
AND
Watched a ridiculous movie called "American Chai."
Fun times.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Makaibari: Day Three
Today I saw some things that are too intangible and fantastical for me to write about here. Suffice it to say that Makaibari is a remarkably spiritual and sustainable place and you have to see it to believe it.
Aside from that, I have embarked on a mission to try every one of the teas they make at my hotel. Today, it was Orange Blossom (a light Darjeeling with orange peel and marmalade), a roasted Darjeeling with rose petals, saffron, spices, honey, and milk, and Kanchanjunga (basically hot cocoa with Darjeeling and mint). Did I mention that I love being in India? I also read more of "The One-Straw Revolution" and took a walk through the town with Natalia and Pat. (We decided that the views are like San Francisco times a thousand and were amused by the sight of a local boy with an NYC shirt on.)
It was a good day.
Aside from that, I have embarked on a mission to try every one of the teas they make at my hotel. Today, it was Orange Blossom (a light Darjeeling with orange peel and marmalade), a roasted Darjeeling with rose petals, saffron, spices, honey, and milk, and Kanchanjunga (basically hot cocoa with Darjeeling and mint). Did I mention that I love being in India? I also read more of "The One-Straw Revolution" and took a walk through the town with Natalia and Pat. (We decided that the views are like San Francisco times a thousand and were amused by the sight of a local boy with an NYC shirt on.)
It was a good day.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Makiabari: Day Two
Today I awoke with a cold and plans for a tea tasting. Talk about a bad combination! It was fine, though. Natalia and I slurped and spit our way through about 20 unsorted teas and six of Makaibari's premium teas. Amazing. The pinnacle was the last one--Imperial Silver Tips, the highest-priced tea in the world.
Afterward, I switched gears and went to the biofuel plant, where three cows (named Red, Black, and Angry) are housed and their waste is composted for methane cooking gas and slurry for composting into mulch for the tea garden. There's a great program in place that encourages the locals to use the plant for their fuel instead of gathering firewood to burn. Talk about a commitment to sustainability!
Later, Natalia and I headed down the mountain to meet her boyfriend (and my friend and webdesigner) Pat. He had just flown in from Kolkata and we arrived at the airport to surprize him. Rajah arrived a little later and we all waited for some of Rajah's business associates while talking about politics, mangoes in Dubai, and plastic surgeons over a very large beer that was brewed with Himalayan spring water and mixed into shanties with Sprite from a bottle. Normally I don't drink beer during the day or Sprite, well, ever, but this was a pleasant exception to those rules. The associates, a couple from Hyderabad, arrived and we left for Makaibari again. The view of the mountains was the best I've seen so far. I guess Pat got lucky.
When we got back, we chatted more over tea and met with the leading staff of Makaibari. They seemed to be humble and proud of their work at the same time. It was such a contrast to so many Americans who are egomaniacs with no pride in their work. Natalia and Pat left for some alone time and I headed down to the shaman's house for some old-fashioned cold remedies. He had me taste a variety of bitter and sour roots from around Makaibari, each for a different purpose. Then, he have me a tuft of grasses and told me to dampen them, wrap them in cloth, and sniff the fumes to alleviate my cold. Afterward, I went on a walk and enjoyed the night view, and then read "The One-Straw Revolution" by Fukuoku (a loan from Rajah). I don't know if it was something the shaman gave me, the altitude, or just being at Makaibari, but by the time I got back to the hotel, I was on cloud nine. And that was BEFORE the tea-smoked mushrooms and African curry. I love this place.
Afterward, I switched gears and went to the biofuel plant, where three cows (named Red, Black, and Angry) are housed and their waste is composted for methane cooking gas and slurry for composting into mulch for the tea garden. There's a great program in place that encourages the locals to use the plant for their fuel instead of gathering firewood to burn. Talk about a commitment to sustainability!
Later, Natalia and I headed down the mountain to meet her boyfriend (and my friend and webdesigner) Pat. He had just flown in from Kolkata and we arrived at the airport to surprize him. Rajah arrived a little later and we all waited for some of Rajah's business associates while talking about politics, mangoes in Dubai, and plastic surgeons over a very large beer that was brewed with Himalayan spring water and mixed into shanties with Sprite from a bottle. Normally I don't drink beer during the day or Sprite, well, ever, but this was a pleasant exception to those rules. The associates, a couple from Hyderabad, arrived and we left for Makaibari again. The view of the mountains was the best I've seen so far. I guess Pat got lucky.
When we got back, we chatted more over tea and met with the leading staff of Makaibari. They seemed to be humble and proud of their work at the same time. It was such a contrast to so many Americans who are egomaniacs with no pride in their work. Natalia and Pat left for some alone time and I headed down to the shaman's house for some old-fashioned cold remedies. He had me taste a variety of bitter and sour roots from around Makaibari, each for a different purpose. Then, he have me a tuft of grasses and told me to dampen them, wrap them in cloth, and sniff the fumes to alleviate my cold. Afterward, I went on a walk and enjoyed the night view, and then read "The One-Straw Revolution" by Fukuoku (a loan from Rajah). I don't know if it was something the shaman gave me, the altitude, or just being at Makaibari, but by the time I got back to the hotel, I was on cloud nine. And that was BEFORE the tea-smoked mushrooms and African curry. I love this place.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Makaibari Tea Estate
Today, I got my first taste of Makaibari Tea Estate. It was astounding, but first things first... Breakfast: Darjeeling tea (of course) and toast with ginger-plum jam and local honey. Yum. After breakfast, Natalia and I walked down the mountain a bit, making our way through the quiet, secretive mists and searching for glimpses of the surrounding landscape. Suddenly, we saw it: "MAKAIBARI TEA ESTATE." The mist had parted to reveal the estate's name written across the entire roof of the factory (this kind of sign is common, as it allows you to identify the estate from afar), the offices, some of the neighboring houses, and (a small) part of the (very large) garden.
Upon arrival, we met The Man himself, Rajah Banerjee, otherwise known (much to his chagrin) as "The Lord of Darjeeling." Over tea (Makaibari's second flush muscatel--excellent), we talked with Rajah and with Katie (a volunteer from outside London who is at Makaibari to teach the local children about health and hygene).
After tea, we were wisked away to the factory to see the withering room (where the tealeaves are partially dried), the 120- and 140-year-old rolling machines (which bruise the tealeaves and begin the oxidation process required for black and oolong teas), the oxidizing shelves (where the teas are tested by their "nose" (aroma) to ensure that they reach their peak flavor), the drying machine (which looks a bit like something out of the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"), the sorting and grading room (where we got to join some of the ladies in sorting tealeaves by size and quality), and the packing area (where wooden boxes are labeled with stencils and filled with some of the worlds' best teas). Very illuminating.
After the factory tour, we met Rajah for salutations to Ganesha, stopped off at the stables to feed carrots to Rajah's ex-racehorse Storm Centre, and began a trek through the gardens. Rajah stopped every minute or so to show us a medicinal plant, unusual butterfly, or other point of interest. We learned about Makaibari's six stages of permaculture (most permaculture only has three stages), which include legume trees (which deposit nitrogen into the soil), fruit trees (mango, cherry, guava, pear, etc.), marijuana plants (with a high THC content to repel pests), tea bushes (of course), small neem trees (a staple in India), and clover (for mulching). The soil itself was the richest, most fragrant soil I've ever seen. It may sound silly, but it was ALIVE. There were worms and ants and microorganisms crawling all throughout it and it was absolutely beautiful.
I won't bore you with the details of the rest of the day, because it was almost all talking and eating. I will say that we had a phenomenal white tea (Makaibari was the first Indian tea estate to produce white tea, this one was light and floral, yet strangely earthy), some incredible food (notable dishes: a gingery version of saurkraut and a dessert of fresh mangoes with double cream), more tea with more volunteers (Mike and Dana from Pennsylvania, who teach at the local school and are building a library for the locals), and great conversation with everyone we met. It was lovely.
First impressions of Makaibari: I can tell there's something very special (magical?) about this place. Everything is so green, the people look so happy, and there's a particular energy radiating about everywhere you look. It's simple in its complexity and vice versa. It's alive and full of life (which are two different things). It's dynamic, connected, sustainable... I have the feeling I should have visited other estates first to avoid disappointment!
Upon arrival, we met The Man himself, Rajah Banerjee, otherwise known (much to his chagrin) as "The Lord of Darjeeling." Over tea (Makaibari's second flush muscatel--excellent), we talked with Rajah and with Katie (a volunteer from outside London who is at Makaibari to teach the local children about health and hygene).
After tea, we were wisked away to the factory to see the withering room (where the tealeaves are partially dried), the 120- and 140-year-old rolling machines (which bruise the tealeaves and begin the oxidation process required for black and oolong teas), the oxidizing shelves (where the teas are tested by their "nose" (aroma) to ensure that they reach their peak flavor), the drying machine (which looks a bit like something out of the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"), the sorting and grading room (where we got to join some of the ladies in sorting tealeaves by size and quality), and the packing area (where wooden boxes are labeled with stencils and filled with some of the worlds' best teas). Very illuminating.
After the factory tour, we met Rajah for salutations to Ganesha, stopped off at the stables to feed carrots to Rajah's ex-racehorse Storm Centre, and began a trek through the gardens. Rajah stopped every minute or so to show us a medicinal plant, unusual butterfly, or other point of interest. We learned about Makaibari's six stages of permaculture (most permaculture only has three stages), which include legume trees (which deposit nitrogen into the soil), fruit trees (mango, cherry, guava, pear, etc.), marijuana plants (with a high THC content to repel pests), tea bushes (of course), small neem trees (a staple in India), and clover (for mulching). The soil itself was the richest, most fragrant soil I've ever seen. It may sound silly, but it was ALIVE. There were worms and ants and microorganisms crawling all throughout it and it was absolutely beautiful.
I won't bore you with the details of the rest of the day, because it was almost all talking and eating. I will say that we had a phenomenal white tea (Makaibari was the first Indian tea estate to produce white tea, this one was light and floral, yet strangely earthy), some incredible food (notable dishes: a gingery version of saurkraut and a dessert of fresh mangoes with double cream), more tea with more volunteers (Mike and Dana from Pennsylvania, who teach at the local school and are building a library for the locals), and great conversation with everyone we met. It was lovely.
First impressions of Makaibari: I can tell there's something very special (magical?) about this place. Everything is so green, the people look so happy, and there's a particular energy radiating about everywhere you look. It's simple in its complexity and vice versa. It's alive and full of life (which are two different things). It's dynamic, connected, sustainable... I have the feeling I should have visited other estates first to avoid disappointment!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Down to Kurseong
To say that yesterday was horrendous would be an understatement. It has nothing to do with India or Darjeeling. I suppose mourning isn't any fun no matter where you are. Today, I tied up some loose ends in Darjeeling and headed down the mountain to Kurseong (the home of Makaibari, Castleton, Goom, Ambootia, and numerous other tea estates). As I descended the mountain, the mist moved from the valleys and the steep hills below my feet to the sky above my head, I felt as if my world was being set upright again. Our stop at an ornately decorated and richly colored Buddhist monastary didn't hurt, either.
Early evening, I settled into my lovely "Old-World Style" hotel and immediately ordered a pot of tea from their extensive tea menu. (Oh, how I love India.) Natalia and I called Makaibari to set up a meeting time for tomorrow, looked out over the garden and nearby locals' houses, and then pampered ourselves with spa services (a massage for her, a green tea facial for me, both very relaxing). Afterward, we ate a meal of spicy wontons (Indo-Chinese food is my new favorite type of cuisine...so tasty, and completely different from American-style Chinese food), vegetable korma, rice, and (our OTHER India staple (besides tea)) bottled water. It's the first meal I've been able to enjoy since yesterday, so I really savored it. It seems that travel or this place or something is demanding accelerated healing. As emo as it sounds, I feel like my heart is being ripped out, torn up, sewn together, and shoved back in all at once. Ah, well. Nothing that a good cup of tea can't help, right? Tomorrow: the famed Makaibari Tea Estate.
Early evening, I settled into my lovely "Old-World Style" hotel and immediately ordered a pot of tea from their extensive tea menu. (Oh, how I love India.) Natalia and I called Makaibari to set up a meeting time for tomorrow, looked out over the garden and nearby locals' houses, and then pampered ourselves with spa services (a massage for her, a green tea facial for me, both very relaxing). Afterward, we ate a meal of spicy wontons (Indo-Chinese food is my new favorite type of cuisine...so tasty, and completely different from American-style Chinese food), vegetable korma, rice, and (our OTHER India staple (besides tea)) bottled water. It's the first meal I've been able to enjoy since yesterday, so I really savored it. It seems that travel or this place or something is demanding accelerated healing. As emo as it sounds, I feel like my heart is being ripped out, torn up, sewn together, and shoved back in all at once. Ah, well. Nothing that a good cup of tea can't help, right? Tomorrow: the famed Makaibari Tea Estate.
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