Help Makaibari

I've posted this on Twitter and passed on the news to World Tea News (who did a story on it), but I wanted to post here as well. Darjeeling's Makaibari Tea Estate was hit by a cyclone recently, and there was quite a bit of destruction. IMHO, Makaibari is an incredible tea estate with honorable labor and environmental practices, and excellent teas. (Their Silver Green is phenomenal and their Second Flush Muscatel is one of the highest-priced auction teas in the world.) You can donate to help Makaibari through Eco Prima a wholesale tea company, the sole U.S. importer of Makaibari teas, owned by Anupa Mueller, the sister-in-law of Rajah (Makaibari's owner) and a wonderful person in her own right.

Edit -- I originally mistyped and called Anupa Rajah's sister. She is his sister-in-law. Also, I received the following update:

Anupa -- Makaibari was not the only garden to be hit. The entire sub-district got hit pretty bad. Makaibari is situated in the Kurseong Valley in the district of Darjeeling - the entire valley was affected. (I've provided Rajah's description below).

Rajah -- Castleton had heavy damages in their Dhargaon village. There is a huge landslide which has taken away a considerable portion of their tea. The landslide is so devastating that even today a month after the cyclone hit, the slide continues traumatising all in the vicinity with the sound of the slide. More so in the dead of night, as the sliding earth groans horrifically, like a wounded lion as it cascades downhill. The first few nights were sleepless. On top of Singell tea estate, a massive landslide buried a family. all members died. At Longview tea estate, a massive tree which was uprooted, trapped an adolescent girl for over a day, killing her, as none could extricate her. Goethals school, has lost their entire sports campus. Happy Valley lost a great deal of tea as well as a village near the factory, 6 people died on the spot. Goomtee tea estate suffered enormous damages in their villages- mercifully no deaths. Arya tea estate has lost tea and property damage. The list goes on and on. There were about 50 people who died in the cyclone in the district. The loss to property in the Kurseong subdistrict alone is around 6 million dollars and the sub-district is quite small.

Anupa -- This should give you some idea. And now with the monsoons there, rebuilding is a real problem. They will have to wait until after the rains to get permanent structures built. Thank you for all your efforts. Rajah tells me that his people are overwhelmed at the generosity of people thousands of miles away and have hope that they will come through because of it.

In answer to my question regarding why Makaibari is the only estate that seems to have support here in the states, Makaibari got the press because we (Eco Prima) are here devoted to its cause! Other gardens do not have personal representatives here necessarily and we live at Makaibari and have a market presence here in the U.S. I would not even know how to get relief to the other gardens and there is no district-specific effort that I'm aware of. It makes a difference when the owner lives on the estate and is personally aware of all the grief and damage - it brings it to the forefront and you are more motivated to get attention to it - that's the difference.

(Lindsey -- And because I asked World Tea News to cover it. :) No, really, Anupa has been a much bigger supporter than I. She is very devoted to Makaibari.)

Anupa -- BTW, I concur and would add that Rajah is such a dynamic force that all of Makaibari's devoted fans know of him and his unique compassion for the land and the people of Darjeeling, so there is a human connection to the estate, not JUST the great tea.

Sale

Urbana Teas and Tonics is having a 15% off sale for first-time online buyers. Just enter the promo code "URB6853" during checkout for the discount.

Those of you who know me or have been reading my blog for a while probably know that I used to be the teabar manager there, and that a large part of my passion for tea grew out of drinking it regularly at their South Charlotte location. My favorites? Darjeeling 2nd Flush Muscatel from Makaibari (where I had the pleasure of visiting last year), Vanilla Cream (I rarely like flavored teas, but this one is fantastic!), Strawberry-Pepper/Unity (complex, piquant tisanes), Kukicha (a very creamy one...) and Spicy Ginger Yerba Mate (with emphasis on the spicy!). If you try them, let me know what you think!

Tea Tourism in India

Tea tourism in India is getting more and more popular with tourists from around the world. All types of people from around the globe are beginning to think about and appreciate the beauty of what goes into the world's second-most popular drink (after water). Time Magazine is definitely a fan of the trend--they named Makaibari Tea Estate one of the best things about Asia for 2008. From the article:






















"If Darjeeling is the champagne of teas, Makaibari is the Krug or Henri Giraud. At the 677-hectare Makaibari Tea Estate nestled in the eastern Himalayas, you not only taste the finest of its aromatic, amber brews, but experience tea as a way of life.... After a day's induction — with tea-tasting sessions and a guided tour of the factory to see how luscious, freshly plucked leaves are processed into green, white, oolong and black teas — visitors get some hands-on experience.... Not a tea lover? You will be at Makaibari."

Makaibari was listed under the category "Best for the Soul." Having been there, I have to agree. It is a deeply calming and centering place, and I am thrilled to be returning to Makaibari and several other Darjeeling tea estates as a tour guide this October. We're working out all the details now (Tearooms and tea estates and tea factories! Oh, my!) and I will have them posted here within the next two weeks. It should be a fantastic tour and I hope some of my readers, students, and clients out there can join me. For now, I'm off to work on the itinerary some more!

Local Food, Tea Plants

Local food co-ops have issued a challenge to their customers: eat local produce for 80% or more of your diet during the summer months. Excerpt from The Progressive Grocer:

Although "local" is a buzzword used by many retailers, the NCGA maintains that its member natural food co-ops cultivate "truly reciprocal, long-term relationships with local growers and producers."

Participating NCGA member stores will host Eat Local America challenges within their communities, encouraging individuals to visit their store, learn when their local challenge is taking place, commit to participate, and collect information on eating local foods. Because peak harvest time varies throughout the nation, the challenge duration may vary from a one-week to one-month period, according to NCGA.

Read more here.

Personally, I'll be getting most of my grocers from a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). As for my tea, I'll always love teamaster-made green tea from Japan, first flush black from Darjeeling, oolong from Taiwan, and white and green teas from China, but I'll also get to try some VERY local tea soon.


Soil from Darjeeling, kindly sent to me by a tea professional in India







Chinese-variety tea seeds, kindly sent to me my a tea educator in Japan





Planting of the tea seeds, for uber-local, "fresh from my apartment" tea



If anyone in the US would like a tea seed or two, email me with your address and one way you plan to go greener this year. Have a great Earth Day tomorrow!

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...

NYC recycling

Great news for New Yorkers and the environment! "In a bid to curb the environmental impact of nearly 1 billion plastic bags used by New York City consumers annually, the city's council passed a bill on Wednesday requiring large stores to set up recycling programs." Read the full article here.

In Darjeeling, there is a complete ban on plastic bags. Goods are wrapped in paper parcels and tied with twine. It's a very political issue there, as the environmental damage due to littering was very visually apparent. In NYC, the problem is not so much the littering, as the massive scale of consumption and the extremity of our particular brand of "culture of convenience." However, I'm very pleased to see that this type of recycling will become significantly easier for New Yorkers in the near future.

Nilgiri Branding

It looks like Nilgiri and Assam will soon be registered under Geographical Indication. This means that, like Darjeeling teas, certified teas from each region will bear an official seal indicating its origin.

The goals of GI registration for Darjeeling teas were to decrease counterfeit Darjeeling tea sales (which were rampant) and (with an increase in regional branding image due to decreased counterfeits) increase their teas prices. The downside was the certification cost (often a large burden for a small estate).

I have to wonder if it isn't preemptive to register Nilgiri and Assam teas for Geographical Indication. Neither is as well-known as Darjeeling, and I've never heard of problems with counterfeit Nilgiri or Assam teas (in sharp contrast to Darjeeling teas--more counterfeit "Darjeeling" is sold each year than true Darjeeling). Is this an attempt by the Indian government to increase tea prices without building brand confidence (which it actually did with Darjeeling)? Will the increase in tea price make the certification cost worth it to smaller estates? We shall see...

The Darjeeling Limited

I saw "The Darjeeling Limited" over the weekend. It was fantastic, although it had very little to do with Darjeeling OR tea. It was funny, visually luscious, charming, touching, and a tad pretentious... all the things I love about Wes Anderson's films.

This New York Times Style Profile sould give you some idea of the film's gorgeous aesthetic. It also notes, "[Wes Anderson] scouted tea plantations in Darjeeling* with painter Hugo Guinness [click "Imports," and then click "Hugo Guinness"... annoying, I know], but found Rajasthan more suitable for filming." Apparently, a lot of people feel that way. Rajasthan is far more heavily represented in the celluloid world than Darjeeling. I guess we'll have to leave it to some other brilliant auteur to make the film about Darjeeling we've all been waiting for. In the meantime, "Limited" is more than worth checking out, as is its prequel short, "Hotel Chevalier". Enjoy!

*According to my sources, he also spent time in nearby Kurseong, checking out the biodynamic Makaibari Tea Estate.

PS--"Rushmore" is still my favorite.

The Darjeeling Limited

No sooner did I get back from my trip to Darjeeling, I started seeing ads for Wes Anderson's new movie "The Darjeeling Limited." Wes Anderson is my favorite filmmaker, so (needless to say) I am very excited about this film. Tonight at 9PM, Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman (who stars in "Darjeeling"), and Natalie Portman (who has a bit part in "Darjeeling") will appear at the 5th Ave NYC Apple Store for a screening of a prequel/short called "Hotel Chevalier." More info from The Wall Street Journal.

From the Apple site:

Join Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, and Natalie Portman for a special screening of Anderson’s new short film, Hotel Chevalier, starring Schwartzman and Portman. This 12-minute short, set entirely in a Paris hotel room, is a prequel to Anderson’s new film, The Darjeeling Limited. After the screening, Wes, Jason, and Natalie will take questions from the audience. Download The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, and Fresh Air interviews with Wes from the iTunes Store.


Now my question is... how much tea is there in "Darjeeling?"

To Delhi

Today I flew to Delhi. I miss Darjeeling already.

A friend of a friend took me around town upon my arrival. I saw the India Gates and the Red Fort, and ate at the most exclusive club in Delhi. We had great conversation, which eased the transition out of the lush mountains and into the dirty city a bit.

Tomorrow, I fly to London, and then to NYC. I'll catch you later from the other side of the world!

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.

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.

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.

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.

An Extra Day in Darjeeling

I was going to return to Kurseong today, but decided to see some more sights in Darjeeling. Nalin took me around the area to see some gorgeous views of tea estates (including Tukduh, Pandam, and Glenburn), an organic farm, waterfalls, flowers, and all kinds of fruit trees. (Many of the fruits ripen in winter. It's enough to make me want to stay in India year-round!) We talked about tea tourism in India (which was obviously a topic of interest to me, as I am a tea tour guide) and about the tea industry in general. He showed me several estates he used to manage, all of which were lovely (tree-lined roads, healthy plants). Nalin shared all kinds of tea secrets along the way. Unfortunately, I was too carsick to enjoy about half the trip. Next time, I'll take a motion-sickness pill first. After the expedition, I ran some errands in town and worked on a gift for a friend (which I will share with you all later). Tomorrow: Back down the mountain to Kurseong, via about 15 tea estates and the Tea Research Association (not to be confused with the DTRC).

Darjeeling

Today I visited Happy Valley Tea Estate and The Mayfair Hotel, and I learned a lot about tea politics.

After a breakfast of momos, I walked down the mountain a bit to Happy Valley Tea Estate. Happy Valley is not particularly known for its tea, but the estate itself is in most of the India guidebooks because it is so convenient to Darjeeling proper and because (until recently) it offered tours of the field and factory. I navigated winding roads, narrow paths between houses and sharp drops, slippery stone stairs, and a rocky trail through the estate grounds to find a group of men milling about outside the factory. I asked them if I could take a tour and (after some discussion amongst them in Nepali) a young man stepped forward, eyes darting about. Halfway through the "tour," I discovered that the tours had been discontinued and that I wasn't supposed to be there without permission from the manager. "May I see the manager and ask him?" "No. He has seen you with me already. He'll be angry." So, I didn't get to see the factory and the information on the fields was limited. However, I did learn Lesson One: Always ask who is in charge.

After the "tour," I stopped by the "cafe," which is actually a tiny house with a snack stand operating out of the kitchen and a "tearoom" in the bedroom. I drank Happy Valley tea, which is "the world's best tea" ... or so I'm told by the woman selling it. Her reasoning? "It brews in only five seconds." I know what you're thinking, right? "No way." Well, let me tell you this: It DID brew in only five seconds. Maybe even less. And it tasted pretty good. How is that possible? She used about 1/2 cup of FTGFOP1S (Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Top Grade) tealeaves per cup of water. ... Yes, really. The other tourists in the room with me were eating it up. Lesson Two: Don't believe everything you're told, especially if you're a tourist.

Over the course of my visit to Happy Valley, I spoke with several employees. Each one told me, in no uncertain terms, that Happy Valley is, well, not so happy these days. They USED to be, but a recent change in management has caused a lot of strife. Complaints ranged from bureaucracy and hipocracy to cuts in sick days (from 14 days per year to 3 days per year if I remember correctly). Lesson Three: "Our names are labels, plainly printed on the bottled essence of our PAST behavior." (Empahsis added.) I hope things get better soon.

After the trek to (Un)Happy Valley, I walked back up the big hill to The Mayfair Hotel for afternoon tea. Just as I was starting to feel very cynical about tea in Darjeeling, by luck, I was recognized and caught by Nalin Modha, a tea professional who was the youngest estate manager in the entire Indian tea industry. Over tea (with freshly baked butter cookies and cucumber sandwiches) and (later on) dinner (which was delicious and enormous), I learned Lessons Four through Four-Hundred from Nalin. We talked about tea education, workers' health, the tea market, the ecosystem, and numerous other things related to tea and (generally) to politics. He's very knowledgable and I am glad to have run into him here. Tomorrow, I'll be meeting him to see some of the surrounding area. Exciting!

Return to Darjeeling

Today I ascended the mountain to Darjeeling. First, though, I was lucky enough to exchange recipes with the hotel's teamaker. He's a bright young guy, and great at what he does. He hopes to move to the US in about 5 years. With the delectable teas he brews, I'm sure he can get a good job here. He taught me how to make three of his best teas (what a wonderful souvenir!) and I taught him some tricks for brewing cloud-free iced tea, sweetening complex teas without overpowering their flavors, and using powdered teas, and I gave him basic recipes for gyokuro floats with matcha ice cream and spicy hot cocoa. (It was the least I could do!) I can't wait to brew these up when I get home.

Took a jeep up to Darjeeling. Passed tea plantations (including Margaret's Hope), a Tazo nursery (their nonprofit org, CHAI, does a lot of volunteer work here), waterfalls, the Toy Train tracks, construction workers taking a tea break, small towns, a breathtaking monastary, and construction of all kinds.

Checked into my hotel, exhausted and hungry. Decided to go to The New Elgin for afternoon tea. The setting was charming and the tea was quite good (Darjeeling first flush, butter cookies with almond essence, and cucumber-tomato sandwiches on white). The one anomaly was the music, which was Muzac hits from the 1960s-1980s in all their synthesized glory. Very odd. The bill was about $6. Sweet. Tomorrow I'll check out The Mayfair. Next visit I'll see The Windamere. (It's under construction right now.)

The rest of the day was spent running errands: picking up the bokus (Tibetan dresses) Natalia and I had made (they're gorgeous), buying some Ayurvedic medicine I can't get easily in the US, aquiring some fabric and tea for friends back home, visiting tearooms to see what they're all about (and to try to visit someone I met at the World Tea Expo, who was out of town), and buying a new umbrella (I left mine in Kurseong, but I love the ones they have up here--brightly colored stripes, like a big rainbow above your head).

In the evening, the locals all gathered around TV sets (in shops, in a tricked out SUV, in restaurants) to watch "Indian Idol" and cheer for Prashant. I returned to my room to reread "The Book of Tea" by Kazuko Okakura. It matches the mood set by the contemplative mists over the Kangchenjunga.

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!

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)

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.