England is following and surpassing the American trend of "going foodie." Acoording to a recent article on CNN, they are getting ahead of the American trend towards for organic, fair trade, and local: the British govenrment has even asked retailers to develop "eco-labels" that indicate the environmental impact of each product. The focus is much more on sustainability than on personal health. (It seems to me that most Americans are more interested in their own health than the planet's when it comes to organic food production.) The ethical treatment of animals (still a mojor taboo in the US, despite all of PETA's well-meaning efforts) has also gained some attention in the press on both sides of the issue.
I wonder how the foodie movement in one of the world's biggest tea-drinking nations will impact the tea market. Will more plantations and gardens go organic/biodynamic? Will packaging be altered to be more sustainable and will marketing begin to reflect the (in many cases, newfound) sustainability more? As tastes change in England, will the ubiquitous teabag be replaced more and more by loose leaf tea?
As for the prices, it is already predicted that tea prices will rise in 2008 due to civil unrest in Kenya. Of course, most tea production in Kenya is CTC at present, so it may not impact the prices of loose leaf. Perhaps a price increase in CTC black tea (Kenya's main tea product and England's favorite cuppa) will actually encourage a shift to loose leaf. We shall see!
EDITED TO ADD: A new article on the UK's efforts to make grocery stores more sustainable, ethical, and healthy. Yay!
Showing posts with label ethics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ethics. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Pesticide Tea, Anyone?
As food safety concerns rise, more and more people are talking about how to clean your foods. If you are finding yourself concerned about any undesirable additives in your tea, I suggest the following:
Buy from a reputable company. Take a minute to look into the company itself. (This is easy enough to do online.) Does it seem ethical, or does it seem like it would sell you turpentine tea to turn a buck? If it seems ethical, is it a mega-corporation with employees paid to make it LOOK ethical, or is it actually kind of ethical?
Consider paying a little more to ensure your tea's quality. 'Nuff said.
To (ideally) eliminate pesticide and artificial fertilizer content, buy certified organic.
Consider buying Fair Trade. (Happy workers are more likely to treat the tea better. I've seen this in action.)
Take a cue from gong fu (high-skill) tea ceremonies: rinse your tealeaves.*
Keep in mind that at least some of the pesticides used in tea production are evaporated during the drying stage of production. It's not totally reassuring, but it's good to know.
AND
Relax. Despite all the media's hullabaloo about food contamination, your tea will probably be just fine. Stress, on the other hand, is a real killer.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your tea!
*How to rinse your tealeaves: Place the leaves into the brewing vessel. Pour water (at the brewing temperature) over the leaves, and then pour the water out. Your leaves are now rinsed and ready for brewing. According to the gong-fu tradition, the leaves are also "awakened" and ready to make the best tea they can.
Related study: Organic food is on the rise, as is local food. 80% say they eat a healthy diet. (Ha! Right...) 59% identified China as a problem area for food safety. The odd thing to me is that people who purchased organic food tended to earn more than those who didn't. Organic food doesn't have to be expensive! In fact, when it's done properly, it should cost LESS than conventional food. (Read "The One Straw Revolution" for more on the costs of organic food production.)
Buy from a reputable company. Take a minute to look into the company itself. (This is easy enough to do online.) Does it seem ethical, or does it seem like it would sell you turpentine tea to turn a buck? If it seems ethical, is it a mega-corporation with employees paid to make it LOOK ethical, or is it actually kind of ethical?
Consider paying a little more to ensure your tea's quality. 'Nuff said.
To (ideally) eliminate pesticide and artificial fertilizer content, buy certified organic.
Consider buying Fair Trade. (Happy workers are more likely to treat the tea better. I've seen this in action.)
Take a cue from gong fu (high-skill) tea ceremonies: rinse your tealeaves.*
Keep in mind that at least some of the pesticides used in tea production are evaporated during the drying stage of production. It's not totally reassuring, but it's good to know.
AND
Relax. Despite all the media's hullabaloo about food contamination, your tea will probably be just fine. Stress, on the other hand, is a real killer.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your tea!
*How to rinse your tealeaves: Place the leaves into the brewing vessel. Pour water (at the brewing temperature) over the leaves, and then pour the water out. Your leaves are now rinsed and ready for brewing. According to the gong-fu tradition, the leaves are also "awakened" and ready to make the best tea they can.
Related study: Organic food is on the rise, as is local food. 80% say they eat a healthy diet. (Ha! Right...) 59% identified China as a problem area for food safety. The odd thing to me is that people who purchased organic food tended to earn more than those who didn't. Organic food doesn't have to be expensive! In fact, when it's done properly, it should cost LESS than conventional food. (Read "The One Straw Revolution" for more on the costs of organic food production.)
Monday, October 1, 2007
Eating Local/October Discount
The New Yorker recently published an article on eating local in NYC. I love my local farmers' market (scroll down bit), but I have to admire this guy for trying to eat ALL local (save for olive oil and spices) in NYC for a whole week. He notes that it's much easier in the fertile and biodiverse valleys of food-obsessed San Francisco. (This is yet another reason why I love SF. For more reasons, read about my recent trip to SF.)
Of course, aside from the dietary restraints and huge time commitment involved with eating all local in NYC, the thing I'd really miss is the TEA. Then again, I could just grow my own.
OR... I could skip a bit of the locavore hype and read this Financial Times article about the environmental impact of shipping food long--and short--distances:
"Transport has been taken out and highlighted," says Rebecca White, a researcher at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute (ECI). "But you can't single out one part [of the food system] and say something that's come from thousands of miles away is automatically less sustainable - it's much more complicated than that."
Sure, I could buy conventionally-grown tea from Charleston, SC to reduce shipping, but I could also source my tea from the biodynamic Makaibari Tea Estate in Darjeeling to reduce my environmental impact in terms of emissions (they use biofuel) and pesticides (they are certified organic). Besides, it's not like tea is something consumed by the pound. The most I ever consume in a day is an ounce. (One ounce of tealeaves can make about ten cups of tea. And that's if you only infuse the leaves once.) If I compare that one ounce to, say, my daily vegetable intake, then I see that shipping tea all the way from India (or Japan, or China, or...) really isn't all that bad.
So, as usual, it's all about the big picture. Why am I not surprized?
All this talk about local and imported food reminded me about the October discount! Anyone from outside NYC who takes a tea tour during October gets a 10% discount. Email me at vee at veetea dot com to set up a tour.
Of course, aside from the dietary restraints and huge time commitment involved with eating all local in NYC, the thing I'd really miss is the TEA. Then again, I could just grow my own.
OR... I could skip a bit of the locavore hype and read this Financial Times article about the environmental impact of shipping food long--and short--distances:
"Transport has been taken out and highlighted," says Rebecca White, a researcher at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute (ECI). "But you can't single out one part [of the food system] and say something that's come from thousands of miles away is automatically less sustainable - it's much more complicated than that."
Sure, I could buy conventionally-grown tea from Charleston, SC to reduce shipping, but I could also source my tea from the biodynamic Makaibari Tea Estate in Darjeeling to reduce my environmental impact in terms of emissions (they use biofuel) and pesticides (they are certified organic). Besides, it's not like tea is something consumed by the pound. The most I ever consume in a day is an ounce. (One ounce of tealeaves can make about ten cups of tea. And that's if you only infuse the leaves once.) If I compare that one ounce to, say, my daily vegetable intake, then I see that shipping tea all the way from India (or Japan, or China, or...) really isn't all that bad.
So, as usual, it's all about the big picture. Why am I not surprized?
All this talk about local and imported food reminded me about the October discount! Anyone from outside NYC who takes a tea tour during October gets a 10% discount. Email me at vee at veetea dot com to set up a tour.
Friday, September 21, 2007
"Green"
NPR tackles the topic of green politics and purchases. How Green is Green? Check it out, and have a great weekend!
PS--I've been filling in the missing blog entries from August. Since the internet connection in India is spotty at best, I kept a journal while I was there. The journal entries are being rewritten as blog posts and added to VeeTea. Start with my trip to London or my arrival in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) or my journey up to Darjeeling or my visit to Makaibari Tea Estate (or where ever else you want to start) and see where it takes you!
PS--I've been filling in the missing blog entries from August. Since the internet connection in India is spotty at best, I kept a journal while I was there. The journal entries are being rewritten as blog posts and added to VeeTea. Start with my trip to London or my arrival in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) or my journey up to Darjeeling or my visit to Makaibari Tea Estate (or where ever else you want to start) and see where it takes you!
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.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
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!
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!
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.
Friday, August 10, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Tap Water
It's awfully hot outside today, and NPR has a few things to say about NYC and tap water:
NYC urges residents (and, one would guess, tourists) to drink tap water
NPR talks about bottled water ethics
Personally, I use bamboo-charcoal filtered tap water for regular drinking and for tea. It tastes great and I can use a Nalgene or Platypus water bottle (my favorite, because it collapses as it empties) to carry it wherever I need it without having to send more plastic to the "recycling plant" (read: landfill--very little of your "recycling is actually recycled). In India, I will be drinking bottled water and using purification tablets (with my Platypus) to avoid "Delhi Belly." I'll let you know how that goes.
For more on selecting the best water for yourself and your tea, read Water for Tea.
NYC urges residents (and, one would guess, tourists) to drink tap water
NPR talks about bottled water ethics
Personally, I use bamboo-charcoal filtered tap water for regular drinking and for tea. It tastes great and I can use a Nalgene or Platypus water bottle (my favorite, because it collapses as it empties) to carry it wherever I need it without having to send more plastic to the "recycling plant" (read: landfill--very little of your "recycling is actually recycled). In India, I will be drinking bottled water and using purification tablets (with my Platypus) to avoid "Delhi Belly." I'll let you know how that goes.
For more on selecting the best water for yourself and your tea, read Water for Tea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
