In Northern Thailand, tea has been cultivated in the hills for centuries. In many place, tea grows in the forest. The hilltribes would clear the bushes of a natural rainforest and plant trees. The huge tropical trees would provide shade, biodiversity and fertilization to the tea trees. No pesticides or fertilizers were added to the field. This agricultural method called agroforestry is still practiced today. In order to preserve and promote it,… Read more
In Northern Thailand, tea has been cultivated in the hills for centuries. In many place, tea grows in the forest. The hilltribes would clear the bushes of a natural rainforest and plant trees. The huge tropical trees would provide shade, biodiversity and fertilization to the tea trees. No pesticides or fertilizers were added to the field. This agricultural method called agroforestry is still practiced today. In order to preserve and promote it, we have the project to produce high quality tea in Northern Thailand. By helping the farmers improve the quality of their tea and reach new markets, they will get a better price for their leaves and be able to keep on with their tradition of ecological farming. As we are starting our project, we release a series of tea that we ordered from different tea farmers in Thailand. This is only the beginning of a long and exciting journey.
This white tea was picked and dried by several tea farmers in Chiang Mai area. Single buds were picked on fairly old tea trees growing in the forest. In those villages, many farmers have small plots of tea trees. They are not specialized tea makers; many of them grow coffee, fruits or cereals. A simple way to get an income from these tea gardens is to pick single buds in their free time and let them dry under the sun or in the shade. Because they don’t have many tea trees, each family only produces a couple kilograms a year.
The unregularly drying (shaded or not) gives the buds different colors. The sun-dried buds are light yellow because they dried quickly. The shade-dried ones are redder, because the longer drying process gave them more time to oxidize.
The result is a sweet and complex brew, different from what can be found in China. The lack of consistency actually makes the complexity of this tea. You can enjoy it in a large glass or in a Gaiwan. It can be brewed three or four times on a relaxing tea session.
