In my previous post I mentioned Dussehra, the biggest Hindu festival of India, which happened to be underway as I arrived in the country. Traveling eastwards, where Darjeeling is located, I fortuitously moved into the epicentre of the celebrations - West Bengal, the "home" of Goddess Durga.
kEverytime I return to India it is as if I have never left. A few moments after emerging from the airport, I am swept into the heat, dust and chaos that feels so familiar that I soon forget there is anything else but that.
Nepal is one of the youngest tea producing nations in the world. It ranks 20th in the world in terms of total tea production according to 2012 data. Despite its young history, Nepal has earned a seat at the table with the “big boys” of tea.
"This 2014 First Flush Singbulli Darjeeling from Happy Earth Tea is simply superb. The problem in writing about it is that there are so many different flavors in this tea that emerge depending upon preparation. Frankly this is true of all of the Darjeelings that I have purchased from Happy Earth. Mr. Lama obviously has a very cultivated palate, and as a result the leaf quality of his Darjeelings is of very high standard, permitting all kinds of variations in temperature and steeping time, without incurring bitterness. I have, at times, forgotten about my steeping, and so have partaken of teas steeped up to fifteen minutes! In all of these instances I have only discovered new flavors... never bitterness.
How about some fine tea along side ikebana and pottery?! That's what we got coming First Friday, 9/5, at our Tea Studio at the Hungerford in downtown Rochester, NY! Ikebana International Chapter 53 will exhibit flower arrangements created by members...
Manufacturing of fine tea is nothing less than an art. There are endless variables a tea maker has to consider at every step. The impact of sunlight is one among many variables, and the “o-oi-shi-ta” technique practiced in Japan brings it to sharp focus.
Adam M, one of our regular customers from LA, has submitted another helpful feedback this time on our Phoobsering First Flush. We are grateful for your reviews that help our other customers to make better choices and also have a richer experience of our teas.
Here are some pictures from the Spring Tea Celebration 2014. We tasted 5 first flush teas from Darjeeling and two oolongs from Taiwan, which make up our spring harvest offerings of this year. But for one cold brew, the rest were all brewed hot in tasting cups, tea pots and a gaiwan.
