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REVIEW
Inside the Tasters’ Practice Purnima Rai’s Nepal Garden Discovering Georgian Tea
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CONTENTS / Smallholders on 470 million farms produce 70% of the world’s food, supporting 1.4 billion extremely poor people.
SUBSCRIBE White peony, also known as Bai Mu Dan, is a white tea made from silvery tea buds and young leaves. Origin: Fujian Province, China.
ONLINE Nepal Tea Grower Purnima Rai
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Purnima Rai’s Nepal Tea Garden
Inside the Tasters’ Practice
Harvest Review 2016
Thousand Tael Tea
Purnima Rai rises with the sun to pluck tender leaves and buds that she carries for two hours to the certified organic factory in Sunderpani, Ilam.
Some tasters find their first sip quenches an unknown thirst and compels them to share their joy with others. Learn from professional tasters how they improve their skill.
Tea Journey profiles 24 major tea-growing regions and asks in-country writers and tea experts to describe the 2016 harvest.
Explore the complex creation of 75-pound logs of Anhua dark tea compressed for aging in a hand-woven bamboo lattice and sawn into disks.
TEA JOURNEY | 3
HARVEST REVIEW
Summer 2016
teajourney.pub
11 26 110 10
CURIOS
26
HEALTH & WELLNESS
41
CULINARY TEA
104
Painted Teabags Topographical Tray Iconic Spode
120
Diabetes Defense
126
A Summer Barbecue
110
GEORGIAN TEA DISCOVERY
Intrepid growers in a once-thriving tea region in the Caucasus Mountains along the Black Sea’s eastern coast are reviving artisan tea.
HAWAIIAN TEA
Eva Lee and Chiu Leong, two pioneering growers, say the spirit of tea is alive in Hawaii, where 65 commercial and hobby gardens make it America’s largest tea-producing state.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN TAIWAN
Taiwan has neither an excess of suitable land to be taken for tea nor a surplus of labor. New environmental protections forced the closure of some high-elevation gardens and make it harder for existing ones to expand.
A MASTER OF THE MINIATURE
This bonsai artist’s worth is measured by how well his trees transport you to a place where the plant grows, without actually going there.
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
ONLINE
MOBILE
21 Roslyn Road, Suite 1108 Winnipeg, MB R3L 2S8
+1 204 788 - 1359 Skype: dwjbolton
info@teajourney.pub www.teajourney.pub
Available in iOS on iTunes and Android on Google Play
Copyright 2016 Mystic Media Custom Publishing. Do not reproduce without written permission from the publisher. Tea Journey Magazine Winnipeg, MB Mystic Media Custom Publishing Vol. 1 No. 2 Semi Annual ISSN 2371-7254
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Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
HARVEST REVIEW
114 HARVEST REVIEW ISSUE 2
PUBLISHER
Dan Bolton
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Nan Cui
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR John Lawo, Jr.
117
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EUROPE Hans Niebergall
SOCIAL MARKETING Rita Fong
EDUCATION DIRECTOR Suzette Hammond
DIRECTOR AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
114 117
ACCOUNTANT ADVISORS
Victoria Bisogno Kevin Gascoyne Tony Gebely Austin Hodge Beth Johnston Joshua Kaiser Brian Keating Bob Krul Robert McCaleb Andrew McNeill Dr. Nada Milosavljevic Elyse Petersen James Norwood Pratt Thomas Shu Mike Spillane Rona Tison Bill Waddington 6
Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
English artifacts trace the culture’s long history with tea.
TRENTON TEAPOT MUSEUM A museum devoted to ceramic teapot nightlights known as veilleuse.
John Lawo, Jr.
Kathe Meseman
REGAL RITUALS
122 130
PRESERVING THE LIFE OF THE LEAVES Modern-day tea drinkers have many more options for storing tea.
THE FRAGRANCE OF PUER Latent notes are uncovered as volatile chemicals dissipate over time.
Tea Journey publishes three issues annually
APRIL
ORIGIN ISSUE
DIGITAL & PRINT
SEPTEMBER
TEA DISCOVERY ISSUE
DIGITAL & PRINT
NOVEMBER
GIFTING ISSUE
DIGITAL ONLY
DISCOVER RISHI A ND REDISCOVER TEA R I S H I TEA
N O L E AF UNT URNED
At Rishi Tea, we are driven by a mission to connect tea drinkers to the origins of our teas. Each year, we travel around the globe to work and taste with growers in the fields. The hidden gems of their cultures inspires our blends and invigorates our passion for the culinary arts. With an innovative spirit for trade, travel and study, we welcome you to join us on our botanical journey to leave no leaf unturned.
ORGANIC | DIRECT TRADE | RISHI-TEA.COM
2016 RISHI TEA MILWAUKEE, WI
NOTA BENE
Tea the Hero Crop HARVEST REVIEW ISSUE 2
EDITOR
Dan Bolton
SENIOR EDITOR Si Chen
ART DIRECTOR
Jordan Beresford
COPY EDITOR
Sam Molineaux
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jennifer English Cynthia Gold Nicole Martin Stephenie Overman Jane Pettigrew Jennifer Quail Bruce Richardson Dan Robertson
CONTRIBUTORS
Suzanne Catty Stephen Carroll Michael Case Jason Chen Ian Chun Ranjit Dasgupta Barbara Fairchild Jeff Fuchs Keith Horner Coco Liang Nicholas Lozito Francois Marchand Frank Miller Katrina Munichiello Mina Parks Jennifer Sauer Felicia Stewart Nathan Wakeford Robert Wemischner Tea Journey is a digital magazine, website and blog published by Mystic Media Custom Publishing, 21 Roslyn Road, Suite 1108, Winnipeg, MB R3L 2S8 Canada, Tea Journey publishes three issues per year in April, September, and November with regular blog posts between issues. Content protected under Copyright 2017 Mystic Media Custom Publishing. Do not reproduce without written permission from the publisher. Visit www.TeaJourney.pub to subscribe.
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Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
Large tea estates are failing. Scarcity of labor, the cost of large-scale production, and reliance on chemicals and pesticides unwanted by consumers make plantations unsustainable. Vertically integrated multinationals that still dominate the tea value chain are a legacy of colonial days. The tea lands are witnessing a dramatic change as smallholders become the main producers of tea in Kenya, Malawi, Sri Lanka, and India. It is now apparent that cheap tea shortchanges everyone. For centuries, tea was tended by families working small plots. Mountain gardens rarely exceed 20 acres. The fact that tea trees are resilient and grow on land less desirable for food crops—and that tea brings a good price at the market—make it the ideal cash crop for smallholders. Chinese tea culture was always the province of smallholders. The 80 million tea farmers there are prospering on 4.5 million acres of land. Growers initially made their own tea, and many still do, but in time, artisans situated within four hours’ distance processed the harvested leaves. China demonstrates that tea can be a “hero crop” built on sustainable farmscapes, with new market mechanisms, and consumer engagement. These areas of focus are the work of Tea 2030, a broad-based coalition of trade associations, academics, tea businesses, and NGOs launched in 2013 by the Forum for the Future. Tea Journey plays an important role in this initiative by building awareness of sustainable tea. Readers vote their approval by paying a fair price when selecting these fine teas. That is why the Harvest Review issue is so important. Tea Journey’s in-country writers bring attention to those who grow and process artisan teas beginning on page 18 with a visit to the humble mountain home of Purnima Rai, a widowed, elderly Nepalese grower who is passionate about tea. She awakens daily to select the best leaves from her garden, which is certified organic. She then carries her basket two hours to sell the fresh leaves to the processing factory in Sunderpani, Ilam, Nepal’s most famous growing region. A remarkable woman that every tea consumer should meet, she is but one of millions of smallholders working on our behalf to make quality tea. Visit http://bit.ly/Tea2030HeroCrop to learn more about the role you can play in making Tea 2030 a success.
Dan.bolton@teajourney.pub
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CURIOS
Rock On
Interior designer Kathryn Scott finds inspiration in natural forms for a new line of porcelain WRITTEN BY: JENNIFER QUAIL
Expanding on her successful interior design business, Kathryn Scott has turned her thoughtful eye to porcelain design with pieces to beautify one’s tea service among the first products created. The designer, who has offices in Brooklyn and Shanghai, is known for her curated East-West style philosophy evident in the interiors she designs and, now, in her porcelain pieces as well. Among the first forms to come from Kathryn Scott Design Studio
are a sugar and creamer inspired by the natural shape of a rock, an influence that resulted in a soft, organic shape. “To hold it you have to embrace it with your hands, which is different than picking up a typical creamer shape with a handle,” Scott says. The pieces are to be accessories to the designer’s line of dinnerware that is currently in progress and expected to be available early in 2017. Scott also designed a teacup on a footed saucer that she expects
to make available following the development of the basic dinnerware shapes. “It’s inspired by the traditional porcelain shapes originating from China,” Scott says of the forthcoming piece. “The first place I think of when I drink tea.” TJ
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CURIOS
The Significance of the Utah Teapot Computer 3D rendering
WRITTEN BY: SI CHEN
It may look like an ordinary, white, everyday teapot but this simple design has had an enormous influence on the history of computing. Its name is Utah. This computer rendering of a standard white Melitta teapot as a 3D model has become the standard reference object for testing new applications. It is possibly the most famous data set in the world of computer graphics. The mathematical model was designed in 1975 by Martin Newell at the University of Utah. The shape contains a number of elements that made it ideal for experiments with graphics at the time: it has a solid round body, is partially convex, contains saddle points, has a hole in the handle, and can project a shadow on itself. Newell made the mathematical data that described the teapot’s geometry publicly available. Soon other researchers began to use the same data for their computer graphics experiments, so they did not have to laboriously enter geometric data for some other object. Due to advances in technol-
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Summer 2016 | teajourney.pub
Wireframe of the Utah teapot.
ogy, the act of rendering the teapot is no longer the challenge it was in 1975. Yet the teapot continues to be used as a reference object. Utah is considered to be the design equivalent to the “Hello, World!” programming code used to illustrate the basic syntax of any programming language. The teapot is both an inside joke and a reference point for computer design newbies all over the world. TJ
CURIOS
Two Centuries of Iconic Spode Timeless elegance updated
WRITTEN BY: JENNIFER QUAIL
Some things are destined to be collected and, for those who follow historic design in ceramics, Spode’s Blue Italian pattern is instantly recognizable. In the 200 years since its creation, the iconic pattern has often been imitated but never quite replicated, until now. This year, Spode celebrates the 200th anniversary of the pattern that secured its place in porcelain history with the limited edition Signature Collection, a six-piece series that brings that time-honored pattern back into the spotlight. The Blue Italian pattern finds its origins in a process of underglaze printing perfected by Josiah Spode, founder of the eponymous company, in 1784. Though the process initially was used to create reproductions of the Chinese blueand-white porcelain designs popular at the time, it was when the Spode “Italian” design was created in 1816 that the brand’s reputation was truly established. The pattern itself was inspired by the sun-drenched Italian countryside and features figures among
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Summer 2016 | teajourney.pub
Blue Italian Entertainment Set, with Hot Beverage Server.
Roman ruins framed by an 18thcentury Imari Oriental border. Included among the 200th anniversary Signature Collection are a four-piece entertaining set, a hot beverage pot, and a biscuit barrel. Each piece includes a 200th anniversary back stamp featuring Josiah Spode’s signature along with a certificate of authenticity. TJ
savor the harvest.
NEPAL
ORIGINS
Nepalese tea grower Purnima Rai.
She Rises with the Sun to Pluck Tea Each Day WRITTEN BY: SUSMA BASTOLA
It is early morning and Purnima Rai carries a basket filled with tender tea leaves and fine buds. She will collect leaves all morning and then walk two hours to the processing factory in Sunderpani, Ilam. The path underfoot is sloped and sloppy and steep but her manner remains charming day after day, and the smile she carries brings a smile to the faces of those she passes along the way. Like smallholders around the world, Purnima toils hard in the field to harvest quality tea leaves on small plots of land. Seventy percent of the world’s tea is grown this way by hundreds of thousands of families in Africa and Indonesia, India and China. Purnima was born in 1950, the year Nepal’s 100-year Rana dynasty ended and democratic rule began. She is a Nepali mother who struggles to maintain her garden and produce quality tea in spite of the limitations 18
Summer 2016 | teajourney.pub
Photos: Giacomo d’Orlando www.giacomodorlando.com
Purnima Rai’s garden is 5,500 feet above sea level.
of old age, and cultural and social boundaries. As democracy is a boon for Nepal, Purnima is a boon for Nepali tea. She lives outside Sunderpani, a small village with breathtaking views from 5,498 feet (1,676 meters) above sea level. It is gifted with beautiful scenery, tea gardens and forests. This area is also blessed with fresh, cool air from Mt. Kanchenjunga—the third-highest mountain in the world. In her younger days, women were deprived of education and limited to living within the four walls of their homes. Society under the Shah monarchy was male dominated. Her parents and society as a whole compelled young women to marry at an early age and sent them to their husband’s house. Girls at that time gave up their dreams and essentially regarded their husbands as a “god.” Purnima married when she was 13 years old. She didn’t get opportunity to know what school really means. The small tea garden that belonged to her husband became the only school for her, where she learned plucking, pruning of tea bushes, and how to hand-make tea for family consumption. She nurtured the tea bushes like her own children and also served her family-in-laws kindly. Purnima became pregnant with her first child at the age of 16. Despite pain during her pregnancy and the duties of raising an infant, she managed to care for the tea bushes. In time, she became a proud mother of two daughters and two sons. These sons are now the heirs to the tea field and they also help their mother to look after the tea bushes. Purnima has often said: “Where there is tea, there is hope.” After many happy years with her husband and children, tragedy took struck and she became a young widow. She shouldered the responsibility of bringing up her children on her own after her husband passed away. The sudden loss left her in tragic shock. In remote areas in Nepal, where people are not educated, widows are discriminated against by society. Hesitant to remarry, she struggled on her own to cope with such problems, standing with dignity like Mt. Everest. For a married woman in Nepalese culture, happiness is synonymous with her husband. However, Purnima didn’t lose her hope and found happiness in her own tea garden. With a keen interest and passion for tea, she extended her tea field to an area of about 3.7 acres (1.5 hectares). The garden now contains a variety of tea bushes with more to be planted. Demand is good for the best leaves, which are organically grown. As a result, she is now much busier than she used to be.
Working in the cow shed.
A typical day She wakes to the warmth of the rising sun. The cattle start mooing for their feeding time with her, as usual. She has reared two pigs, and two cows and there are 11 hens that roost near her modest home. She cares for them, too, as she would her own children, ignoring her own hunger to feed them. The fodder for the cattle includes green grasses, vegetable leftovers and Amlisso leaves—all of which are purely organic from her own field. She has personal knowledge of organic cultivation, understanding its benefits on human health and environment. After feeding the cattle, she cleans the cow and pig sheds. The cow dung is kept in a heap under the shade for decomposition to make TEA JOURNEY | 19
ORIGINS NEPAL
Diligently, she picks teas from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a break for lunch each day.
organic manure. She also has a provision for collecting cow urine separately in a concrete tank on the floor. This is used as liquid fertilizer in the tea field. Purnima’s devotion toward organic tea farming has influenced the Gorkha Tea Estate, where she takes her finely plucked leaves. In return, the Gorkha Tea Estate endeavors to motivate tea farmers like Purnima by making provision of co-operatives, distribution of cows to the farmers, construction of cowsheds, supply of bio-gas, a higher price for the tea leaves, market bonus to the farmers, free training, and organic inspections necessary for certification. Farmers like Purnima are quite happy with their organic tea farming! Purnima also spends time each morning worshipping god and she bathes daily. She says, “The secret of inner peace is to believe the god and world of tea.” She takes tea farming as the transcendent of Lord Gautam Buddha, as it is believed that the tea plant arose from the eyelids of Lord Buddha. After her worship, she prepares tea and breakfast for her family. Her grandchildren love the way she prepares tea, and say they can’t wait for a cup served by their granny. Her mesmerizing face soothes everyone in her house. She is always in a happy mood, especially as she goes to her field with a bamboo basket. She plucks the tea leaves carefully and treats them with respect. Her old, wrinkled hands are still strong, and she loves the tea without bias toward even herself. Purnima plucks tea from 9 a.m. to noon. Her family is as devoted to the tea garden as they are to her. Her daughter-in-law brings lunch to her in the field and serves her lovingly. With renewed zeal and enthusiasm, she starts her work again till 2 p.m. She collects all the finely plucked two leaves and a bud and takes them to the processing unit—two hours’ journey back and forth from her field. She handles them carefully in her basket, so as to not damage any of the fragile leaves. After returning from the processing unit, she goes to her field again where she has planted alaichi (cardamom), amlisso, beans, vegetables, and such. She takes care of them, too—weeding, chilling, watering, mulching, manuring, and so on. At dusk, she returns to the cow shed where she milks the cows and feeds them. She manages in her busy time to spend precious moments with her grandchildren in the evening. After dinner, she tells folk stories of the Kiranti culture to her family. Her grandchildren are lured to their sweet dreams by her soothing lullaby. Finally, at the end of the day she sleeps soundly with a hope of being with her tea bushes the next morning as usual. Purnima is just one of the many, many Nepali mothers who contribute to quality tea from the Himalayas. TJ Susma Bastola earned a B.Sc. in tea technology and management at the Mechi Multiple Campus, Bhadrapur. She works as a quality controller at the Gorkha Tea Estate in Fikkal, Ilam, Nepal. A sand mandala is a Tibetan Buddhist religious tradition involving the creation and destruction of the intricate design made with naturally colored sands from two dozen countries. Tayama Rai lives in Nepal where sand painting is popular. Her work, at left, is made from leaf shards of tea. It depicts Gautama Siddhārtha (c. 563—c. 483 BC), the founder of Buddhism.
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HARVEST REVIEW Erratic weather challenged growers worldwide in 2016.
HARVEST
REVIEW
Around the world,
tea is marketed as freshly picked, newly processed produce. Every harvest is anticipated with excitement. New arrivals awaken an eagerness to rush home and try the season’s bounty. 28
Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
In western countries, tea is bagged and boxed, packed into tins, and displayed in packets on grocery shelves. The emphasis is on uniformity and convenience. In the West, consumers select their tea from rows of tins but in the villages and cities where it is grown, tea is openly displayed in its aromatic glory. In most of the world, tea is sold in kiosks or in small stores located along a plaza, often near other vendors that specialize in tea. Service is personal. Customers approach with a refined sense of which teas they enjoy. The emphasis is on service, as customers are seated and served teas carefully prepared by trained staff. In this first annual harvest report, Tea Journey asked in-country writers and tea experts in 24 major tea-growing regions to describe the local harvest as they would to local tea drinkers. The resulting 2016 Harvest Review takes readers from Africa and Australia to China and Indonesia and Japan. The extraordinary photographs are of the fresh artisan teas you are drinking today made by extraordinary men and women in the exotic lands where tea is grown. Tea is highly perishable. Leaves must be processed within four hours of harvest to
Photo: Weiquan Wu
Experienced buyers learn to see the quality in tea but nothing can substitute for taste.
Buyers in producing countries like to taste and talk about their selections before purchasing tea.
retain peak flavor. In wholesale markets and at major auction centers around the world, tea is initially judged by sight and smell; prices are negotiable as traders evaluate the many variables—but the real bargaining takes place after brewing. Climate change impacts tea regions Overall, 2016 was a difficult year. Kenya, the world’s biggest exporter of black tea, enjoyed an unusually wet October, which led to big production gains in January and February. The country’s 650,000 farming households increased production by 70 million metric tons to reach 430 million by year-end. Exports for the first half of the year were 33% greater than the 2014–15 harvest, driving down to $2.19 per kilo (which means growers there receive about a penny per teabag or 22 cents of the 100 g packet sold by retailers for $12). Soaring global temperatures (the longest string of monthly highest temperatures ever recorded) and erratic rains led to droughts, ruining crops in farming regions. In May, torrential rains in Sri Lanka caused landslides that destroyed tea gardens and affected 425,000 people in what has otherwise been a dry year.
Then Cyclone Roanu hit Bangladesh hard, driving 500,000 people from their homes due to flooding. Tea production in South India fell and record rainfall in Assam caused massive flooding that reduced the summer harvest by 25%. East Africa saw tea declines in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda. Shortfalls in these countries are offset by Kenya’s bounty, but with domestic markets in India and Africa consuming more and more tea, the gap between total production and demand narrowed this year. Tea production in Africa, India, and the Middle East is projected at 2.1 million MT. This is about equal to the 2 million metric tons that China produces each year, but very little of China’s tea is exported. In China, handpicked tea sells for between $100 and $1,500 per kilo, depending on the age of leaves and method of processing. One hundred grams of a Western blend of African, Sri Lankan, and Indian tea, such as that sold by Twinings, sells for $28.
TEA JOURNEY | 29
HARVEST
REVIEW
Top Tea-Drinking Nations Annual per Capita Tea Consumption Worldwide as of 2016, by Leading Countries (in pounds) 6.96
Turkey Ireland
4.83
United Kingdom
4.28
Russia
3.05
Morroco
2.68
New Zealand
2.63
Egypt
2.23
Poland
2.2 2.13
Japan Saudi Arabia
1.98
South Africa
1.79
Netherlands
1.72 1.65
Australia Chile
1.61
UAE
1.59
Germany
1.52
Hong Kong
1.43 1.28
Ukraine
1.25
China Canada
1.12
Malaysia
1.06
Indonesia
1.01
Switzerland
0.93
Singapore
0.81
Slovakia
0.80
India
0.72
Taiwan Sweden
0.65 0.64
Hungary
0.62
Norway
0.60
Austria
0.59
Finland
0.54 0.50
United States Argentina
0.47
Israel
0.45
France
0.44 0.44
Vietnam South Korea
0.32
Denmark
0.32
Italy
0.31 0.28
Bulgaria
0.24
Romania
0.16
Portugal
0.14 0.11
Thailand Philippines
0.06
Greece
0.05 0.05 0.05
Venezuela Peru Columbia Brazil
0.04 0.04
Mexico
0.03
Source: © Statista 2016
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% % % 2% 1 1 2 2 3% %
4%
BRAZIL
4%
25% 7%
0.37
Spain
Belgium
World Exports of Tea
0.97
Czech Republic
Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
12%
18%
ARGENTINA
17% KENYA CHINA SRI LANKA INDIA VIETNAM
INDONESIA ARGENTIA UGANDA MALAWI TANZANIA
OTHER AFRICA RWANDA OTHERS
World Production of Tea (million kg)
CHINA
TURKEY IRAN
INDIA UGANDA RWANDA BURUNDI
NEPAL BANGLADESH TAIWAN MYANMAR
KENYA TANZANIA
MALAWI ZIMBABWE
JAPAN
VIETNAM INDONESIA
SRI LANKA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
China 2,230 million kg
Japan 82 million kg
Taiwan 15 million kg
India 1,191 million kg
Bangladesh 66 million kg
Zimbabwe 13 million kg
Kenya 399 million kg
Uganda 52 million kg
Iran 13 million kg
Sri Lanka 328 million kg
Malawi 39 million kg
Burundi 9 million kg
Turkey 230 million kg
Tanzania 32 million kg
CIS 8 million kg
Vietnam 165 million kg
Rwanda 25 million kg
Papua New Guinea 7 million kg
Indonesia 129 million kg
Myanmar 20 million kg
Brazil 7.2 million kg
Argentina 83 million kg
Nepal 18 million kg
Papua New Guinea 2 million kg DESIGNED BY: JORDAN BERESFORD
TEA JOURNEY | 31
NEW ZEALAND
TEACRAFT
C. sinensis bonsai at the U.S. National Arboretum.
Master of the Miniature WRITTEN BY: FELICIA STEWART
Just as in the world of tea, in bonsai growing there is a gulf between mass-produced and master-produced. In this ancient Japanese art form, a true artist’s worth is measured by how well he or she manipulates a plant to make it a thing of enduring value and a living work of art that evolves and changes over time. Auckland, New Zealand-based bonsai master Bob Langholm has an immaculately pruned tree right outside his house, leaving no question as to his skill. He has more than 50 years of practicing the art of bonsai. Originally from Germany, Langholm has lived in several countries, always indulging his love of nature. It was his grandfather who taught him about plants. “Even as kids during the war, we had to maintain a vegetable garden,” says Langholm. His first bonsai was a native pōhutukawa from his time working as the chief propagator for the Auckland City Council in the 1960s. He still has the tree, which he learned to care for from a book on bonsai. He cultivated his interest in bonsai during stints overseas, learning from bonsai masters in America as well as the esteemed teacher Saburo Kato, in Japan. 32
Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
Photos courtesy Bob Langholm.
“A bonsai apprenticeship goes on for about five years, though it’s up to the master to decide when you have completed your training,” says Langholm. “You learn things like the relationship between roots and branches; techniques for styling the five basic styles of bonsai; each tree’s intrinsic purpose; which seasonal tasks are required for which trees; how to manipulate the tree’s growing direction; and how to keep it alive.” With only an elementary grasp of Japanese, Langholm was forced to learn by observation and hand signals. Learning bonsai was the intent, but grasping the culture, within this world of Saburo Kato’s art, was equally important to him. “The tea ceremony, ikebana, calligraphy, and martial arts are closely related—they all require a calming of the spirit,” he says. On his return to Auckland in 1966, Langholm founded a bonsai club, known today as the Auckland Bonsai Society. He played a prominent role in the spread of bonsai appreciation and art locally before retiring to teach privately from his house and at a local center for art and culture. One of the first things you learn at one of his workshops is that you’re probably saying “bonsai” wrong. It’s pronounced “bone-sigh” rather than “bahn-zai.” Although generally associated with Japanese culture, bonsai is said to have originated in China around AD 600 (although there is evidence that it may go back another millennium). In Chinese, it’s called penjing, which means, rather prosaically, “tray scenery.” After Japanese monks imported the practice from China in the 12th century, bonsai was taken up by the aristocracy, which turned the art form into a symbol of high
This camellia bonsai has been on display since 1936 in the US National Arboretum, in Washington, D.C.
“Bonsai is supposed to take you to the place where that tree was growing without you having to actually go there.” rank and prestige. When Japan opened up to the West in the mid-19th century, bonsai’s appeal spread. According to Langholm, bonsai is part art, part craft, part horticulture, and part philosophy. It’s sometimes described as a collaboration between man and nature, but at its core it is about imagining how a tree might grow in the wild and interpreting that vision in miniature. Or, as he puts it, “Bonsai is supposed to take you to the place where that tree was growing without you having to actually go there.” Being interested in nature is fundamental for those doing bonsai, and Langholm says it helps to be artistic, to be able to see the potential shapes in trees. TEA JOURNEY | 33
Bob Langholm
Theoretically, any plant can be used to create a bonsai, but there are certain species favored by Japanese artists. Camellia is one of these. See, Beginner’s Bonsai “The camellia tree creates a showy bonsai, with beautiful flowers and shiny evergreen leaves,” says Langholm. “It is also versatile—for example, it can be grown outdoors in warm climates or indoors if the temperature is too cool, and it can be grown in the informal upright style or, for larger species, in a cascading form.” While Camellia japonica and C. sasanqua are popular choices with bonsai artists, according to Langholm, the strength of Camellia sinensis is its small leaves and flowers, which allow it to develop into a wellproportioned dwarf plant. Langholm has spent 30 years cultivating three small and one large bonsai from Camellia sinensis seeds gifted to the Auckland City Council by the Japanese city of Fukuoka, when the two cities signed a “sister city” partnership. “The seeds were intended to create a ‘friendship tea garden,’ but sadly it never eventuated. A few of the tea plants found their way into my garden, where they have thrived.” It’s not just the plants themselves Langholm enjoys, but the philosophy behind the eastern art. “Cultivating a bonsai from the tea plant works in the same way as any camellia: plants can be grown from seed or cuttings in spring and pruned after flowering, but it also requires something special—you have to listen to the tree, then tend from the heart,” he says. And, as in the world of tea drinking, the pot is fundamental. “A tree is a tree, a pot is only a pot. It does not become a bonsai until these two are combined and form a harmony together—just as the choice of teapot must bring out the best from the tea plant’s leaves.” TJ Learn more: www.bonsaiville.co.nz
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Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
Fewshots Photography
TEACRAFT
CULINARY
A Summer Barbecue
Matcha and White Bean Dip
WRITTEN BY: CYNTHIA GOLD PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JULIEN LANDA
WHEN THE SUMMER WARMS, IT’S TIME TO START FIRING up the grill. Many people reach for an iced tea or tea sangria, but did you know, tea isn’t just a great accompaniment to grilled food, it can play a role within that food as well?. The ancient and classic concept of smoking food with tea leaves can easily be accomplished if you have a covered grill, and consider using steeped tea in your favorite brines to help keep your meat and poultry moist while adding depth of flavor or brightness as well. Ground tea can be used in dry spice rubs or steeped into liquid marinades. Even desserts containing your favorite teas can add to a great summer barbecue. Consider freshly grilled fruit served with champagne and tea sabayon, or a gourmet version of the classic s’more (included here). Lastly, don’t forget to round out your event with a refreshing tea cocktail!
Matcha and White Bean Dip This white bean dip recipe is breathtakingly quick to make. It’s great for a last-minute addition to a barbecue and works well served with purchased pita chips or fresh pita. If you have a little extra time, homemade pita chips are worth the effort. You can use canned beans or soak your own ahead of time. Servings: 3 cups Prep Time: 5 minutes
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Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
Ingredients: 2 15-oz cans cannellini beans (chickpeas may be substituted) 3 cloves garlic, or more to taste 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon) 2 teaspoons matcha powder, or to taste Kosher salt, to taste Black pepper freshly ground, to taste Instructions: 1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until desired consistency. 2. Pour onto a platter or bowl and serve drizzled with additional olive oil and sprinkled with a pinch of chopped parsley. Variation: Replace the parsley with fresh rosemary and add some freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese. Pita Chips: 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. Cut each pita into 8 wedges. 3. Place the wedges into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss well to coat 4. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on sheet pans. If your pita is thick and fluffy, further separate each wedge into two pieces and arrange them exterior side up 5. Sprinkle the wedges with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Green Fruits in Jasmine Tea Syrup
6. Place 1/2 teaspoon matcha in a mesh tea strainer or sieve and tap the side to dust the wedges with matcha. 7. Place the sheet pans in the oven and bake until lightly golden. Timing will vary by style of sheet pan and thickness of the pita, but begin checking them after 8 minutes. Variation: Blend some cayenne pepper or ginger in with the matcha before dusting the wedges.
Green Fruits in Jasmine Tea Syrup Watermelon is a summer barbecue classic. The sweetness of a ripe watermelon is perfect to balance the wonderful smoke and caramelization of grilled foods. Instead of, or in addition to watermelon, try this refreshing fruit salad. This recipe by Jane Pettigrew came to us by way of Joanna Pruess. It works beautifully as a salad or a dessert. If serving as a dessert, Joanna pairs it with a black tea and cranberry biscotti or a ginger spice cookie. Savor the fruit alone or with a scoop of green tea ice cream. Servings: 6 people Prep Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: Syrup 2 teaspoons jasmine tea leaves 1/2 cup white sugar 1 lime, zested and juiced 1/3 cup water Salad 8 ounces seedless green grapes, stemmed, washed, and halved 1 honeydew melon, diced or scooped into balls 3 kiwi, peeled and sliced Fresh mint sprigs for garnish Instructions: 1. Bring 1/3 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. 2. Add the jasmine tea, remove the pan from the heat, and steep for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Strain into a clean pan, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible, and discard the tea leaves. 4. Add the sugar and lime zest to the pan. Over medium heat, stir until the sugar dissolves, then bring the liquid to a boil. 5. Reduce the heat and simmer the syrup for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lime juice. 6. Place the kiwi, melon, and grapes in a serving bowl and pour on the syrup. 7. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. 8. Remove from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before serving, toss gently, and garnish with mint.
Tea-Grilled Wings with Hot Green Dipping Sauce Wings are some of my absolute favorite things to grill. They are best hot, right off the grill. Because they cook fairly quickly, plan to grill the wings as the last item you are serving and keep the tea cocktails, beers, and iced tea owing! These wings are from Culinary Tea by Cynthia Gold and Lise Stern. These wings were quite popular in the Swans Bar at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel where Joao Barros, the executive sous chef, added this spicy fresh green sauce for dipping. The wings have deep, intense avors, but are not particularly hot, so the crisp clean heat of the dipping sauce is the perfect foil. Depending on your taste for spicy foods, use
TEA JOURNEY | 37
CULINARY Tea-Grilled Wings with Hot Green Dipping Sauce
more or less jalapeño. If the weather doesn’t allow for grilling, the wings can be cooked under a broiler. Cook Time: 15 minutes Passive Time: 24 hours Ingredients: Wings 5 tablespoons loose black tea leaves, Keemun, or other full-bodied black tea 1 1/2 cups boiling water 1/2 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla) 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 tablespoons Asian chili sauce, Sriracha or other similar style Fresh ground black pepper to taste 18 chicken wings Hot Green Dipping Sauce 2 cups fresh basil leaves 3/4 cup cilantro leaves 2 jalapeno peppers, deveined and seeded 1/3 cup rice vinegar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Sea salt to taste Fresh ground black pepper to taste
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Harvest Review 2016 | teajourney.pub
Instructions: Prep the wings 1. Place 3 tablespoons of the tea in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Add the boiling water and steep, covered, for 6 minutes. Strain and set aside to cool. Discard the tea leaves. 2. In a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle, finely grind the remaining 2 tablespoons tea to equal 1 tablespoon ground tea. If necessary, grind additional leaves to make 1 tablespoon. 3. Transfer the ground tea to a medium bowl and add the soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic, chili sauce, and black pepper to taste. Add the cooled steeped tea and stir to combine. 4. Trim the wing tips and set aside for another use (they are great for making stock). Cut the remaining wings at the joint to separate. 5. Place wings in a resealable plastic bag, then pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and make sure wings are coated with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days, turning every 12 hours. Make the sauce 1. In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine the basil, cilantro, jalapeño, and vinegar. 2. Process for 30 seconds then, with the processor running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube. Scrape down the sides, add the salt and pepper to taste, and process again until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to cook the wings. Cooking 1. Preheat grill to medium and remove the wings from the fridge to allow to come to room temperature. 2. Remove wings from marinade (discard marinade) and grill until cooked through and juices are clear—about 6 to 8 minutes per side. 3. Serve immediately, with the sauce on the side for dipping. TJ
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