Withering in full or partial sunlight is crucial for the complex aroma development of oolong tea. Third generation oolong artisan Mr. Zhang demonstrates Kan Cha Zuo Cha, by checking the aroma of what is to become Ruby Oolong.
Numerous insects and wildlife affirm that the tea gardens of Doi Mae Salong are truly organic.
The climate in northern Thailand is exceptional for tea cultivation. Steep mountains, draped in lush rainforest and rich in biodiversity, provide nutrient-dense soils and a welcome contrast in daytime and nighttime temperatures to support robust tea tree growth and unique aromatic performance. Brief rain showers nurture the tea gardens during the late spring and summer monsoon season, but cook off quickly enough under the sub-tropical sun for the trees to recover their concentration of flavor. It is no wonder we have been drawn to this region for over a decade of hands-on sourcing and adventures in tea cultivation.
from Northeast India. We have collaborated on hybridizing these various plant genetics to create truly original tea tree strains that offer both the aromatic depth of the wild tea with the robust body and strength of the Assam.
In the Chiang Mai region, we are actively working to source organic black and green teas of exceptional high mountain character and diverse plant genetics. Wild tea tree arbors comprise a majority of the tea tree resources under our partner’s management. These trees offer an amazing aromatic complexity, akin to old vine wine. In the ancient past, mountain dwelling people living in this area would harvest tea leaves from these wild trees to make the traditional pickled tea leaf salad called mien. Our partners also tend to several cultivated tea tree gardens that were planted in the early 20th century using clonal vegetative propagation of revered Assamica plants brought to Thailand
To the east, in the famous ethnic Chinese region of Doi Mae Salong, we have been working with the most skillful organic certified producer to offer a range of unique oolong teas. Doi Mae Salong is a modern tea growing region, planted in the late 1980’s using specialized oolong cultivar genetics brought over from family networks in Taiwan. We work with a third-generation Iron Goddess of Mercy producer who manages a team of highly regimented oolong tea artisans. The team works in shifts around-the-clock during the peak oolong seasons in spring and fall. It is with this tea master that we study the practice of Kan Cha Zuo Cha, which is best translated as “Sense Tea, Make Tea.” The idea is that making tea is an art that requires all of the senses to be engaged. One cannot simply follow a written recipe to make tea. We need to touch and smell the tea leaves often during their process, so as to know exactly how to coax out the most spectacular flavors and aromas through traditional steps like tumbling, heaping, bruising, ball-rolling, and drying.
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