tea musings from assam

Copious amounts of tea is drunk daily. I wonder  what was the world drinking before the arrival of tea??  

 

A  journey by train or bus could never be complete without having that customary cup of hot tea served by that ubiquitous chaiwalla who was dextrous enough to balance a hot kettle of tea and a pile high of clay tea cups with no mishaps. 

The most humble establishments can surprise you with their best cup of tea. Once it was a spur of the moment decision when we took off for the mountains.  Feeling a bit woozy  after 5 hours on the lonely road and the increase in altitude, the sight of the little wood and bamboo hut clinging to the edge of the mountain was a welcome relief. With shaking legs I made my way to the front door only to find the single room  was packed with 10 other travelers huddled over a single burning stove. The owner and his wife were beaming with delight. The item on the menu was 1 bowl of hot maggie noodles and a steaming hot mug of tea. Blame it on the crisp clear mountain air,  but I had never tasted  more excellent tea before. 

At an estate near Chabua in the early 1940s  natives neath the shelter of umbrellas and the white sahibs stomping around in solar toppee.

 Women pluckers on their way back home to bathe and prepare meals for the family. The bond between the tea bush and the hands of the plucker  is not easy to put into words.

tea buzzed in august.

In this magnificent green land of mine with daytime summer temperatures hovering at 35C. the tea sapling still puts up a brave front with no sign of wilting in the heat. New branches have sprung out. Trying to keep the ground cool with mulch and natural vegetation. Tea plants are hardy yet  a little bit of fussing around them  does help.

 If left untended this creeper could overtake my wee cottage very soon. With beautiful blue bell flowers it has completely covered an entire window with grills and all. In the summer days the room is bathed in a soft diffused shade of green which is so pleasing to the eye.

 While not too far off in  a large expanse of wet low land a canvas on wildlife unfolds. Maintaining respectable distances various herd graze on the green grass. Elephants, Rhinos water buffaloes, boars and deer and other species add warmth and richness to the landscape.

Plucking tea leaves under humid conditions is no smiling matter but Laxmi is favourable at being clicked. She has two kids who attend the local school and she hopes they continue up to high school. She regrets that she had to dropout of school early to earn her living. 

Yes, we do tend to GOTT in celebration of a Olympic medal or two because it means the world to us. Getting our girl child to complete schooling is a major achievement and when she bags medals for the country we go delirious with joy. The likes of Piers Morgan can take a hike. 

views of a visitor to Assam Heritage Tea

North East Tea  Frontier. – India.                                                                                  11/4/16      

 

 

This year's trip  took in Assam & part of Arunachal – a huge area of mountainous primary jungle with roads described as all-weather, linking the administrative centres.  A few pioneers around 25 years ago saw the potential for tea cultivation & we were fortunate to meet long term performers of the region -  where Assam Heritage Tea is closely working and advising them for all future developments by empowering the organic tea farms.

 

The topography is breath taking.  Years ago administrators drew lines on the map so here is India, Burma, China. The soil, plants, rivers, rain, wind, sun, humidity did not read the script. The Yunnan district of China produces the finest tea by general acceptance & Arunachal is in local distance terms, close by.  The virgin ground has never seen a pesticide or chemical fertiliser. 

 

Tea growers today are the family operators of a patchwork of estates sometimes amounting to a couple of acres each.  Assam Heritage Tea has brought its expertise in setting up state of the art  tea factories along the frontier regions bordering Tibet and Myanmar .  The locals have taken to mastering the speciality tea manufacturing skills with great aptitude under the guidance of Assam Heritage Tea.

 

 

Chet Engine

(visitor from U.K.)

 

 

behind the scenes

It is rightly said big things come in small packages. It rings true for this special person. Just sinew and bones to his frame of 4.5ft. Started his career as a carpenter knocking up tea chests in the good old days when teas were shipped in chestlets and not in paper bags of today. With a slight stoop to his back he weathered all conditions till he retired. When opportunity came calling he was ready with his tools to hammer down nails, saw a plank, assemble bits and pieces of things. His countenance  always serene and positive. I chanced upon his family one day and was delighted to learn that he had 14 grandchildren. All lived in a modest settlement more like an extension of small houses. Needless to say it was the happiest household I have ever seen. Our man has been working  with us at Assam Heritage Tea  which we set up 7 years ago. It was more like a continuation of mutual respect which started when the better half was his boss years ago in one of the large Tea Estates. Chest lets have become redundant, and  occasional, and our man is comfortable  operating the tea machinery. Times have changed but life continues. Upon my request during the lean season last year he made us a much needed dining table with 6 chairs. I could not detect a single flaw. He relishes his cup of tea with as much interest he shows to the processing of the teas. From temperature control to withering to rolling and drying he monitors it all. The younger lot call him 'nana' aka grandfather but he is the first to arrive and the last to leave the factory premises. Age is no factor it is just a number. A salute to men behind the tea.

   

a tall story

Standing tall and dark against a greying sky this huge tree lends a new meaning to the word change. It was stark bare with not a single leaf a few weeks back. It was covered with red flowers before that. The fallen flowers were as big as tennis balls and my dog felt it was his duty to grab each ball and run like the wind. After the rains it is full of leaves. Its immense height makes a good landing ground for the leggy birds and also eagles. By summer the first cotton pods start to burst and the sky is adrift with wispy fluffy things. I become enthused about collecting and making a soft pillow for my head. Within a month all the cotton stops flying and my ideas about soft pillows are shelved till next year.

Lesson for the day.

While sipping on my first cup of tea this morning I could sense my dog inching his way closer to my feet. As he came within touching distance he lifted his front paw and gently laid it across my feet. That's his way of thanking me for serving him his breakfast of bread and milk. He does this daily in one way or another. No way do I think of him as an animal. I can actually see him processing data when I look deep into his soft brown eyes. The display of gratitude never fails to amaze me and set me wondering if I could be a little more appreciative for the bounty of goodies I see around me. Flowers blooming in profusion, chickens scampering in the yard, heavy flush of tea buds on tea bushes, children on their way to school, a satisfying catch being hauled up by the local fishermen from a nearby pond, an amazing view of tea garden seen from my balcony, and variety of birds some screeching for attention others happy to entertain me with soft tilting notes. Multitude of crows cawing and swarms of midget sized sparrows squabbling. The best of all would be with the beginning of the new tea season and the constant aroma of fresh withering tea leaves. It invigorates me to the depths of my soul. It transports me back to years gone by when the same aroma would pervade my small housing locality of tea garden workers while the breeze blew in from the withering troughs. I can snatch happy memories from my sense of smell. Absolutely small and meaningless in the greater scheme of things but I am glad I have my pet dog (Sam) who has no pedigree whatsoever- as he is the son of a stray - jolt me out of my complacent ways.