Ya-Ya’s Tea-Board

NOTE: The idea of writing this post developed almost a year ago and had I written it then, it would read very differently. Some amazing experiences in the meantime caused me to re-think the subject and look at it in a different light.

While some people might think of coconut/pineapple-flavoured tea as exotic, this post is about pure (i.e. unflavoured) tea grown in exotic locations. The tea farms in East Africa (Kenya, Malawi) were established about 80 years ago, but most of the teas were produced for blends with Chinese black teas to supply the British market. Unblended teas from these regions have only been available to Western consumers in the past decade or so. But newer tea regions started to appear in the last decade; they include the American North-West, Hawaii, and - yes - New Zealand. While some of these locations aren’t really that exotic for most Westerners - from a tea perspective, they certainly are. In the following post, I’ll use the expression exotic tea to indicate teas grown in non-traditional countries.

The tea plant camellia sinensis is indigenous to China and Northern India, but it has been successfully propagated in surrounding countries including Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea and Japan for a long time. In recent years, tea plantations were developed in rather non-traditional countries. These new developments are clearly influenced by tea’s increasing sales in the health-conscious West and rising profitability.

Traceable Manufacture …
One advantage that exotic teas grown in ‘developed’ countries have is the accountability and controllability of farming practices. It is no wonder that (nearly) all of these new farms produce tea organically. Western customers demand clean, pure & healthy tea. While there is often a level of uncertainty attached to Asian teas claimed to be organic, these new tea gardens are usually certified organic. This certification is intended to give the consumer a level of certainty regarding the manufacture of the tea. This system doesn’t always work and many teas are produced organically, but not certified (for various reasons, but often due to the high certification costs), but it gives some transparency. And consumer’s trust in certifications is definitely measurable in the market.

… vs. Labour Cost and Experience
On the disadvantage side, there is the labour cost. Tea is a very labour intensive product to make and high quality handmade teas are only as affordable as they are (while this statement means different things to different people, tea is probably THE most affordable luxury item in the world), because wages in traditional tea-producing countries are extremely low. This is a difficult point for the exotic teas, since labour cost in these countries is usually relatively high - making the tea much more expensive than its Asian or African competitors. Another disadvantage is the lack of a century-old tradition and knowledge of tea-making. This is not a new problem, though: the British Empire was faced with the same situation over 150 years ago when the hills of Darjeeling were first cultivated with tea plants imported (or shall I say stolen?) from China. The solution then was to bring in tea makers from China; some producers of exotic teas do the same thing today (more about this later).

Old vs. New - it all comes down to quality and variety
In the high to very high-end market, teas made in China and tea-growing former British Colonies have an advantage when it comes to the criteria mentioned above. These exclusive teas are usually produced organically (simply because fertilizer and pesticides can negatively affect the flavour of the tea) and benefit from the vast experience in making them. Cheaper labour often places them against much lower quality teas from the new producers in regard to price point. But with the growing exposure of interested Westerners to the more exotic and rare varieties of Chinese and Indian teas, the thirst for new flavours grows constantly. And exotic teas provide just that: new flavours. For the tea connoisseur, that is great news, because the gamut of tea flavours is expanded with every new addition to the market.

Original or Imitation?
There are two opposing tendencies amongst the producers of exotic teas: either create something completely new or try to replicate something existing. The second approach is generally associated with less risk, since the market for this tea is already in existence and the demand is there. The first approach requires a strong belief in the quality of the produced tea and a lot of lobbying/marketing to create a market. To me personally, the first approach - while slightly hit-and-miss - generally yields more interesting results. This year, I have turned down a Silver Needle tea grown in Bihar (India); not because it was bad (it was very good) but because there was very little that set it apart from the Fujian original. Now, for the producer, this is a huge compliment; for me, I have lost my interest in it.

Other producers have gone a more hybrid path. They combine the best of the old with something new of value to carve out their niche. New Zealand’s Zealong tea is a prime example for this approach. They have taken the best of Taiwanese oolongs (arguably the highest quality oolongs in the world), imported a Taiwanese tea master and have given the tea a Kiwi makeover - well, something like that. In my eyes, they have succeeded and are my personal poster child for exotic teas. In my next post, you’ll read about my slightly apprehensive start with Zealong teas and how these New Zealand oolongs have managed to win me over.