The other day in Pandalur we were given the VIP tour of the Carol
yn Tea Factory. One of the benies of staying at the manager’s bungalow is getting a personal tour of the tea factory. Enjoy that cup of tea you drink because it has really gone through quite a journey before it crosses your lips.The hills surrounding our bungalow are carpeted with row upon row of manicured tea plants; it feels like we are in the middle of a giant hedge maze. Photographing the women hand picking or shearing the tea is awe-inspiring. The tool used resembles a hedge clipper with an attached metal box. Somehow these skilled women manage to harvest only the top 3 leaves 
of new growth with these cumbersome looking tools. Unfortunately new power hedge clippers with large bags may replace this tradi
tional method. Imagine the sound of a gas powered hedge trimmer combined with a leaf blower. Say goodbye to the serene idyllic hills of tea with colorful women quietly picking, and goodbye to their livelihood also as power tools are strictly men’s work.
Next, off to the factory it goes. Remember Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory? This is the tea version. It starts with the men loading a mechanized pulley system where the bags of tea 
disappear into t
he factory. Inside is where the magic happens before it comes out the other end in neat vacuum packed cubes of tea for export. Photography has been strictly prohibited in each of the factories we toured although we have managed to sneak in one shot.
of new growth with these cumbersome looking tools. Unfortunately new power hedge clippers with large bags may replace this tradi
tional method. Imagine the sound of a gas powered hedge trimmer combined with a leaf blower. Say goodbye to the serene idyllic hills of tea with colorful women quietly picking, and goodbye to their livelihood also as power tools are strictly men’s work.
Next, off to the factory it goes. Remember Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory? This is the tea version. It starts with the men loading a mechanized pulley system where the bags of tea 
disappear into t
he factory. Inside is where the magic happens before it comes out the other end in neat vacuum packed cubes of tea for export. Photography has been strictly prohibited in each of the factories we toured although we have managed to sneak in one shot.Back t
o the magic, through a series of chutes, conveyor belts and large drums the tea is bounced, tumbled and then shredded by razor sharp slicing rollers. Even after seeing the same process 3 times I am still baffled. The tea kept disappearing from one c
onveyor belt to the next and then down a chute to the floor below. It changed from recognizable leaves to something resembling muddy paste and finally to varying degrees of fine brown grains of sand. In the end it is bounced through a series of screens to deter
mine which grade it falls into, quite literally. After we finished our tour we shared a cup of tea with the assistant manager and learned that the tea is tasted for quality control ever hour! If the taste is bitter adjustments to the process can be made immediately.
o the magic, through a series of chutes, conveyor belts and large drums the tea is bounced, tumbled and then shredded by razor sharp slicing rollers. Even after seeing the same process 3 times I am still baffled. The tea kept disappearing from one c
onveyor belt to the next and then down a chute to the floor below. It changed from recognizable leaves to something resembling muddy paste and finally to varying degrees of fine brown grains of sand. In the end it is bounced through a series of screens to deter
mine which grade it falls into, quite literally. After we finished our tour we shared a cup of tea with the assistant manager and learned that the tea is tasted for quality control ever hour! If the taste is bitter adjustments to the process can be made immediately.The brewing process? It seems to vary according to personal taste and tea strength but the testing recipe went like this: Bring a pot of water a boil, turn the burner off, throw in the tea and let it steep for 3 minutes. Don’t forget the tea cozy. Strain and serve. Adding milk and sugar seems to be the proper way to drink tea but adding anything else is poo-pooed in this setting.
If you want the poo-pooed Marsala Chai try this:
Boil 1 cup water and add fresh ginger and/or cardamom and a pinch of black pepper. Add 1 cup milk bring back to boil and add 1 Tbsp tea and 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir and swirl back to boil for 2-3 minutes. Strain and serve.
Boil 1 cup water and add fresh ginger and/or cardamom and a pinch of black pepper. Add 1 cup milk bring back to boil and add 1 Tbsp tea and 1 Tbsp sugar. Stir and swirl back to boil for 2-3 minutes. Strain and serve.
Great videos. You could explain tea harvesting forever and I still wouldn't have understood exactly what was picked. Now I know!
ReplyDeleteThe fermenting of the tea leaves is what I really want to know about. I understand the other stuff, but fermenting leaves is a mystery to me.