What’s the connection between tea and the lady with the fly? Well, first of all, the former is a beverage that has been around for millennia, and the latter two are characters in a silly albeit entertaining little poem.
Every day (and often several times a day) hubby and I take turns “kettle sitting” — staying by the stove until the water boils in the kettle. The teapot is usually prepped already and waiting for that water to begin its magic of drawing from tea leaves a wondrous essence that becomes tea. One day, we chose to “kettle sit” together, and hubby related the experience he and a friend had had with a flat tire, an experience from which an important lesson had been learned.
First the good news: Compared to past years, we can expect, due to optimal harvest conditions, with a higher and higher quality Darjeeling harvest. In the last quarter of 2010 it rained plenty, December was cold and the last few weeks have been perfectly warm and sunny. A fantastic and early Flugtee is therefore nothing in the way!
Now for the (very) bad news: The total harvest of India 2010 is a lot lower. In addition, increasing the Homeconsumption, and the acceptance of other countries in Asia to grow. The 2011 season will start therefore with a huge deficit! Not least because of the extreme winter in large parts of the Western world. The production and energy costs have risen significantly. These factors place huge pressure on the market for Darjeeling tea!
The hardest hits us the current political situation in Darjeeling: In light of the likely in May 2011 elections to the parliament (Assembly) in West Bengal and the world's heated situation, the local Gorkha Janamukti Morcha party (GJM) to a few weeks ago strikes protests and called out to the tea industry. The demands for a pay rise and better working conditions, we fully supported content after it has such an even to not exist for quite a long time. The harsh and violent means of protest are not given credit, however. To their arguments now to give more pressure, the GJM has since 27 February, a blockade imposed on tea export. Samples not even allowed to leave the moment the country through official channels!
The day before yesterday there was a great meeting of the CCPA (Consultative Committee of Plantation Association), a representative of the producers and the Darjeeling Tea Association (subgroup of the Indian Tea Association) with representatives of the GJM - without result. Next meeting is in about a week trying to find a solution.
The most confusing information to the end: Finally, we would say at this point all our sympathy for the people and victims of this incredible disaster in Japan, the terrible way could have on the current developments in Darjeeling and the trends described in the second paragraph implications. After Japan to Germany and the UK is the third major consumer of tea from Darjeeling, many fear that producers and distributors large declines and a drop in prices. Apparently, many Japanese importers already dropped out or have their contracts canceled orders.
We can only hope to stabilize the situation in Japan and the people are helped quickly, and of course that Darjeeling comes to rest and reach a consensus together. We keep you up to date as possible!
My reviews of tea mentioned in these articles:
When you pay a bundle for a couple of ounces of tea leaves or even a modest price for your fave breakfast blend, being able to get more than one steep from them is essential. However, sometimes the second steep is a bit weak. The solution I have found is simple and helps me get twice as much steeped liquid from the same amount of tea leaves.
Make your nose gay with a nosegay made of tea. Floral nosegays have been around for centuries. Now, making them from tea is a new twist on this tradition.
Being dressed for success was all the rage in the 1980s when my career was just getting started. I read all the latest tips and made sure that I looked the part of the smart, competent woman I wanted them to see me as. It worked. My career made a steady upward climb, at least until I started thinking that the corporate life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
For about a week, nothing showed up. We began to suspect that the steeping mug knew there was a hidden camera and was behaving himself. Or maybe Little Yellow Teapot was just letting his jealousy get the better of him. We had almost decided to remove the camera when — voilà! — we had the proof. As soon as that little teapot had turned its back, the steeping mug had removed the award/headband and was wearing it himself. How rude!
Losing an hour of precious tea drinking time by setting your clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time (March 13th this year) is a pretty raw deal. The good news is that Spring Equinox (March 20th this year) makes up for it (at least a little bit). That’s when the hours of daylight and darkness are equal (12 of each) and thereafter the hours of daylight exceed those of darkness. It also signals the start (unofficially) of drinking your tea iced/chilled.
First, my apologies for the title and the awkward English (“had had”), but it was the best way to express how tea could have changed history in Ireland. Not to mention our modern day celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day here in the U.S.
Expressions about tea abound. Not surprising. Tea is becoming of more interest, and we humans tend to fold our interests into our vocabulary, sort of like folding chocolate chips into cookie dough. They make the cookies sweeter, and the expressions make our daily speech more interesting.
The calendar is full of all kinds of special dates, and this tea drinker is starting to pay a bit more attention to them (more reasons to steep a special tea in their honor). In February, it was the Chinese New Year (I missed the Taiwanese New Year). Now in March on the 5th, it’s the Tibetan New Year, called “Losar,” and this is the year of the hare, numbered 2138 in their calendar. Both new years are celebrated as great occasions in a part of that world that are considered the foundation of tea drinking.
As if you need a reason, there are tons of days in March to celebrate with a cuppa tea. I have focused on 20 of these dates to get you started!
New tea vendors pop up online almost daily, often founded by people who had been working in Website development or something similar. Sometimes they’re people who are looking for something different to do that involves something they love: tea. That love is quite evident through the teas they carry, their involvement in the “tea community,” and their other activities related to tea. Home Discount Store has one out of three of those things (teas that evidence their love of tea). But, then, the online store hasn’t been around long. I’m sure Ford will be building his presence in the tea community over time.
One thing’s for sure: you can’t learn about life (or tea!) through the movies. If you could, you’d…
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