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Visiting a Tea Estate

Annette
2005-08-29 23:27:23

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I've always enjoyed a good "cuppa", and over the years, have refined my tastebuds and enjoyed teas from different parts of the world. Strong, malty Assams and flowery Darjeeling varieties have always been favorites, so having the opportunity to visit a tea estate where that kind of tea is grown was something I had been looking forward to.

Finally, on route to Bhutan, I spent time in the northern part of West Bengal, near Siliguri. This part of West Bengal is a major tea growing area. The estates cover vast portions of the hilly highlands, stretching from Siliguri into the Darjeeling hills, and Eastward into Assam.

The production manager of the Washabarie Tea Estate was kind enough to take time to show me around the estate, which covers approximately 1000 Hectare (equals 2500 acres), and employs around 1200 teapickers in low season, easily another 1000 more during the main picking season in spring.

The estate lies on a plateau in the hills, reached after a slow drive up a windy, narrow road. It takes an easy 1 1/2 hours by car from Siliguri - not because the distance is so great but due to road conditions. Entering the estate, neatly pruned fields of tea plants stretch as far as the eye can see. They are kept around three feet high, allowing the tea pickers to pick the top leaves without bending. Large shade trees provide protection from the bright sun -important for the plants along with the right amount of irrigation.

The leaves picked will determine the grade of tea produced. The finest, most tender upper leaves make the best grade of tea. The leaves below the top three on a branch make a lower grade of tea. The pickers walk through the gardens and toss the leaves picked into a cotton bag slung around the head and supported by the forehead. It reaches down to their waist, and bulges out as it fills up.

After the picking, the leaves are tossed in a shallow layer onto a very large screen. Strong blowers blow air over the leaves for about an hour, depending on weather conditions. This is the initial drying process. Thereafter, they are left to ferment for approximately 30 minutes. Then, the sorting and cutting process begins, which ends in the tea being mixed, graded and eventually bagged for auction.

(December 2000)

Photos & Text by Annette Solyst

copyright 2000-2005 Annette Solyst