မြန်မာ့လက်ဖက်ရည်
DRIED TEA
Our tea is farmed in the hills of Pindaya, Shan State, where we work with smallholder farmers who possess exceptional tea growing knowledge
GREEN
TEA
DRIED TEA PROCESSES
BLACK
TEA
Tea is harvested from April through to November, but the best quality leaves are those collected between late March and mid-April. This period is known as Shwe Pyi.
Two leaves, one bud is what the farmers aims for with each pluck.
Once plucked the leaves are transported to the factory.
The first stage is withering. This is primarily to remove any surface moisture and soften the leaf before rolling.
An unsoftened leaf can tear and break-up.
Following withering the leaves are fired.
This is to kill the enzymes in the leaf halting any chance of fermentation, which would make it into a black tea. We aim to fire the leaf at 150c.
Traditionally the leaf is pan fried.
Unlike with black tea where this is a vital process for moisture reduction and leaf maceration for early oxidisation, for green tea rolling is purely a shaping process for the leaves.
The tea is then put through the dryer, the temperature of which is 120c.
This is a vital stage as it is here that the green tea develops some key characteristics like colour and flavour. For a premium tea it is crucial to get the time and temperature right.
Not a vital stage but important if you would like an attractive dried leaf with a tight curl.
The use of whicker trays to sort the dried tea is an age old art passed through the generations.
The trays aren't only very good at removing any dust (crucial) from the product but also help to separate the sizes of leaf.
It's now time to enjoy a cup of Pindaya's most loved tea!
This neat, well made leaf has a refreshing, light and clean liquor.
These leaves can be used THREE times, and get better with each brew!
Lacks the astringent taste of mass produced green tea.
Tea is harvested from April through to November, but the best quality leaves are those collected between late March and mid-April. This period is known as Shwe Pyi.
Two leaves, one bud is what the farmers aims for with each pluck.
Withering is a vital part of the black tea process.
taking between 13-15 hours, cool air is blown over the leaves to remove 30% of the moisture until the leaf is almost sticky between your fingers.
The leaf can go through the firing machine to remove any excess moisture.
Like with green tea rolling can help to shape the leaf, however, unlike with the green tea the main purpose of rolling is to macerate the cells of the leaf allowing oxidisation, and so in turn fermentation, to start.
In order to get the best results you apply and release pressure numerous times.
Grading at this stage is to separate the different sizes of leaf.
The smaller/tighter rolled leaves fall through the wire mesh, these leaves go on to the fermentation stage. The larger leaves are moved back a stage and re rolled.
GINGER
TEA
After sorting the leaves need to be covered and left to ferment.
You need to keep a close eye on it, checking the temperature on a regular basis until it gets to 36c. This will roughly take 5 hours.
It is important you don't let the temperature exceed 38c as this will lead to a loss of flavour.
Like the green tea the leaves are dried at 120c.
It is vital to try and keep a stable temperature at this stage.
If it becomes too hot you can ruin the tea by over-firing it.
The use of whicker trays to sort the dried tea is an age old art passed through the generations.
The trays aren't only very good at removing any dust (crucial) from the product but also help to separate the sizes of leaf.
Now it's time to enjoy a cup of what is known as red tea in Myanmar.
The whole organic rolled leaves brew a pleasantly smooth black tea, with subtle fruity overtones. The rich flavour develops into a lovely sweet aftertaste that lingers on the palate.
The smallholder farmers we work with plant ginger amongst the tea bushes as they are known to support each other’s growth. In addition it supplements the farmer’s income and maximises the potential of their land
The ginger is then sorted and checked for pests and rot, important as they are organic.
The soil is removed with a soil shaker.
The ginger is washed and brushed with purified water to remove any dirt.
The ginger root is then cut into thin slices.
For drying the slices are placed on trays in the green house tunnels for 2 days.
The aim is to get the moisture below 10%.
It is important to keep the temperature between 55c and 75c.
The slices are cooled before being shaped into various sizes.
A final process of grading to ensure quality.
Time to kick back and enjoy a cup of this delightfully warming ginger.
Traditionally drunk to boost the immune system. A pleasingly smooth ginger flavour with a subtle spiciness.
