Differentiating Specialty Tea
By Dan Bolton
A rigid definition of what makes tea special has eluded the industry. After 45 years of competitions there is consensus on the qualities that make an outstanding Dong Ding oolong as judged by the Lugu Tea Farmers’ Association in Taiwan. In France, the AVPA has demonstrated skill in determining the gastronomic qualities in tea that please the local palate. The International Specialty Tea Association posts a set of universal standards such as pluck and leaf quality. Consumers mainly differentiate by price. The European Speciality Tea Association this week announced a definition that is more aspirational that dogmatic. ESTA Executive Director David Veal explains to listeners how the association adopted this approach and why it will prove helpful.
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Staff at the La Gravitea café front row (L to R) Suraj Thakur, Chandra Prabha, Nandita. In the middle, Monika Mahato, Amit Kumar Singh, Amit Lahari. Back row, Shakuntala Hansda, Nikit Sharma and Navin Kumar
For the Love of Tea
By Aravinda Anantharaman
La Gravitea is a remarkable tea café with hundreds of selections of fine teas inspired by the travels of founder Ashish Duggar but aside from specialty teas, what make La Gravitea special is that the young staff are hard-working graduates of the local school for the hearing-impaired.
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