A tea break for Afghan farmworkers. Afghans annually drink 1500 cups of tea per capita. Kahwa (a tea and spice blend) and green tea with mint are favorites. Photo by © Karl Allen Lugmayer | Dreamstime.com
Afghan Tea Market Concerns Follow Taliban Takeover
By Dan Bolton
Tea trades in US dollars and money in Taliban controlled Afghani bank accounts are frozen. Bank withdrawals are limited and in-bound remittances from Western Union and MoneyGram have stopped. The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) reports that bidding at the Mombasa auction on tea bound for Afghanistan slowed as the Taliban occupied Kabul, but EATTA explained that Afghanistan gets its Kenyan tea via Pakistan where there have been no disruptions. It is too soon to know how the collapse of the Afghan government and the return of the Taliban will alter the tea market, but smuggling was rampant during the 1996-2001 Taliban regime. Read more...
Anshuman Kanoria discusses his company's acquisition of two of Darjeeling's best-known tea gardens.
Restoring Darjeeling's Reputation from the Roots Up
By Aravinda Anantharaman
The recent sale of two iconic Darjeeling tea gardens has focused attention on the ongoing challenges facing growers in this fabled tea-growing region. Jungpana and Goomtee were acquired by the Santhosh Kanoria Group, which owns the tea export company Balaji Agro International. The group also owns Tindharia estate in Darjeeling. We spoke to Anshuman Kanoria, Chairman of Balaji Agro and Chairman of the Indian Exporters Association about this acquisition. Read more...
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Lisa See has written a "brilliantly layered book" writes reviewer Kyle Whittington.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
By Kyle Whittington | TeaBookClub
New York Times best-selling author Lisa See has written several novels revealing her fondness for tea. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, however, uniquely explores the mysterious world of Pu’er. Reviewer Kyle Whittington writes that See’s novel “consists of so many brilliant layers… for the tea reader this is a wonderful story, packed with great tea content that will either develop or ignite an interest in, and a desire to explore the world of Pu’er.” Read the review...
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Reminder
The deadline to enter the AVPA’s 4th annual Teas of the World Contest is Sept. 15 Read more…
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