JORHAT, Assam
No fertilizers, no insecticides, nopesticides. Tea made of wild forest leaves–not pruned bushes–grown in the hilly terrain of the Indian state ofManipur, is now available commercially. The wild forage tea is processed andpackaged for sale on par with high-grade orthodox tea.
The wild tea plants are of the Camelliaassamica varietal commonly found in parts of Assam and the adjoining north-easternstates of India. Over centuries the artisan tea makers catered to a smallpopulation of locals. Now they are catching the attention of tea enthusiasts.
Manipur-based Forest Pick was founded in 2017 by threesisters: Aijulie, Jemshe and Julie Gangte - with the support of their brother,Boi. Growing up in southern Manipur, where smoked teas made from forest leavesis part of their way of life, they decided to increase quantities harvested andpackage the tea for a consumer market. The idea took shape over more than ayear leading to pre-launch trials before the teas were made commerciallyavailable. Says Julie Gangte, “We are still testing the market, we are stillfiguring out, we are testing our ability, and we are learning each day. Yes, weare quite happy with our initial response and experiences. We can improve inall areas but one thing we have established is that the product has inherentstrength and demand; it’s unique and different.”
Last year, the company sold their entire inventoryof 200 kilos. Although they began with a safe choice of orthodox black tea, theyhave since expanded processing to include white, oolong, and green teas as wellas a few blends.
Wild teas are drawing favorable attentionas a repository of biogenetic material and unique terroir. Last January PradipBaruah, a scientist at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Assam discoveredlarge patches of wild tea trees growing near Old Doidam in southeasternArunachal Pradesh, north of Myanmar. Interestingly, Arunachal Pradesh, a statethat borders Assam, is India’s fifth-largest tea producing state (after Assam,West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala). The tribal peoples native to this regiondrink tea for its medicinal properties.
Falap or coin tea, is produced by the Singpho tribe, isalso from these parts. In fact, the Singpho village of Margherita in Assam isthought to be the origin of the Assamica varietal. Falapis made fromwild tea leaves that are pan-fired,dried and stuffed into bamboo hollows that are smoked above the kitchen hearth.
Forest Pick’s smoked teas more closelyresemble lapsang souchong, a Chinese black tea from the mountainous north ofFujian. Coarse leaves from the lower branches of Camellia Sinensis aresmoked on bamboo trays over smoldering pinewood in long outdoor trenches. Souchongrefers to the fourth or fifth leaves, well down from the bud.
Forest Pick is exploring both wholesaleand retail and is seeking new consumers within India and for export. Interestfrom global customers has been significant, with orders coming from specialtywholesalers in Europe and North America who appreciate forest produce.
“We want to explore these markets notjust from a price point of view, but also for its intrinsic product value,”said Julie Gangte.
In ancient times the region was known asKangleipak. Manipur is home to five tribes with a combined population of 2.2million. The Meitei comprise the majority ethnic group. Residents arecollectively known as Manipuri. The state is known for its lush forest andbeautiful Lake Lohtak near the capital Imphal. Mt. Tenipu at 9,800 feet (2,994meters) is the tallest peak in the state.
Organically Grown
Wild teas are naturally organic, growing in forests without human intervention. But this makes certifications challenging as the tea trees are scattered across the region and harvested by foragers in several villages in the mountains, unlike typical tea gardens where the plants are concentrated. Two or three members of the Forest Pick staff travel from village to village to process tea onsite bringing a mobile but somewhat makeshift processing unit. "They set up base in one of the village households and process tea for a week. This is done when the tea leaves are in huge quantity," says Julie Gangte.
Forest Pick showcases the organic and natural origins of its tea with videos and images on their website.
Villagers point to how harmoniously the treesexist in nature. Tea gardens throughout India are largely monoculture andclonal. Plantations are criticized for displacing large tracts of forest land,causing environmental fragility. Wild tea is seed propagated, and not stem-cloned.The Forest Pick team believes that wild tea plantations can reforest lands thathave been abandoned by villagers who follow the slash-and-burn method ofagriculture. Says Gangte, “We have seen in our mountains that tea thrives in avery diverse environment, and that tea grows under the shade of much biggertrees. Tea is a very resilient and highly resistant plant when it grows in abio-diverse environment.”
The full-grown trees havea deeper root system, which absorbs and retains higher concentration of nutrientsfrom the mountain soil, giving a unique and complex flavor and aroma,” she explains.These trees are nurtured by the natural eco-system of the forest mountain.
The novelty of wild tea is an attraction and the team are rightly focusing on the tea quality and the brand ethos. The scale of production is still small, and expansion is organic. The company recently opened a small processing factory at Churachandpur that has been fitted with locally produced equipment. This year’s production stood at 500 kgs of tea but that is growing as orders come in. Sustainably foraging the tea forests could be the alternate and eco-friendly model that offers a new future for tea.
Edited by Aravinda Anantharaman
Source: Forest Pick