Nepal Shangri-La SFTGFOP1 SF – Organic Black Tea

The Ilam region can be found in the eastern part of Nepal, and because its nature is fascinating and the tea plantations there are rich, it is one of the main tourist attractions in the area. Tea has been produced in Ilam since 1863, with the first processing factory built 5 years later and the plantations occupying more than 55 hectares of land. For many locals, tea is a source of livelihood. In 2010, Nepal's total production was around 16 million kilograms a year, most of it coming from Ilam.

Ilam is one of the pioneers of organic farming when it comes to the way Chinese tea trees (Camellia sinensis) are grown. It is no coincidence that it was the first region in Nepal to ban the use of plastic shopping bags and set aside some of its land to process degradable waste. Its small hydropower plants are the most reliable source of energy in Nepal. Now, you may not be surprised to learn that it has taken such care and respect for nature to grow organic tea.

Tea trees in Nepal grow in hilly areas, which benefit the quality of their leaves. The first harvest takes place from the end of March to the end of April, while the second harvest lasts from mid-May to the end of July. The technique of black tea production involves, of course, plucking the tea, very often by hand and carried out under strict conditions – the workers go to the plantations early in the morning, and are not allowed to use any perfumes or have aromatic foods, as the leaves would absorb their scent immediately. They bring the harvest for processing in large baskets. The tea is left to wilt slightly and then rolled using a special tea rolling machine. This is followed by a rest period during which the juice released from the leaves triggers the fermentation process. The tea darkens and acquires its characteristic taste. Then it needs to be dried and chemically stabilized. Finally comes the sorting and packaging. At the very end, we will explain the designation of this tea. The abbreviation SFTGFOP1 stands for Special Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe and refers to the fact that it is a tea with a large proportion of shoots, usually from a high mountain plantation.