Teas & Tea Cultivation

Just in time for Christmas, we have finally started with our long-awaited ancient & unique teas! They were a hit when we launched them at the Christmas market here in the store at Ågården and now they are also available to order in the online store. Just like with the plant range, it is mainly teas that have unique properties in one way or another that will be brought into the store: these teas can come from tea trees that are either several hundred years old, 20 meters high or have been grown by an ethnic group in the area . Or in some other way have an interesting history. Sometimes it is all of them. Background to the tea business As you may already know, Trädgårdsdags has a strong connection to tea cultivation in Sweden. Tea in general is an interest that has been personally present for a while. Perhaps most strongly imprinted in the sphere of interest and as part of everyday life after a trip in 2019 to the mountainous regions of northern Burma - where you were continuously served tea in a large jug while you could sit and read on a chair outside in the fresh mountain air. I had planned a trip to some of the ancient ethnic groups and archaeological remains in Laos in early 2024. When I found out that some of these groups also produce unique teas from tea trees that are several hundred years old, it quickly became the top priority of the trip. Once there, I visited the Hmong people in Xieng Khouang who produce tea from wild tea trees on Mount Phou San, the Phu Noi people who have a 400-year-old tea plantation on Phongsali's vast mountain slopes, and the Yao people who grow tea from wild tea trees that are up to 20 m high on the border with China. At each visit, I learned about both their culture and the ancient tea culture. The visits usually consisted of first visiting their magnificent, and sometimes deep in the jungle hidden, tea plantations. Then we went back and sat down together to drink their different teas, harvested from different seasons and vintages - and of course the talk about how we go about bringing their teas to Sweden. Often there were overnight stays and excursions in their areas the next day. It is worth mentioning that these are not available as guided tours for the public, but rather it is research done on your own and communication with the local population that has made these experiences possible. The populations are often nice and although some can be shy, there is always someone who is open and inviting to make sure you have a good stay in their village. This also led to some excursions and invitations outside the teas. After this rewarding trip in Laos, I went over to northern Thailand to visit the tea plantations. where it consists of a special kind of tea bush with sought-after properties before it was time for the next goal in another country. The well-known Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, which is known for its extensive tea plantations which were started by the British and which were then built on by other players. This area has been on the map for a long time, so it was fun to finally get there. Once there, it was important to visit the most well-established players, both with a long history in the mountain area, to determine which supplier produced the best teas. The answer was Cameron Valley Tea, which has a wide range of premium teas that both taste very good (& a lot) and have an interesting history. Now in December 2024, we received the first batch of their teas to Sweden and thus became their first distributor outside their own country - I think their teas can be a hit on the European market! Tea varieties and their distinctive characteristics Pu'ehr teas from ancient tea trees in Laos The teas we brought in from Laos are so-called Pu'ehr teas. These are teas produced in the classic Yunnan way where the teas are allowed to begin a short fermentation before being heated in a large wood-fired pan to slow down the fermentation and then left to dry slowly before finally being pressed together into compact classic tea cakes . These tea cakes then have the property of getting better over time the longer they are stored, they develop new, more complete and complex flavors, a bit like wines. Like wines, aged Pu'ehr cakes also increase in value over time. Since the tea cakes are in a slow fermentation process, which was significantly slowed down earlier in the process by the heating in the pan, the teas slowly develop a rounder and more defined flavor over time. Generally speaking, the bitterness disappears, and notes such as sweetness and fruitiness become clearer the longer they are stored. Pu'erh tea is often very potent due to its compact form - especially when it comes from ancient trees, which have a broader nutritional profile. This results in Pu'erh teas being brewed 10-15 times from the same leaves. The flavour tends to develop with each brewing, with the bitterness usually disappearing and other flavours such as sweetness and fruitiness emerging, a bit like the ageing process itself. The Pu'ehr teas sold in the shop come partly from a 400-year-old tea plantation managed by the Phu Noi people on the slopes of Phongsali, and partly from the Yao people's 20-meter-high, wild tea trees that grow near the border with China. All teas are harvested and produced in the traditional way. Exclusive oolong tea from the mountains of northern Thailand The teas from northern Thailand are top-quality Oolong teas. Oolong is a tea that is partially oxidized, meaning that it has been allowed to dry slowly in contact with oxygen until it develops the desired flavor, color and aroma. Oolong teas can be oxidized to a degree of anywhere from 8-85%. Oolong teas are therefore a kind of cross between green and black teas in terms of oxidation. Oolong teas are usually light and clear in color and have a fresh flavor just like green tea, but often have a more complex and deep flavor profile formed by the oxidation and heating process that the tea has undergone. Oolong teas are often tightly pressed into small beads , which intensifies the flavor and when brewed, the flavor is released slowly. Oolong teas are usually brewed 4-5 times on the same leaves. With each brewing, the flavor usually develops, where sweetness and, for example, floral notes can emerge after a couple of brewings. The oolong tea that we sell comes from the northernmost mountains of Thailand where a skilled producer with a long history cultivates a tea variety with unique characteristics, which means that the finished teas have a roundness and floral sweetness that is difficult to find elsewhere. The tea variety is called Ruan Zhi, also called Oolong No. 17 and is a variety with extra soft stems that was developed at an experimental station in Taiwan in a project started by the previous Thai king Rama IX. The variety is unique and can only be found growing in the mountainous areas of northern Thailand, which turned out to be exactly the right climate for the variety. Today, 5 different mountainous areas in the northern sphere are involved in tea cultivation thanks to King Rama IX's project. As a supplier for the teas in the shop, I have chosen the producer that shows the greatest skill in classic Taiwanese tea production, is the most established and simply has the best tasting teas - it is Choui Fong that stands out. Black tea with British heritage from the mountains of Malaysia Most people know what black tea is. What you sometimes don't think about However, it is how the black teas are produced that gives the tea a specific grade. Grades matter because they are made up of how the tea has been grown, harvested and produced - which determines the taste and quality of the tea. Tea that has been grown in the mountains in otherwise tropical-subtropical regions always tastes better than lowland tea because the cold at the higher altitudes makes the bushes grow slower, which in turn means that the nutrients in the leaves are lost. accumulate in more compact structures. This results in a more nutrient-dense and flavorful tea. It also matters how the tea is harvested - more specifically, which leaves of the tea bush are used are of the greatest importance for taste and quality. Depending on whether only the bud, the bud + the youngest leaf or the bud + the 2 youngest leaves are harvested, the tea is divided into different classes. The youngest leaves produce a healthier and more delicate tea that also has a richer nutritional content. Younger leaves also contain fewer tannins than older leaves, which is what gives the tea its bitterness. Tea made from only the buds is often called Silver needle tea as the fuzzy, unopened leaf bud is likened to a silver needle. The bud + 1 leaf is called Flowery orange pekoe and the bud + 2 leaves is instead just called Orange pekoe . You can also make tea from older leaves, but these are the 3 classes that are considered the highest quality tea. Finally, the post-harvest process has an impact on the taste, variety and quality of the tea. How and for how long the tea has been allowed to oxidize and dry is of great importance. The black tea we have brought into the shop comes from the Cameron Highlands mountain area in Malaysia. It is an area that was discovered by the British during their time in the country. Soon, extensive tea plantations began to be established in the suitable mountain climate. But not only by the British, a visionary named Shuparshad Bansal Agarwal was determined to build his own tea plantation alongside the British and after the country's declaration of independence, the company flourished. Today, this company with its hundred-year-old history sells teas under the name Cameron Valley and stands for some of the country's most drunk teas. They are well-established in their own country but have never worked with any exports, so they were both slightly unfamiliar but positive when I explained that I wanted to bring their teas to my shop in Sweden. They have teas of both Orange pekoe and Flowery orange pekoe class. Their black tea Premium Gold, with a high content of golden buds and nicely packaged in a black and golden jar, is of the Orange pekoe class and is now available for purchase both in the online store and in our physical store here at Ågården. In 2025, their 100 g Flowery Orange Pekoe will also be available in stores in equally beautiful packaging. Their teas are slowly dried on wood, which gives a slightly nutty flavor in conjunction with its already round and floral notes. All teas are now available in the tea department! Go in and check it out by clicking here. Read more: Trädgårdsdags: Background, choice of focus and purpose - ethnobotany, tea & hardy exotic plants The first snow has fallen: the majority of the range can withstand the winter outdoors What are we actually consuming?