Tea time near the Equator
What country comes to mind when you think of green tea? Did you say, “Kenya?” Probably not, but the fact that it was available at Upton Tea Imports made me want to try it. First off, Kenya has been in the tea business for the last 80 years. They are the 4th largest tea producer and 2nd leading tea exporter in the world. They are known for their fine black teas. I thought, why not try a rare green tea from Kenya? Kenya is an eastern country in Africa bordering the Indian Ocean. The equator pretty much runs through the middle of Kenya. Kenya’s tea growing regions are found in the Great Rift Valley. High altitudes, sunny weather, excellent soil, and substantial rainfall, are attributes of the Great Rift Valley that create the environment for great tea growth.
The Kenya Tea Development Agency Ltd (KTDA) is a leading management service in the tea sector, which provides its service for nearly all faucets of tea production and marketing in Kenya and beyond. Upton Tea Imports contributes the availability of this tea to the KTDA.
Now, I was pretty excited to get this tea. I’ve been drinking a lot of flavored teas, and I was looking forward to getting back to the basics. At first glance, the dried leaves look nearly black. It’s unlike any other green tea I’ve tried. I put the leaves in my pot and poured the water on top. Oddly, the leaves do nut unfurl. The leaves literally sink to the bottom, and do not move throughout the steeping process. This tea does have a nice aroma. It has a traditional green tea smell with a slight fruity hint to it. The tea was zesty with a smooth aftertaste. I’m not going to say this was the best green tea I have ever tasted, however, it was different. I recommend green tea drinkers give this a shot. I will be getting more. I want to try it when I have a higher-grade green tea on hand to compare it to.
marTEA