The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is but a tiny slice of land sandwiched between tea giants, China and India. In 1873 while visiting India’s Darjeeling region, Colonel Gajraj Singh Thapa sampled their tea and was so taken by it, he decid- ed to try cultivating it in his nearby homeland of Nepal, where he was then Governor-general. |
Two tea plantations were thus established; one at Ilam, and the other Soktim, where the very first Neplalese ortho- dox teas were produced.One of Nepal’s major tourist draws is, of course, the majestic Mount Everest. Hikers and mountain climbers alike are also drawn to the Himalayan regions, traveling through the capital city, Kathmandu, located between eastern and central Nepal. Kathmandu is a chaotic mix of religious and |
street bazaars, and Freak Street, running from the main town square, so named for the counter-culture American and European hippies of the 1970s who gathered there.The Darjeeling tea growing region lies within six hours driving Nepal’s tea industry suffered through years Even though Nepal produced some excellent Added to that the Nepal government provided no subsid- The good news is that in the past 20 years many of Between 2002 and 2004 there was a 10% increase in tea Japan, Canada, and the United States.Nepal also produces CTC (cut-tear-curl) teas, with most either Several different organizations are working together with Nepal tea growers, packers, One of these organizations is the Nepal Tea Planters Association (NTPA) made up of 23 |
HOTPA is a joint effort of small farmers and entrepreneurs, with the goal of promoting the manu- facture of orthodox tea in the hilly region of eastern Nepal, with the hope of motivating smallhold- ers to cultivate tea, and encouraging Nepalese entrepreneurs to invest in tea-processing factor- ies of which they’re dismally short of.With the help of these and other organizations, Nepal’s tea industry has nowhere to go but up, with the emphasis on high quality tea grown in a pristine, pollution free environment, there are good things in store from this tiny tea producing country. The West hasn’t quite caught on yet to Nepal’s top quality orthodox black teas, but three to |