Thinking about buying tea from Nepal? That’s a wonderful thought as Nepali artisans produce some of the world’s exquisite teas. Let me give you a run down of what to look for when buying tea from Nepal.
Picture: Key information to check before buying tea from Nepal
Check about the producer: If your producer is a big factory, it’s highly likely that the tea is commercially produced tea. Often Indian teas are marketed as Nepali Tea by some shady tea sellers. If you don’t see the information about the producer, don’t buy it. Transparency is the key to support the tea artisans.
2. Whole leaf: Most artisan producers produce whole leaf teas. These whole leaf teas are hand sorted and not broken teas. Whole leaf tea not only has comprehensive amount of tea polyphenols but also offers an ecstatic tea experience. They can be steeped and enjoyed at least twice.
3. Production date: Production date is important as extremely old teas don’t have the same flavor and aroma as fresh batch teas.
4. Organic Compliance: Not all teas imported from Nepal have the USDA Organic Seal. One of the main reasons is due to double standard from compliance point of view. Even when the farm is organic certified, regulations require the seller to recertify the teas. So, if you see a tea from a farm which produces organically or best if has Organic Certification, go ahead and buy it.
5. Price: Due to rarity of Nepal Tea, often tea seller’s markup this product with a high profit margin. Do not fall for this trap. A high-quality tea from Nepal (Exception of tips tea), is easily available for 16-17 CAD for 50 grams.
6. Social Impact: While it is not a concern of a buyer whether the product sold by a certain seller has any social impact, it is always good to check for information on whether the seller supports the artisans and the farmers in any kind of way.
Written by:
Bhaskar Dahal
Second generation Nepali Tea Entrepreneur
