Chisunga (BP1)

Description

Malawi's history as a tea producing region has been a bit dicey to say the least. The problems however weren't the result of poor production methods or failure on the part of planters and freehold tea farmers. In fact, Malawi's tea issues didn't even come from within Malawi but from geography, namely proximity to the civil war that ravaged neighboring Mozambique from 1975 - 1992.

The basic problem came from the fact that Malawi is a landlocked country entirely surrounded by Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. The nearest port for Malawi's teas was the port of Beira, Mozambique, 150 miles from Malawi. During the war, shelling of the roads and railways leading to the port was common and shipping convoys were frequently attacked. As a result, Malawi's tea manufacturers had incredible difficulty getting their product to market. A solution had to be found - and here as well geography posed a problem. Tea shipments had to follow a serpentine route that was a full 10 times longer than the previous one. The tea was shipped by truck from the city of Blantyre, Malawi's commercial hub, 150 miles through neighboring Zimbabwe, then southward to Johannesburg South Africa where it was transferred to rail and shipped to the port at Durban.

The shipment problem out of the way, the Malawian tea gardens' closeness to the Mozambican border and subsequent militant skirmishes posed further hazard. Our Master Taster witnessed this first hand during the 1980s while visiting Zoa estate, situated right on the border. While there, a 6 hour battle raged 3000 yards across the river in Mozambique. The fighting was intense with heavy caliber machine guns rattling back and forth and military jets circling overhead. Interestingly, the estate manager brushed the incident off saying, "Don't worry, this happens quite often". Clearly it took fortitude to grow tea in Malawi. Thankfully, with the close of the war, things returned more or less back to normal.

The efforts of the planters to keep the industry afloat during those turbulent years have paid off. Today, Malawi's tea industry provides jobs and a sustainable income for hundreds of thousands of Malawians and their families. The teas they produce are generally thought to be quite good by professional tasters with a handful of examples considered outstanding. Chisunga Estate falls into this category. Chisunga's cup tends malty, but not overpowering with a pleasing mouth-feel and light astringency. The liquor is a medium red, looking very similar to the top Kenyans. A wonderful cup with an incredible legacy.

Steeping Instructions

PRODUCT TYPE: Loose - Black Tea

IDEAL BREWING TEMPERATURE: 100ºC/212ºF

ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT: For a greater antioxidant benefit brew longer and use more tea.

FOOD SAFETY ADVISORY: We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today's water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.

Epic Iced Tea Instructions

Tea isn't just served hot!  Iced tea is one of the most refreshing and natural thirst quenchers around the world.  Here is our suggested method of brewing the best iced tea.

ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (To Make 1 Liter/Quart):

1. Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea or 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher.
2. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea.
3. Steep for 5 minutes.
4. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water.
5. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the bags.
6. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
7. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase
8. the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.

Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.

ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):

1. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea or 1 tea bag into a teapot for each serving required.
2. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea.
3. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
4. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags.
5. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving.
6. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted.

Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.

HERB & FRUIT ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (To Make 1 Liter/Quart):

1. Place 12 slightly heaping teaspoons of herb & fruit blend or 6 tea bags into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher.
2. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the herb & fruit blend.
3. Steep for 5-10 minutes.
4. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water.
5. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the tea bags.
6. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
7. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced herb & fruit tea is to increase the strength of hot brew since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.

HERB & FRUIT ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):

1. Place 2 slightly heaping teaspoons of herb & fruit blend or 1 tea bag into a teapot for each serving required.
2. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the herb & fruit blend.
3. Cover and let steep for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags.
5. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Garnish and sweeten to taste.
6. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed herb & fruit tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted.