As a tea connoisseur, I am beyond happy to be invited to a tea garden. When I lived in Bandung, when I had free time, I would definitely take the time to go to the tea gardens in Ciwidey or Pangalengan. This time, I was lucky to be able to visit the Tea Garden in Pagilaran in Gondang Village, Batang District, Central Java.
“Every week I open a booth here, I can drink tea for free, so people know what kind of good tea is,” said Sugiono, a researcher at the Pagilaran tea plantation laboratory.
We are treated to several types of tea ranging from green tea, black tea, red tea from premium quality to medium quality.
Premium is tea with only the leaves, while medium is a mixture of leaves and stems. Premium flavor is stronger and more concentrated than medium. It depends on our taste.
The Pagaliran tea garden has a production capacity of 40 to 60 tons of tea leaves per day. Almost all of Pagaliran’s plantation products are exported abroad. However, there are indeed a few that are sold in the stalls around here.
The tea factory in Pagaliran is also a witness to the colonial legacy. In the vicinity there are also statues of the former Dutch heritage from ancient times. For those who want to stay overnight, there are villas that we can stop by. There are also homestays for budget classes. This location is perfect for those who want to unwind because the atmosphere is calm in the midst of green tea gardens, the air is cool.
We were taken to several production sites such as tea plantations to places of engimatic oxidation or withering processes. It is this withering process that differs so that the same leaf can become green tea, black tea, or oolong tea types.
Mr. Sugiono advised not to consume tea bags because the quality was very poor. But to enjoy a great teabag, here’s how:
Do not brew tea with boiling water. Because there is a possibility that the wax in the bag will also be mixed into our tea and can be consumed. The temperature for tea is around 60-70 degrees Celsius only.
The next test try to dip it in cold water. If the effect of the tea spreads as quickly as tea with hot water, immediately change the brand of your tea.
Good teabags, there is a color right away. You can’t use boiling water. Then the broken candle can be consumed. 60 degree teabag, a bit long.
Try a teabag with cold water, if the effect of the tea travels as fast as when you use hot water, it’s most likely that the tea uses artificial coloring. Immediately change to another brand of tea if something like this happens!
Drinking the right tea will make the body healthy, can open blockage of blood vessels, provide oxygen intake to the blood. But if the tea uses preservatives, it won’t be healthy, right? That’s why I bought tea directly at the shop near this garden. The green tea that I bought here smells really good. Very fruity aroma. The after taste is also bitter, slightly sweet, not bitter. The staples are very different from the teabags in the shops!
Unfortunately, I didn’t linger here because I had to visit the next place in Batang district to learn batik!
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