N18 A cuppa of Tea

When I say a cuppa of tea I don’t mean English tea, or Japanese or Chinese tea. I mean only our Shan tea.

Shan tea is a kind of green tea. It is not complicated and sophisticated and doesn’t have special ways and means in making and drinking it.

Shan tea is produced mainly in the mountainous region of Namhsan, Northern Shan States, and also in some parts of Southern Shan States. Tea growing methods in the Southern Shan State is not very advanced, but still like many years ago. The shrubs do not form long rows as we sometimes see on TV in countries like Sri Lanka or China. The tea trees here are grown separately, but they are not let to grow into tall trees but only to the height of our chest.

When the winter is over there appears at the top of the twigs small tender clusters of leaves. These are picked laboriously one by one. After that the leaves are left in the sun for some time, or roasted in big cauldrons to make them wither. Then they are kneaded by hand till they become a little wet. After that they are left to dry in the sun. When they become dried the leaves are ready to be made into drinks.

In Myanmar a small amount of tea leaves is put in a teapot and hot water is poured over. After a few minutes the tea is ready to drink. But the Shans usually roasted the dry leaves before making tea. This way makes the tea more fragrant and tasty.

The Shan people drink tea many times a day. So to make it convenient, some people keep readymade tea in flask and drink from it all day long. When there is no hot tea left they put more tea leaves and then more hot water into the flask. But I think tea made in this way is less tasty.

When there are visitors the Shan people usually entertain them with a pot of tea. They would sit on a bamboo mat with the tea tray in the middle and talk. No invitation is needed to go and visit people’s houses. We can come and go according to our wishes.

Thus there are not much formalities in the Shan people’s social relationship but it is just a simple and cordial one.