"Brewing Thai"

A spontaneous interview about the specifics of growing and producing Thai tea, about old tea trees, Taiwanese oolong hybrids, and the famous Pu-erhs of Hong Tai Chang.

Questions by Vadim Lipinskiy from 'Simply About Tea'. Answers by Valerii Levitanus from TEASIDE.

- Valery, after reading your interview with James Shergen from 'TeaDB', I wanted to delve a bit deeper into the specifics of Thai tea. With your extensive tea experience and production background, and the fact that you speak Russian, you're uniquely qualified to shed light on the inner workings of the Thai tea scene. I'd love to get into the nitty-gritty details with you. Let's start with the first question:

- How long have you been involved with tea directly on the Thai ground there? This is for the readers so they can gauge how legit you are in your field.

- I started exploring the nuances of Thai tea back in 2012 and also began selling Thai oolongs bit by bit. By 2013, I was already making serious treks into the jungle to visit old tea trees, and that's when my pu-erh journey began. So, in short, my tea venture kicked off in 2012.

- Now, as the holder of the 'Most Inquisitive of the Year' title, I have the following questions:

What kinds of Camellia plants are being used for Thai tea production these days? We know that Thai tea isn't just limited to pu-erhs anymore. More and more often, we're seeing a variety of oolongs, red teas, white teas, and even Lu Bao analogs. What's the tea botany scene like over there?

- First off, the tea diversity in Thailand can be broadly divided into two major categories: oolongs and tree teas. With oolongs, it's pretty straightforward: these are hybrids brought over from Taiwan in the late '70s (from the Taiwanese research station). Jin Xuan (TRES #12), Ruan Zhi (TRES #17), Si Ji Chun (TRES #15), and Cui Yu (TRES #13). Mostly, the first three hybrids are used here. As for Cui Yu plantations, to my knowledge, only one factory has them.

To be strictly accurate, I've also tried Thai Qing Xin (it's an endemic variety, so it doesn't have a number, as you can understand), and Tie Guan Yin. But they're produced in somewhat trace, experimental amounts here and, quality-wise, they leave something to be desired for now. So, you can pretty much leave them out of consideration.

Now, when it comes to the tree teas. There are two or three Assamica varieties and, apparently, a few wild varieties. Ones like Camellia Crassicolumna and Camellia Taliensis, or at least, kinds that are closely related to them.

That's unfortunately all I know about Thai tea botany. I'd love to classify Thai trees and I'll try to tackle this issue when I get some time. I've sent samples of our material to the United States, to the USDA Organic company. At their request, actually, and even twice. They were conducting varietal research— but the project seems to have fizzled out, and I never got the results.

A long time ago, back in those same '70s, experts from the Taiwanese research station gave simple designations to four types of Thai trees. They called them Shan1… Shan4. That's all we've got from the world of science so far :)

Meanwhile, we have some really interesting varieties. Based on organoleptic properties, I can identify at least two very unusual tree types, the habitats of which are limited to small subdistricts. Studying them is also on my to-do list.

- Tea trees. They're often discussed in the context of Thai tea. How are things on your end with the plantations? Are there many compared to old or wild trees? And what's the quality like for Thai 'tai di cha’ (台地茶)?

- We don't have any pu-erh ‘tai di cha’ at all. All our plantations are exclusively for oolongs.

Well, again, there are small attempts to plant young Assamica saplings in a plantation style, but they're not worth considering—these are just two or three micro-farms covering only a few hundred square meters.

The main material is gathered from tea gardens—cleared patches of forest with old tea trees where young trees are planted in vacant spaces. The average age of trees in such gardens is 300 years.

We also have material from natural forests where tea trees grow among other trees in full biodiversity. This is, of course, the most preferable method of cultivation and material production. It's preferable mainly for nature and humans, but the natural growth of the trees significantly affects the taste as well. The soil in natural forests is richer and contains a greater variety of minerals.

A bright example of such tea is our green medalist 'Wild Mango', which won a basic gourmet medal at the renowned AVPA competition in Paris in 2022. This tea is absolutely fantastic in terms of its properties and taste. Gathering such material is more challenging, and the price is naturally higher, but it's well worth it.

- Now, let's touch on technological nuances in general terms. If Taiwanese experts were involved in producing local oolongs 'according to Taiwanese technology,' how did the production of red tea, green tea, white teas, and Lu Bao develop in terms of technological nuances? Do they have any unique technological features?

- If we again take the oolong hybrids, red teas from these are made using Taiwanese technologies.

For teas made from trees, mostly the traditions and expertise of Yunnan masters were considered. Here you have the classic Shai Hongs, white teas in the style of Yue Guang Bai, and green teas from trees resembling Chinese Bi Luo Chun and Mao Feng.

Teas in the pu-erh style under the Hong Tai Chang label have been produced since the late 1930s. This is basically the old Yunnan school, which has perhaps only been preserved with us. As for differences, we have wonderful old Lu Baos that were not made in baskets but in large piles, like Shou Pu-erh. But even these were made by Yunnan masters who relocated in the 1940s and 1950s. They probably didn't specially invent anything for Thailand.

Of course, technologies change over time, adapting to specific materials and the machinery available to the farmer. Terroirs differ no matter how you slice it. As a result, the tea gradually acquires its own distinct character. But it's hard for me to pinpoint any specific, notable differences in technologies—everything is roughly the same.

- Please tell us how the domestic consumer market is doing today. Do people like tea and to what extent? Are there any peculiarities and "traditions" of consumption? Any local variations of "pin cha" and "gong fu cha," so to speak.

- If we're talking about pure and high-quality tea, the domestic consumer market in Thailand is small. Chinese-style tea is consumed either by elderly Chinese residents living here or by expats from around the world. Thais, like all young Asians, drink sweet tea with flavorings, milk, and ice—yes, that's popular. Or coffee, which they roast strongly and also drink with milk and ice. So, the discussion doesn't even touch on their own traditions of ‘pin cha’.

- Pu-erhs from Hong Tai Chang. So varied, tasty, and wonderful. Are there any equivalents that match the quality and richness of this brand?

- One could say that all Thai pu-erhs are equivalents to HTC, given the fact that, legally, the company ceased to exist in 1949.

There are older or younger factories. Some use the HTC brand, some do not—but what unites them all is simply the Thai material.

The closest tea to the old HTC is, for example, the 1988 cakes available on our website—from the oldest factory. They are made just like in the 1940s. The rest, in style and taste, are closer to modern Yunnan pu-erhs. The latter are most often made more carefully.

For example, we have 2006 cakes from a factory that also manufactured tea under the HTC brand but has long since closed. The tea is made very well—leaf by leaf. In terms of taste, it resembles teas from the YQH brand.

At HTC factories, tea was never been made this meticulously, but old tea is old tea; nothing can replace it. Plus, the material was always sourced from old trees. The cakes were luckily stored under good conditions, so what we end up with is a unique old-school tea with an astonishingly pure taste for its age.

- Why do you think Thai tea (and tea from the "Golden Triangle" in general) still remains in the shadow of its Chinese and Taiwanese "relatives"? What, in your opinion, could help it rapidly win the hearts of tea enthusiasts?

- The main reason is that Thai tea is sold by expats. And the factories primarily ship to China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong—countries that are already well-informed about tea. So, the tea isn't a national export product like Red Bull, which is sold worldwide. You're aware that Red Bull was originally a Thai energy drink, right? :)

The volumes of our tea aren't even remotely comparable to the volumes of Chinese tea. And don't get me started on marketing... What could serve as a boost? I don't know. I'm satisfied with the current pace of development; there are already enough competitors. :)

- Maybe you have a handful of "favorites" that you have special feelings for?

- I didn't understand the question, are you talking about a few favorite types of tea?

- Yes.

- It's very difficult... Every tea is precious to me, and I select each type very carefully. I work with various factories and only choose one or two types from each.

I especially love old Thai Shu and Lubao teas—those are my true favorites.

What would you recommend as a starting point for those who are new to Thai tea as well as those who are already enthusiasts? What do you think are the key characteristics that help understand this region as a unique organoleptic phenomenon in the world of tea?

Oh, that's also a complicated and extensive question. In my view, one should taste two or three different teas in each category. It's absolutely essential to try the wild varieties. For instance, try the wild black Purple Joy.

It's definitely worth trying the “Thai Giant,” made from a tree that is over 1300 years old (some estimates say it's over 2000 years old, but we go with the minimum age to avoid speculating with gigantic numbers). Official harvesting from this tree is already forbidden, but we still have a certain amount of ready-made tea in stock that I can offer to our customers.

For those who have the means, the old HTC cakes are a must try, like the one from 1988.

Shai hongs made from old trees are quite popular. GABA teas and Hong Shui... the list goes on. We are currently developing sets for an introduction to Thai tea varieties. These will be very convenient and pleasant gifts for tea enthusiasts. :)

As for the distinguishing features, in my opinion, Thai oolongs are more fruity, whereas Taiwanese ones are more floral. The same can be said about the material from trees. It may seem somewhat brutal, especially when young. But the depth, spectrum, and breadth of flavor, as well as the resilience to infusions, are always impressive.

- Lastly, you have a three-part story on your blog about an expedition in search of old tea trees. Do you currently offer any tea-related tours for those who are interested?

Ah, that expedition story was indeed a fascinating chapter. It's what really got me deep into pu-erhs. But no, I don't organize or intend to organize any tea-tours.

Firstly, I don't have the legal right to do so—working as a guide for foreigners in Thailand is illegal, and nobody will give permission for it. Doing so could result in some significant legal repercussions.

Secondly, I'm already swamped with work. I have extensive plans for producing various exciting tea types, crafting unusual ripe pu-erhs, etc. I'm keen on sorting out the species of Thai trees, classifying them, and assigning botanical names if they turn out to be unique. So, leading tours doesn't inspire me. It could potentially be a profitable venture, but it's just not for me.

And on that note, we'll conclude our brief tea dialogue. We hope you found it interesting and informative. Drink tasty tea and enjoy the little things.

Questions by Vadim Lipinskiy from 'Simply About Tea'. Answers by Valerii Levitanus from TEASIDE.