Indonesian Black Tea

Last year, I attended a tea appreciation event at the Indonesian embassy. When speaking of Indonesian tea, about the only thing that comes to mind is Java tea that used to be sold in plastic bottles. While wondering excitedly what kind of teas there will be, I entered the embassy, which I normally don’t have the opportunity to visit, through a massive door.

We were greeted by women wearing traditional Indonesian clothing, and treated to a Welcome Tea. While we waited to begin, we enjoyed iced java tea, coconut dangos with molasses, and chicken wrapped in sticky rice and fried, which were served together for the Welcome Tea. The java tea leaves are reddish brown, the liquor is bright and clear, and it has a mild light aroma and mild flavor. There is no astringency, but it is very full-bodied, and was perfected suited to be drunk as iced tea.

After a greeting from the embassy’s agricultural officer, we watched a DVD about the making of Indonesian tea.

Indonesia is blessed with necessary natural conditions for tea cultivation, like its tropical climate and suitable levels of humidity and rainfall. Apparently, tea produced in Indonesia includes black, green, and jasmine teas, but black tea accounts for about 80% of the production output, and 90% of tea exports. The majority is produced in the highlands of Java and Sumatra islands, at heights of around 300-1800 meters above sea level.

Following the history of Indonesian tea, production began in 1878 when Assam seeds were imported from Sri Lanka and planted in West Java. After that, Assam tea plantations opened and they grew/developed smoothly. It became the fourth-ranked Assam producing region in the world, behind India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka. At one point, the industry declined, but from the second half of the 1960s the country weighed a tea industry revival, and the production output was smoothly restored. Currently, Indonesia accounts for just under 6% of global tea production and about 7% of global exports.

After learning about the tea, we enjoyed a traditional dance presented by Indonesian women with light, comfortable Indonesian music. At the end, we closed the ceremony by sipping sweet, warm milk tea while watching a demonstration by a Tea Association instructor about preparing an autumn variation of black tea. We also received many tea souvenirs. It was a perfect tea event. Tea events are also held at the Kenyan, Indian, and Sri Lankan embassies multiple times a year. You can make a reservation through the Japan Tea Association.

Japan Tea Association

http://www.tea-a.gr.jp/seminar_training/seminar/

---

IG: ykintokyo