尼泊爾茶產(chǎn)業(yè)的“玫瑰茶”
Nepal Tea Collective’s Rose Reserve Tea
2022 年 7 月，位于尼泊爾東部高原的 Kanchanjangha 茶園和研究中心收獲了一些罕見而引人注目的葉子。偶然的，這些葉子落在了一位19歲的天才制茶師Nikesh Gurung手中，他憑借敏銳的感官和加工經(jīng)驗，通宵制作出了尼泊爾的“玫瑰茶”，一款具有獨特玫瑰風(fēng)味和香氣的紅茶。
A rare and remarkable leaf emerged during the July 2022 harvest at the Kanchanjangha Tea Estate and Research Center, nestled in the highlands of Eastern Nepal. Serendipitously, these leaves landed under the sharp senses and experimental craftsmanship of a prodigious nineteen-year-old tea-maker, Nikesh Gurung, who, throughout the night, created Nepal Tea Collective’s Rose Label Reserve, a black tea with distinct, surprising roseate flavor and aroma.
品嘗過這種茶的茶葉專家被它的香氣和玫瑰味道所震撼，它有著層層疊疊的麥芽焦糖味和揮之不去的甜麝香回甘。這個茶100克的價格為100美元，這種獨特品質(zhì)不僅是尼泊爾獨特的高海拔微氣候和土壤所孕育出的，也體現(xiàn)了新一代制茶師的杰出技藝。
Tea experts who tasted the tea were struck by its aroma and rose-petal flavor, layered with rich, malty caramel notes and a lingering sweet muscatel aftertaste. Priced at $100 for 100 grams, the tea is not just a mark of the enchanting flavors fostered by Nepal’s unique high-altitude micro-climates and terroir but also an embodiment of the keen talent of a new generation of tea-makers.
沿著Kanchanjangha 茶園和研究中心的陡坡采摘茶葉
Harvesting tea along the steep slopes of Kanchanjangha Tea Estate and Research Center
今年的玫瑰茶已被精心制作出來。茶葉品種Bannockburn 157號和稀有的野生種Assamica由茶農(nóng)隔離管理。采摘這些茶葉的時機至關(guān)重要，需要精確的降雨和陽光供應(yīng)，以促進茶葉玫瑰風(fēng)味和香氣的形成。
This year’s rose reserve was created with scrupulous care. Tea cultivars Bannockburn 157 and a rare Wild Assamica were isolated and reared by tea farmers on the estate. The timing for harvesting these tea leaves was crucial, requiring an exact supply of rainfall and sunshine to foster uniform roseate aromatics that flavor and give fragrance to the tea leaves.
茶樹鮮葉是在第二次采摘期收獲的，負(fù)責(zé)制作今年玫瑰茶的制茶師錢德拉·巴特拉伊(Chandra Bhattarai)滿懷期待地等待著茶青。鮮葉的數(shù)量是有限的，保證了排它性。2022年僅生產(chǎn)了 50 公斤。
The leaves were harvested during the second flush, and tea-maker Chandra Bhattarai, responsible for crafting this year’s Rose Label Reserve, awaited their arrival with anticipation. The quantity of leaves is limited, guaranteeing exclusivity. In 2022, Nikesh Gurung produced only 50 kilograms.
制茶師錢德拉在尼泊爾伊拉姆的多位制茶師和大吉嶺的制茶師手下接受培訓(xùn)，對他來說，制作“玫瑰茶”是一種榮譽，也是一種挑戰(zhàn)。他說：“我知道重現(xiàn)去年的玫瑰茶絕非易事，但我渴望去制作和實踐，并將自己的制茶風(fēng)格融入到這個過程中。”
For Chandra, who trained under multiple tea makers in Illam and from tea makers from Darjeeling, this was an honor and a challenge. “I knew that recreating the magic of last year’s Rose Label Reserve would be no easy feat,” he said. “But I was eager to embrace the spirit of experimentation and weave my own touch into the process.”
玫瑰香是一種很受歡迎的風(fēng)味，在茶葉中躋身世界前五大香型之列，但錢德拉的工藝是純凈的。他精心照料的茶葉散發(fā)出大自然的微妙香味，所用茶樹品種的芳香化學(xué)物質(zhì)中包括香葉醇，這是玫瑰最重要的氣味成分。
Rose is a popular flavor, ranked among the world’s top five scented teas, but Chandra’s process is pure. The teas in his care are delicately scented by nature from a cultivar whose aromatic chemicals include geraniol, roses’ most important odorous component.
尼泊爾茶葉的歷史仍處于起步階段。然而，能夠看到它如何迅速演變成一種獨特的文化，并用自己獨特的優(yōu)質(zhì)茶創(chuàng)造一個發(fā)展空間，是令人振奮的。培育和制作稀有玫瑰茶的年輕制茶師的心、聰明才智和精神是尼泊爾茶文化正在成長的標(biāo)志，為茶界帶來了新鮮而令人興奮的神韻。當(dāng)全世界的茶葉愛好者品嘗這杯茶時，他們也見證了尼泊爾高原地形中正在形成的茶葉歷史。
Nepali tea history is still in its infancy. However, it is exhilarating to witness how rapidly it is evolving into a distinct culture and creating a space for itself with its own intensely unique, premium teas. The heart, ingenuity, and spirit of the young tea-makers who cultivated and crafted the rare Rose Label Reserve is a sign that the Nepali tea culture is growing, bringing a fresh and exciting verve to the tea world. As tea lovers worldwide savor this brew, they also witness tea history in the making among the highland terrains of Nepal.
本文章來源自《茶世界》2023年9月，總第499期
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