#Lemongrass farming in Kenya

[farmerstrend]

The Current State of Lemongrass Farming in Kenya

“Discover the potential of lemongrass farming in Kenya, a lucrative venture offering high returns through essential oil production, herbal tea, and more. Learn about market trends, challenges, and growth opportunities.” “Explore the growing industry of lemongrass farming in Kenya. From essential oils to herbal teas, find out how this aromatic herb is transforming local agriculture and boosting…

[thebesttealeavesfromafrica]

The Best Tea Leaves From Africa

Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa aligned east coast of the Indian ocean with the best collections of agro-productions from Africa. The country is named after the astonishing union of two states; Tanganyika (Mainland) and Zanzibar (Island) to form Tanzania. Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere and Abed Amani Karume are well remembered as the ancestors of the states since they agreed to form a permanent union. It happened on 26th April 1964. The country is shielded by water bodies almost everywhere. These include Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Nyasa, Lake Manyara, and others.

As it is not enough, the country has a number of rivers that make the country almost green throughout the year. These include rivers Rufiji, Great Ruaha, Pangani, Malagarasi, Wami, Ruvuma, Mara, Kagera, Ruvu, Kilombero, Tarangire, Ruvuvu, Manonga, Umba, and many others.

Tanzania has also a number of mountains and high hills in some areas to make the wonderful territory well organized. The presence of mountains Kilimanjaro, Meru, Usambara, Ol Donyo Lengai, Udzungwa, Hanang, Loleza, Kipenere, Longido and others impact the suitable agricultural climatic condition.

The country has a lot of wonders, national parks, game reserves, and much more to witness. Zanzibar herself is the place where everyone wishes to visit and see the beauty of the Island. Tanzania has a warm, tropical climate, with seasonal patterns of rainfalls. Some of the countries have a single wet and dry season, whereas other regions have two distinct rainy seasons.

The Best Tea Collections from Tanzania

Tanzania is one of the most important tea-producing countries in Africa, and also boundaries Kenya and Malawi, the two other major African tea-growing states. Most of Tanzania’s teas simply called ‘Chai’ in Swahili is exported in bulk as raw products. This situation makes Tanzania not much visible in tea production. Most of the raw tea products which are sold in Europe are sourced from Tanzania.

Some major tea companies in Tanzania have taken steps ahead for the quality of their products. These are Chai Bora and Afri Tea & Coffee Blenders. They have made a great change by sourcing, blending, and branding tea products. Simply, the best tea production from Africa is dominated by Tanzania but the major issue is branding challenges that have made them invisible to the World. The good thing is, the best tea leaves collections of their products are well-sorted and presented by Fumbalo Online Store. This is an online shop that sells tea and coffee products from Tanzania.

Tea was first cultivated under German colonists in 1902 on a very small scale to be used by colonizers. In the 1920s commercial farming of tea began under British authority.

After Tanzania was granted independence from Britain, her new government put under public sectors most of the tea factories and some tea estates. This decision had very bad significances on the tea industry in Tanzania. The government decided to handle the production into the private sector as a rescue mission.

Currently, local companies blend tea products that can compete with any brand of products around the World. They produce bold, well-twisted leaves, in shades of olive green, produce a yellow jade liquor with a bright, broth aroma. A product with refreshing character is well balanced with a rich buttery mouth feel and sweet hay notes. The finished product is clean and satisfying to anyone who tastes the product for the first time.

These companies blend a collection of tea products such as black tea, green tea, and other indigenous products mixed with spices such as ginger, camomile, cardamom, cinnamon, hibiscus, clove, lemongrass, vanilla, and others to ensure the aroma and refreshing products. All these raw products are naturally produced in the country to make the best tea production from Africa brand.

Actually, the companies are able to deliver the best tea production from Africa available in Tanzania. Tea from Tanzania is largely sourced from five main areas. These are Kagera, Tanga, Iringa, Mbeya, and Njombe regions. The regions have climatic conditions that favour the growth of tea.

How to Process Tea from the farm to the cup?

Most areas in the country have the same way of processing tea since they all grow the best tea production from Africa. Tea leaves are harvested from farms mostly by women. They use their hands to pick a few fresh and new leaves on top of plants and put them into their baskets made by using bamboo trees. The collected tea leaves are transported from the farm to the industries within a short time before they wear out or lose their natural state. Most of the time harvesting activity is done during the morning.

Some processes are conducted in the industries to produce a perfect product of tea leaves. These include withering, bruising (for black tea), twisting, oxidation, roasting, frying or boiling, and finally drying to reduce moisture and increase shelf life. In the end, the product is paced into various packages ready for sale.

The following are some of the products of black tea blend you may need to try:

o   Kilimanjaro Tea Premium Blend

o   Kilimanjaro Tea English Breakfast

o   African Pride Tea Luxury Blend

o   African Pride Chai Masala

o   Chai Bora Premium Tea Blend

o   Chai Bora Supreme Tea Blend

o   Chai Bora Luxury Tea Blend

o   Chai Bora Organic Highlands Black tea

Teas are a generator of wealth and employment in rural areas and support the well-being of over 100,000 families in Tanzania. The product is highly sold in the UK, European countries, Asian and American Markets. Are you looking for the best tea from Africa? Tanzania is among the producers of the best tea from Africa. For that reason, Fumbalo Store is not selling just tea. We are selling the best tea products from Africa. For every single dollar, you spend by buying tea products from Tanzania, you help over 100,000 families to live their lives and survive. You may not be able to donate for them, then just by this tea from Tanzania and you are also helping them.

[kahawasafiinc]

Kenyan Coffee Regions and Flavor Profiles: Expert’s Take on Kenyan Coffee Beans

Kenya produces high-quality Arabica coffee, which is known across the world for its distinct and delectable flavor. The climatic conditions of Kenya's highlands are quite favorable and it allows them to produce some of the world's highest-grade coffee beans.

Kenyan coffee is highly popular in both Europe and the United States. The beans have strong, fruity acidity, a substantial body, and a rich aroma. Kenyan manufacturers place a premium on quality, thus processing and drying methods are meticulously supervised and monitored. Today you can buy Kenyan coffee online easily and give it a try.

Kenya has a distinct grading system. Kenyan AA is the biggest bean in a 10-size grading system, while AA+ indicates that it was cultivated on an estate. You can buy Kenyan aaa coffee online.

The pure Kenyan coffee beans are cultivated on rich volcanic soils in the highlands at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 2,000 meters above sea level. The altitude influences the flavor, and Kenyan coffees are not recommended for individuals who are sensitive to acidity. However, if acidity is your thing, Kenyan coffee is the finest.

In Kenya, only about 330 farms are estates of 15 hectares or greater. A little more than half of the coffee farmers are smallholders with only a few hectares of land apiece. Arabica is grown in Kenya, especially the SL, K7, and Ruiru types.

You can buy premium Kenyan coffee beans that are famous for gourmet variations since they are regarded to be among the best quality cups in the world. Because of its smooth drinkability and rich, well-balanced tastes, some call this coffee the connoisseur’s cup.

Kenyans grow coffee but consume very little of it. Because tea is the drink of choice for the majority of Kenyans, there is more of their wonderful coffee to go around.

If you're trying to cut back on milk and sugar, you could fall in love with black coffee made from Kenyan beans. The rich flavor is appealing to those who enjoy a robust, layered character.

When you consume pure Kenyan coffee beans, you may anticipate the following:

Black currant and bergamot undertones.

A bold, front-of-the-palate taste.

It has a nice weight that contributes to its smooth mouthfeel.

A bright, somewhat flowery fragrance.

Simple to combine with both sweet and savory foods.

Lemongrass has a lively acidic top note.

The aftertaste is dry and wine-like.

Kenya produces some of the world's most highly fragrant, brilliantly acidic coffees. The flavor profile is diverse, with intriguing fruity tastes, berry and citrus notes, and some nearly winey overtones. The pure Kenyan coffee beans can be classified as either large and strong with clean juiciness or tropical and crisp. In any case, if you get the opportunity to sample any of these coffees, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Also Read: 4 Undeniable Reasons Why People Across the Globe Love Kenyan Coffee So Much

[nurseshannansreviews]

ad 🍵 It's tea time!! Who doesn't love a fine tea that's environmentally friendly #zerowaste packaged and also supports small tea farms!! 🌎 I got to try #outwoken Bold Blue and Purple Kenyan teas. The Bold Blue is a black tea with butterfly pea flower that smells and tastes wonderful. I love the deep blue color of it and it actually changes colors with fresh squeezed lemons 🍋. This tea is sourced from China and mixed with Butterfly Pea Flower from Thailand. Did you know that #butterflypea flowers have many #healthbenefits. The flower is rich in #antioxidants and is also believed to help with regulating blood sugar levels, #cholesterol. The #lemongrass helps with reducing swelling, reduces fevers and so much more. If you’re stressed or have tense shoulders unwind with this blend of herbs and tea. 🍵 The Purple Kenyan tea is equally amazing and it's only grown n Kenya! Purple tea is unique as it is grown over 6,000 feet above sea level. With such an elevation comes a high level of antioxidants. #PurpleTea is believed to help lower blood pressure, help fight against viruses with its anti-inflammatory properties. This tea has many more health benefits with a great history and future. Be sure to check out the Outwoken blog to learn more about this amazing tea. 🌍 I love how #Outwoken supports small tea farms and by directly sourcing tea you receive a better quality of tea from these small farms. These teas are grown in the mountains, fed with natural spring water, coexisting in ecological reserves and pesticide free. When you support Outwoken, you’re supporting tradition and farmers being able to pass on their history. 🍵 They currently have a variety of amazing unique teas available. To learn more and try a few for yourself visit outwokentea.com . swipe up in my highlighted story titled *food . . . . . . . #tea #outwokentea #productreviewer #teatime #tealover #teacup #greentea #teaaddict #instatea #tealovers #cupoftea #fitmom #influencer #teastagram #ilovetea #tealove #tealife #afternoontea #teapot #teagram #teaholic (at California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKaZH5GAqD3/?igshid=1ky4pr3bhl90u

[easyfoodnetwork]

The Socially Conscious Shopper’s Guide to Buying Coffee and Tea

Photo-illustration: Eater

Expand your collection with these online shops

A cup of coffee or tea might seem like such a simple ritual. But our daily cup (or two, or three) owes everything to our colonial, slave-built economy that relied on European and American trade with Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. The legacy of exploitation in the coffee and tea industries still manifests today, depressing wages and earnings for workers and degrading natural ecosystems. One, though not the only, aspect of that legacy is trade. The fair trade movement that solidified in the late 1980s as a Fair Trade certification sought to tip the scales in favor of workers. More recently, the direct trade movement — which, as its name suggests, is built on direct exchanges between farmers and roasters — has emerged as an alternative to create still greater transparency and worker profit.

The coronavirus pandemic has upended our most trusted routines, down to how we’re buying and drinking our coffee. Maybe all of this has prompted you to rethink what goes into your daily cup, who made it possible, and who profits. Maybe you’re tired of parsing corporate statements like the one Starbucks produced earlier this month, after it initially prohibited employees from wearing Black Lives Matter shirts. Whether you’re in a rut with your morning brew and want to shake things up, you’re new to home-brewing and aren’t sure where to shop, or you want to support more BIPOC-owned and socially conscious businesses, let this list of 30 sources for buying coffee and tea online be a source of inspiration.

These purveyors source their product from around the world, and many are direct trade or are working to reimagine who owns tea and coffee culture. All of them offer online shopping, and some may offer contactless pick-ups. If you like the convenience of subscriptions, many offer those, too.

Whole Bean Coffee

Many coffee roasters source their beans from at least two global regions. If a specific region or country is the focus, that’s noted below.

BLK & Bold: You may have seen BLK & Bold at Whole Foods, but the brand’s selection of blends and single-origin coffees, as well as its teas, is also available directly online. Founded by Rod Johnson and Pernell Cezar, BLK & Bold donates 5 percent of its profits to organizations that benefit young people in Black communities in major cities across America.

Black Baza Coffee (India): This coffee roaster and grassroots organization works with growers in India to create a socially and environmentally sustainable model that supports biodiversity — a variety of species essential to healthy and resilient ecosystems. Arabica and robusta coffee beans, as well as chicory, are available from a number of partner coffee producers and microlots.

Boon Boona Coffee (East Africa): Boon Boona offers green coffee beans as well as roasted. The company’s founder, Efrem Fesaha, grew up with home-pan-roasted coffee, traditional in East African coffee ceremonies, and saw a demand in Seattle for unroasted beans. Boon Boona partners with farmers in East African countries, including Burundi, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

Coffee Project NY: Besides selling whole bean house blends and single-origin coffees from around the world, Coffee Project NY champions education and certification through the Specialty Coffee Association. What Kaleena Teoh and Chi Sum Ngai started as a small cafe in the East Village has expanded to two other brick-and-mortar locations, including a flagship in Queens.

Driftaway Coffee: Anu Menon and Suyog Mody founded Driftaway with social and environmental sustainability in mind. The company, which roasts and ships from Brooklyn, develops long-term relationships with farms in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, and Rwanda and provides price transparency for all offerings.

Kahawa 1893 (Kenya): This brand, which shines a spotlight on Kenyan coffee from the Kisii region, gets its name from the year missionaries first planted coffee in Kenya. Margaret Nyamumbo, a third-generation coffee farmer, founded the company to reimagine the coffee supply chain and bring more profit to women farmers in Kenya.

Maru Coffee: Los Angeles-based Maru, started by Jacob Park and Joonmo Kim, sells whole beans in seasonal limited editions. It began as a tiny coffee shop that expanded into a larger location in LA’s Arts District, where it began roasting its own coffees from small batches of beans.

Nguyen Coffee Supply (Vietnam): Founded by Sahra Nguyen and billing itself as the “first ever Vietnamese-American-owned” coffee importer, all Nguyen arabica and robusta bean coffees are organically grown in Vietnam’s Central Highlands by a fourth-generation farmer known as Mr. Ton and roasted in Brooklyn. The brand currently offers three blends, Loyalty, Courage, and the high-caffeine Grit.

Not So Urban Coffee & Roastery: This small-batch micro roaster outside Atlanta roasts a selection of single-origin coffees to order. Its beans are ethically and sustainably sourced from growers around the world, with a current focus on East African countries.

Portrait Coffee: Another Atlanta-area roaster, Portrait is based in Southwest Atlanta. It offers a tailored selection of blends and single-origin beans. The company is committed to growing coffee careers in the Historic West End community while changing the face of specialty coffee “to include the black and brown folks who have been cropped out.”

Red Bay Coffee: Founded by the Oakland-based artist Keba Konte, Red Bay has a mission of community connection and grower empowerment. It sells a range of coffees online, including Carver’s Dream, a “bright, fruit-forward” blend of Guatemalan and Burundi coffees, and Coltrane, a medium-roast single origin from Colombia Cauca Piendamo with notes of black grape and dark chocolate.

Sweet Unity Farms Coffee (Tanzania): Started by David Robinson, the son of baseball titan Jackie Robinson, this farm belongs to a community of third-generation coffee farmers in Tanzania. The brand, which champions community investment and direct trade between farmers and roasters, sells 100 percent Arabica beans grown by family-owned cooperatives in Tanzania and Ethiopia and partners with family-owned roasters in California and New Jersey.

Tea

Just like coffee, tea is a fresh product that loses complexity and aroma over time, so for specialty teas, always note harvest date. Because a number of tea sellers sell “tea” in the colloquial sense — infusions of botanical ingredients — we use tea here to mean Camellia sinensis as well as yerba mate and herbal infusions. Sellers that specialize exclusively in Camellia sinensis from one region or country of origin are noted below.

Adjourn Teahouse: Founded by LaTonia Cokely and based in Washington, D.C., Adjourn specializes in aromatic hand-blended black teas with a wellness focus, incorporating botanicals like blue butterfly pea flowers, lemongrass, carrot, and ginger.

Brooklyn Tea: From their store in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Ali Wright and Jamila McGill offer a wide variety of teas, including green and white teas and tea blends, aged pu’ehr and oolong, mate, Rooibos, and other herbal tisanes. Brooklyn Tea partners with Tahuti Ma’at to provide compost to a community garden in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Calabash Tea & Tonic: Owned by a naturopath and fifth-generation herbalist, this D.C.-based company has an express wellness focus and offers herbal tonics alongside its flavored botanical blends.

Chai Walli (India): This Australian company, founded by an Indian Australian, works with organic and fair trade farms in India’s Assam Valley to source its tea. The range of small-batch spiced tea blends incorporates Ayurvedic knowledge from the founder’s own family. Ships to the United States.

Cuples Tea House: A tea store in Baltimore that ships nationwide, this is a one-stop shop for black and green tea blends, milk oolong, South African mate, and flavored teas, as well as herbal blends like chamomile, South African Rooibos, and hibiscus.

Eli Tea: Founded by 2017 Eater Young Gun Elias Majid, this tea shop in Birmingham, Michigan, offers an array of black, green, oolong, and white loose leaf teas, as well as chai blends and herbal teas with transparent sourcing.

Just Add Honey Tea Company: This Atlanta-based tea company carries a large selection of caffeinated teas and tea blends, from matcha to a high-caffeine mix of green tea, mate, and dried papaya. It also offers non-caffeinated herbal options, like chicory and cinnamon.

INI Sips: A family- and veteran-owned company based in New Britain, Connecticut, this shop sells 16 teas, including one ceremonial-grade matcha, and a small selection of direct trade coffees.

Kettl (Japan): Through its unique relationships with tea growers in Japan, Kettl has become the go-to for restaurants and Japanese tea lovers for the freshness and quality of its teas, which, because of supply chains, would not otherwise be available in the U.S. It has a small brick-and-mortar storefront in Manhattan but ships its shincha, matcha, genmaicha, rare Japanese oolong and black tea, and sobacha nationwide.

Kolkata Chai Co. (India): Through their New York shop, Ayan and Ani Sanyal — motivated by the appropriation of masala chai that they observed — aim to reclaim chai’s cultural roots. The company currently offers two DIY chai kits, a masala chai with Assam, green cardamom, cinnamon, black cardamom, black pepper, and cloves, and rose masala chai.

Matero (South America): With a mission to celebrate yerba mate culture, this online shop sells a wide selection of ethically and sustainably sourced mate from around South America. Loose leaf and tea bags are both available, as are calabaza (porongo) and bombillas.

Puehr Brooklyn (China): This Brooklyn-based teashop specializes in aged cake pu’ehr, as you might imagine, but its online shop also offers a variety of oolong, green, and white tea.

Raven & Hummingbird Tea Co. (Squamish Nation): A mother and daughter team, T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss and Senaqwila Wyss, are behind this Coast Salish-owned tea company. Their small batch teas are sourced from plants in their Xwemeltchsn community garden in West Vancouver, through wild picking, and from local herbal distributors.

Red Lake Nation Foods (Red Lake Nation): A member of the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Red Lake Nation Foods offers a selection of herbal teas and tea blends in addition to wild fruit jellies, jams and syrups, and Red Lake Nation–cultivated wild rice.

Serengeti Teas & Spices (Africa): This Harlem fixture isn’t just for herbal teas, although it carries a wide variety, including moringa, Moroccan mint teas, sorrel, South African Rooibos, and turmeric blends. It also specializes in premium and rare coffee, tea, and cocoa from countries around Africa.

Song Tea & Ceramics (China and Taiwan): With new selections of teas from China and Taiwan each year, Song Tea is an excellent source for fresh leaves, including green, white, oolong, red, and aged teas. It also offers botanical blends like sobacha, marshmallow, holy basil, and carrot. For those with the budget, Song also offers a small collection of rare aged teas.

Té Company (Taiwan): With a small tearoom in lower Manhattan and an impressive online shop, Té first got its start by partnering with fine dining restaurants. It specializes in high quality full leaf oolong tea from Taiwan that would otherwise not be available in the U.S. Besides oolong, it offers green, white, black, and herbal teas, including rare and vintage selections. Everything is sourced directly from tea producers.

Tea Drunk (China): Another tea oasis in lower Manhattan with a stocked online shop, Tea Drunk is unique in that it sources and imports directly from heritage tea growers in China. A (virtual) visit to Tea Drunk is an education in and celebration of terroir, season, and craft across green, yellow, white, Wu Long, red, and black teas, including pu’ehr.

Katie Okamoto is a Los Angeles–based writer and former editor at Metropolis, the New York–based design and architecture monthly. Find her work at katieokamoto.com and occasionally on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo credits: Hand: Prostock-Studio/GettyShelves: Arman Zhenikeyev/Getty

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3hU75iR https://ift.tt/2YoNXSo

Photo-illustration: Eater

Expand your collection with these online shops

A cup of coffee or tea might seem like such a simple ritual. But our daily cup (or two, or three) owes everything to our colonial, slave-built economy that relied on European and American trade with Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. The legacy of exploitation in the coffee and tea industries still manifests today, depressing wages and earnings for workers and degrading natural ecosystems. One, though not the only, aspect of that legacy is trade. The fair trade movement that solidified in the late 1980s as a Fair Trade certification sought to tip the scales in favor of workers. More recently, the direct trade movement — which, as its name suggests, is built on direct exchanges between farmers and roasters — has emerged as an alternative to create still greater transparency and worker profit.

The coronavirus pandemic has upended our most trusted routines, down to how we’re buying and drinking our coffee. Maybe all of this has prompted you to rethink what goes into your daily cup, who made it possible, and who profits. Maybe you’re tired of parsing corporate statements like the one Starbucks produced earlier this month, after it initially prohibited employees from wearing Black Lives Matter shirts. Whether you’re in a rut with your morning brew and want to shake things up, you’re new to home-brewing and aren’t sure where to shop, or you want to support more BIPOC-owned and socially conscious businesses, let this list of 30 sources for buying coffee and tea online be a source of inspiration.

These purveyors source their product from around the world, and many are direct trade or are working to reimagine who owns tea and coffee culture. All of them offer online shopping, and some may offer contactless pick-ups. If you like the convenience of subscriptions, many offer those, too.

Whole Bean Coffee

Many coffee roasters source their beans from at least two global regions. If a specific region or country is the focus, that’s noted below.

BLK & Bold: You may have seen BLK & Bold at Whole Foods, but the brand’s selection of blends and single-origin coffees, as well as its teas, is also available directly online. Founded by Rod Johnson and Pernell Cezar, BLK & Bold donates 5 percent of its profits to organizations that benefit young people in Black communities in major cities across America.

Black Baza Coffee (India): This coffee roaster and grassroots organization works with growers in India to create a socially and environmentally sustainable model that supports biodiversity — a variety of species essential to healthy and resilient ecosystems. Arabica and robusta coffee beans, as well as chicory, are available from a number of partner coffee producers and microlots.

Boon Boona Coffee (East Africa): Boon Boona offers green coffee beans as well as roasted. The company’s founder, Efrem Fesaha, grew up with home-pan-roasted coffee, traditional in East African coffee ceremonies, and saw a demand in Seattle for unroasted beans. Boon Boona partners with farmers in East African countries, including Burundi, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

Coffee Project NY: Besides selling whole bean house blends and single-origin coffees from around the world, Coffee Project NY champions education and certification through the Specialty Coffee Association. What Kaleena Teoh and Chi Sum Ngai started as a small cafe in the East Village has expanded to two other brick-and-mortar locations, including a flagship in Queens.

Driftaway Coffee: Anu Menon and Suyog Mody founded Driftaway with social and environmental sustainability in mind. The company, which roasts and ships from Brooklyn, develops long-term relationships with farms in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, and Rwanda and provides price transparency for all offerings.

Kahawa 1893 (Kenya): This brand, which shines a spotlight on Kenyan coffee from the Kisii region, gets its name from the year missionaries first planted coffee in Kenya. Margaret Nyamumbo, a third-generation coffee farmer, founded the company to reimagine the coffee supply chain and bring more profit to women farmers in Kenya.

Maru Coffee: Los Angeles-based Maru, started by Jacob Park and Joonmo Kim, sells whole beans in seasonal limited editions. It began as a tiny coffee shop that expanded into a larger location in LA’s Arts District, where it began roasting its own coffees from small batches of beans.

Nguyen Coffee Supply (Vietnam): Founded by Sahra Nguyen and billing itself as the “first ever Vietnamese-American-owned” coffee importer, all Nguyen arabica and robusta bean coffees are organically grown in Vietnam’s Central Highlands by a fourth-generation farmer known as Mr. Ton and roasted in Brooklyn. The brand currently offers three blends, Loyalty, Courage, and the high-caffeine Grit.

Not So Urban Coffee & Roastery: This small-batch micro roaster outside Atlanta roasts a selection of single-origin coffees to order. Its beans are ethically and sustainably sourced from growers around the world, with a current focus on East African countries.

Portrait Coffee: Another Atlanta-area roaster, Portrait is based in Southwest Atlanta. It offers a tailored selection of blends and single-origin beans. The company is committed to growing coffee careers in the Historic West End community while changing the face of specialty coffee “to include the black and brown folks who have been cropped out.”

Red Bay Coffee: Founded by the Oakland-based artist Keba Konte, Red Bay has a mission of community connection and grower empowerment. It sells a range of coffees online, including Carver’s Dream, a “bright, fruit-forward” blend of Guatemalan and Burundi coffees, and Coltrane, a medium-roast single origin from Colombia Cauca Piendamo with notes of black grape and dark chocolate.

Sweet Unity Farms Coffee (Tanzania): Started by David Robinson, the son of baseball titan Jackie Robinson, this farm belongs to a community of third-generation coffee farmers in Tanzania. The brand, which champions community investment and direct trade between farmers and roasters, sells 100 percent Arabica beans grown by family-owned cooperatives in Tanzania and Ethiopia and partners with family-owned roasters in California and New Jersey.

Tea

Just like coffee, tea is a fresh product that loses complexity and aroma over time, so for specialty teas, always note harvest date. Because a number of tea sellers sell “tea” in the colloquial sense — infusions of botanical ingredients — we use tea here to mean Camellia sinensis as well as yerba mate and herbal infusions. Sellers that specialize exclusively in Camellia sinensis from one region or country of origin are noted below.

Adjourn Teahouse: Founded by LaTonia Cokely and based in Washington, D.C., Adjourn specializes in aromatic hand-blended black teas with a wellness focus, incorporating botanicals like blue butterfly pea flowers, lemongrass, carrot, and ginger.

Brooklyn Tea: From their store in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Ali Wright and Jamila McGill offer a wide variety of teas, including green and white teas and tea blends, aged pu’ehr and oolong, mate, Rooibos, and other herbal tisanes. Brooklyn Tea partners with Tahuti Ma’at to provide compost to a community garden in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Calabash Tea & Tonic: Owned by a naturopath and fifth-generation herbalist, this D.C.-based company has an express wellness focus and offers herbal tonics alongside its flavored botanical blends.

Chai Walli (India): This Australian company, founded by an Indian Australian, works with organic and fair trade farms in India’s Assam Valley to source its tea. The range of small-batch spiced tea blends incorporates Ayurvedic knowledge from the founder’s own family. Ships to the United States.

Cuples Tea House: A tea store in Baltimore that ships nationwide, this is a one-stop shop for black and green tea blends, milk oolong, South African mate, and flavored teas, as well as herbal blends like chamomile, South African Rooibos, and hibiscus.

Eli Tea: Founded by 2017 Eater Young Gun Elias Majid, this tea shop in Birmingham, Michigan, offers an array of black, green, oolong, and white loose leaf teas, as well as chai blends and herbal teas with transparent sourcing.

Just Add Honey Tea Company: This Atlanta-based tea company carries a large selection of caffeinated teas and tea blends, from matcha to a high-caffeine mix of green tea, mate, and dried papaya. It also offers non-caffeinated herbal options, like chicory and cinnamon.

INI Sips: A family- and veteran-owned company based in New Britain, Connecticut, this shop sells 16 teas, including one ceremonial-grade matcha, and a small selection of direct trade coffees.

Kettl (Japan): Through its unique relationships with tea growers in Japan, Kettl has become the go-to for restaurants and Japanese tea lovers for the freshness and quality of its teas, which, because of supply chains, would not otherwise be available in the U.S. It has a small brick-and-mortar storefront in Manhattan but ships its shincha, matcha, genmaicha, rare Japanese oolong and black tea, and sobacha nationwide.

Kolkata Chai Co. (India): Through their New York shop, Ayan and Ani Sanyal — motivated by the appropriation of masala chai that they observed — aim to reclaim chai’s cultural roots. The company currently offers two DIY chai kits, a masala chai with Assam, green cardamom, cinnamon, black cardamom, black pepper, and cloves, and rose masala chai.

Matero (South America): With a mission to celebrate yerba mate culture, this online shop sells a wide selection of ethically and sustainably sourced mate from around South America. Loose leaf and tea bags are both available, as are calabaza (porongo) and bombillas.

Puehr Brooklyn (China): This Brooklyn-based teashop specializes in aged cake pu’ehr, as you might imagine, but its online shop also offers a variety of oolong, green, and white tea.

Raven & Hummingbird Tea Co. (Squamish Nation): A mother and daughter team, T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss and Senaqwila Wyss, are behind this Coast Salish-owned tea company. Their small batch teas are sourced from plants in their Xwemeltchsn community garden in West Vancouver, through wild picking, and from local herbal distributors.

Red Lake Nation Foods (Red Lake Nation): A member of the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Red Lake Nation Foods offers a selection of herbal teas and tea blends in addition to wild fruit jellies, jams and syrups, and Red Lake Nation–cultivated wild rice.

Serengeti Teas & Spices (Africa): This Harlem fixture isn’t just for herbal teas, although it carries a wide variety, including moringa, Moroccan mint teas, sorrel, South African Rooibos, and turmeric blends. It also specializes in premium and rare coffee, tea, and cocoa from countries around Africa.

Song Tea & Ceramics (China and Taiwan): With new selections of teas from China and Taiwan each year, Song Tea is an excellent source for fresh leaves, including green, white, oolong, red, and aged teas. It also offers botanical blends like sobacha, marshmallow, holy basil, and carrot. For those with the budget, Song also offers a small collection of rare aged teas.

Té Company (Taiwan): With a small tearoom in lower Manhattan and an impressive online shop, Té first got its start by partnering with fine dining restaurants. It specializes in high quality full leaf oolong tea from Taiwan that would otherwise not be available in the U.S. Besides oolong, it offers green, white, black, and herbal teas, including rare and vintage selections. Everything is sourced directly from tea producers.

Tea Drunk (China): Another tea oasis in lower Manhattan with a stocked online shop, Tea Drunk is unique in that it sources and imports directly from heritage tea growers in China. A (virtual) visit to Tea Drunk is an education in and celebration of terroir, season, and craft across green, yellow, white, Wu Long, red, and black teas, including pu’ehr.

Katie Okamoto is a Los Angeles–based writer and former editor at Metropolis, the New York–based design and architecture monthly. Find her work at katieokamoto.com and occasionally on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo credits: Hand: Prostock-Studio/GettyShelves: Arman Zhenikeyev/Getty

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3hU75iR via Blogger https://ift.tt/2NnSvlE

[southrift-galaxy-safaris-blog]

Top 5 Reasons to visit Zanzibar Islands

The name Zanzibar immediately conjures up images of an island paradise with soft-sand, white beaches and shimmering azure waters. But, the Zanzibar Archipelago is so much more than romantic coastlines and blissful sunsets - these islands offer a kaleidoscope of sights, smells and tastes which feed your soul and leave you wanting to return again. Zanzibar is without a doubt a tropical dream destination, ideal for getting away from it all, but it is also a fascinating destination from a historical and cultural perspective, as well as being a top adventure and eco-tourism destination. 1. Blissful beach destination Zanzibar is the home of idyllic beaches, balmy weather & warm tropical waters. This archipelago is renowned for clear warm waters, coral reefs and rich marine diversity making it a perfect under-water destination for snorkelling and diving. If it is lazy days along white sandy beaches that you are after - Zanzibar is hard to beat. But, in addition to the perfect beach destination, Zanzibar is also full of options for nature lovers, culture vultures, and adventurers. 2. Unique and vibrant culture and architecture Zanzibar is fairly undeveloped and enjoys semi-autonomy from mainland Tanzania. The colourful history and rich heritage can be seen in the strong Arabic, Indian, African, Persian and European influences and adds a vibrant dimension to the island. Exploring the cobbled alleyways of historic Stone Town’s old quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you encounter a captivating blend of diverse architectural styles in the mosques and houses interwoven to create this charming destination. Old mansions and palaces, such as the House of Wonders, the old Turkish Baths, as well as lively bazaars, market stalls, and shops all, overwhelm the senses with their energy and detail; which tell the story of a long and tumultuous history. Zanzibar is predominantly Islamic and this is evident in the lifestyle of the locals and the design of everything from furniture and fabric to jewelry and crafts. Look out for the famous carved teak Zanzibar doors. The Dhow Countries Music Academy is a great place to get a feel for the local music style known as Taarab - which is a blend of classical Swahili poetry, percussion, and rhythm infused with a myriad of influences from the Middle East, Africa, India and the West. 3. Exotic spices Zanzibar Island is well known as the Spice Island due to the farming and processing of aromatic spices like cloves, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemongrass and black pepper. Visit spice plantations to learn about the process and history of these crops, their medicinal and culinary uses. Follow the aromas and sample the delicious blend of flavours in the market��street food and traditionally prepared dishes. 4. Romantic getaway Not just aromatic, but also romantic - it's an ideal place to spice things up. With some of the most beautiful lodges and settings in the world, how can the archipelago not be the perfect place for romance? It's the perfect place to take long walks on the beach, relax beside the water and drink cocktails as the sun sets. Zanzibar is, of course, a popular honeymoon and wedding destination. 5. Breakaway - escape the crowds and do your own thing For those looking for something even less populated and developed the neighbouring islands of Pemba, Mafia, Chumbe and Mnemba make wonderful destinations where you are likely to have entire stretches of beach all to your self. There are more than 50 smaller islands that make up this archipelago and many beautiful lodges to choose from. Rent a scooter (moped) to explore the narrow streets and beautiful coastline at your own pace, away from the crowds. The roads are rough in places and the traffic can be a bit hair-raising, but it is the perfect way to enjoy the beautiful weather and go on tailor-made adventures to the lesser-known corners of the islands.op holiday deals in Kenya Best Deals on Major Seasonal Holidays – Valentine, Easter, Madaraka, Mashujaa, Jamhuri & Christmas. Variety of options – Safari adventures, Beach, Getaways & International. Only top-rated destinations & pocket-friendly prices. Weekend Getaway Deals in Kenya Self Drive Holiday Deals in Kenya Outdoor Activities in Kenya Madaraka Express SGR Holiday Deals in Kenya Seasonal holiday Deals in Kenya Top Self Drive Holiday Deals in Kenya If you think you have to travel far to enjoy a nice weekend, you may never get away. Besides, you can enjoy a beautiful weekend right here in Kenya. There are countless wallet-friendly Kenyan self drive getaways that won’t even break your budget. Don’t spend your weekend, doing absolutely nothing at home. Whether you are looking for romantic destinations, pristine beaches, and adventurous outdoor activities, there are plenty wallet-friendly getaways that will satisfy your weekend desires. Malindi & Watamu Self Drive Deals Mombasa South Coast Self Drive Deals Mombasa North Coast Self Drive Deals Masai Mara Self Drive Holiday Packages Lukenya & Machakos Self Drive Meru Holiday Self Drive Deals Mt. Kenya & Aberdare Self Drive Holiday Deals Nyeri Holiday Self Drive Deals Samburu Holiday Self Drive Deals Top Outdoor Activities in Kenya Outdoor activities in Kenya are a great way to experience Kenya, Choosing where to start in Kenya can be overwhelming. The country has many different outdoor activities, ranging from adrenaline-pumping adventures to more meditative outings. Kenya is always a fantastic destination for family bonding. Spending time with the family on weekend is a great opportunity to re-connect and communicate while having fun. Outdoor activities are perfect for those who want to experience a relaxing and refreshing weekend in an amazing place. Do something fun this weekend and spend worthy time with your family. For great weekend bonding, we present to you 6 fun outdoor activities for the family. These outdoor activities are great adventures for you and your family. Hike To Ol Donyo Sabuk & 14 Falls, Thika Chaka Ranch Day Trip – QuadBikes, PaintBalling Ngare Ndare Day Trip Hike (Nanyuki) Kereita Zip Lining & Hiking Day Trip Top Madaraka Express SGR Holiday Deals 2 Nights Malindi & Watamu holiday with SGR 2 Nights Amboseli Holiday With SGR 2 Nights Tsavo Holiday With SGR Sa 2 Nights Voi Holiday With SGR 2 Nights Mombasa North Coast With SGR 2 Nights Mombasa South Coast With SGR Read the full article

[easyfoodnetwork]

Photo-illustration: Eater Expand your collection with these online shops A cup of coffee or tea might seem like such a simple ritual. But our daily cup (or two, or three) owes everything to our colonial, slave-built economy that relied on European and American trade with Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. The legacy of exploitation in the coffee and tea industries still manifests today, depressing wages and earnings for workers and degrading natural ecosystems. One, though not the only, aspect of that legacy is trade. The fair trade movement that solidified in the late 1980s as a Fair Trade certification sought to tip the scales in favor of workers. More recently, the direct trade movement — which, as its name suggests, is built on direct exchanges between farmers and roasters — has emerged as an alternative to create still greater transparency and worker profit. The coronavirus pandemic has upended our most trusted routines, down to how we’re buying and drinking our coffee. Maybe all of this has prompted you to rethink what goes into your daily cup, who made it possible, and who profits. Maybe you’re tired of parsing corporate statements like the one Starbucks produced earlier this month, after it initially prohibited employees from wearing Black Lives Matter shirts. Whether you’re in a rut with your morning brew and want to shake things up, you’re new to home-brewing and aren’t sure where to shop, or you want to support more BIPOC-owned and socially conscious businesses, let this list of 30 sources for buying coffee and tea online be a source of inspiration. These purveyors source their product from around the world, and many are direct trade or are working to reimagine who owns tea and coffee culture. All of them offer online shopping, and some may offer contactless pick-ups. If you like the convenience of subscriptions, many offer those, too. Whole Bean Coffee Many coffee roasters source their beans from at least two global regions. If a specific region or country is the focus, that’s noted below. BLK & Bold: You may have seen BLK & Bold at Whole Foods, but the brand’s selection of blends and single-origin coffees, as well as its teas, is also available directly online. Founded by Rod Johnson and Pernell Cezar, BLK & Bold donates 5 percent of its profits to organizations that benefit young people in Black communities in major cities across America. Black Baza Coffee (India): This coffee roaster and grassroots organization works with growers in India to create a socially and environmentally sustainable model that supports biodiversity — a variety of species essential to healthy and resilient ecosystems. Arabica and robusta coffee beans, as well as chicory, are available from a number of partner coffee producers and microlots. Boon Boona Coffee (East Africa): Boon Boona offers green coffee beans as well as roasted. The company’s founder, Efrem Fesaha, grew up with home-pan-roasted coffee, traditional in East African coffee ceremonies, and saw a demand in Seattle for unroasted beans. Boon Boona partners with farmers in East African countries, including Burundi, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. Coffee Project NY: Besides selling whole bean house blends and single-origin coffees from around the world, Coffee Project NY champions education and certification through the Specialty Coffee Association. What Kaleena Teoh and Chi Sum Ngai started as a small cafe in the East Village has expanded to two other brick-and-mortar locations, including a flagship in Queens. Driftaway Coffee: Anu Menon and Suyog Mody founded Driftaway with social and environmental sustainability in mind. The company, which roasts and ships from Brooklyn, develops long-term relationships with farms in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, and Rwanda and provides price transparency for all offerings. Kahawa 1893 (Kenya): This brand, which shines a spotlight on Kenyan coffee from the Kisii region, gets its name from the year missionaries first planted coffee in Kenya. Margaret Nyamumbo, a third-generation coffee farmer, founded the company to reimagine the coffee supply chain and bring more profit to women farmers in Kenya. Maru Coffee: Los Angeles-based Maru, started by Jacob Park and Joonmo Kim, sells whole beans in seasonal limited editions. It began as a tiny coffee shop that expanded into a larger location in LA’s Arts District, where it began roasting its own coffees from small batches of beans. Nguyen Coffee Supply (Vietnam): Founded by Sahra Nguyen and billing itself as the “first ever Vietnamese-American-owned” coffee importer, all Nguyen arabica and robusta bean coffees are organically grown in Vietnam’s Central Highlands by a fourth-generation farmer known as Mr. Ton and roasted in Brooklyn. The brand currently offers three blends, Loyalty, Courage, and the high-caffeine Grit. Not So Urban Coffee & Roastery: This small-batch micro roaster outside Atlanta roasts a selection of single-origin coffees to order. Its beans are ethically and sustainably sourced from growers around the world, with a current focus on East African countries. Portrait Coffee: Another Atlanta-area roaster, Portrait is based in Southwest Atlanta. It offers a tailored selection of blends and single-origin beans. The company is committed to growing coffee careers in the Historic West End community while changing the face of specialty coffee “to include the black and brown folks who have been cropped out.” Red Bay Coffee: Founded by the Oakland-based artist Keba Konte, Red Bay has a mission of community connection and grower empowerment. It sells a range of coffees online, including Carver’s Dream, a “bright, fruit-forward” blend of Guatemalan and Burundi coffees, and Coltrane, a medium-roast single origin from Colombia Cauca Piendamo with notes of black grape and dark chocolate. Sweet Unity Farms Coffee (Tanzania): Started by David Robinson, the son of baseball titan Jackie Robinson, this farm belongs to a community of third-generation coffee farmers in Tanzania. The brand, which champions community investment and direct trade between farmers and roasters, sells 100 percent Arabica beans grown by family-owned cooperatives in Tanzania and Ethiopia and partners with family-owned roasters in California and New Jersey. Tea Just like coffee, tea is a fresh product that loses complexity and aroma over time, so for specialty teas, always note harvest date. Because a number of tea sellers sell “tea” in the colloquial sense — infusions of botanical ingredients — we use tea here to mean Camellia sinensis as well as yerba mate and herbal infusions. Sellers that specialize exclusively in Camellia sinensis from one region or country of origin are noted below. Adjourn Teahouse: Founded by LaTonia Cokely and based in Washington, D.C., Adjourn specializes in aromatic hand-blended black teas with a wellness focus, incorporating botanicals like blue butterfly pea flowers, lemongrass, carrot, and ginger. Brooklyn Tea: From their store in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Ali Wright and Jamila McGill offer a wide variety of teas, including green and white teas and tea blends, aged pu’ehr and oolong, mate, Rooibos, and other herbal tisanes. Brooklyn Tea partners with Tahuti Ma’at to provide compost to a community garden in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Calabash Tea & Tonic: Owned by a naturopath and fifth-generation herbalist, this D.C.-based company has an express wellness focus and offers herbal tonics alongside its flavored botanical blends. Chai Walli (India): This Australian company, founded by an Indian Australian, works with organic and fair trade farms in India’s Assam Valley to source its tea. The range of small-batch spiced tea blends incorporates Ayurvedic knowledge from the founder’s own family. Ships to the United States. Cuples Tea House: A tea store in Baltimore that ships nationwide, this is a one-stop shop for black and green tea blends, milk oolong, South African mate, and flavored teas, as well as herbal blends like chamomile, South African Rooibos, and hibiscus. Eli Tea: Founded by 2017 Eater Young Gun Elias Majid, this tea shop in Birmingham, Michigan, offers an array of black, green, oolong, and white loose leaf teas, as well as chai blends and herbal teas with transparent sourcing. Just Add Honey Tea Company: This Atlanta-based tea company carries a large selection of caffeinated teas and tea blends, from matcha to a high-caffeine mix of green tea, mate, and dried papaya. It also offers non-caffeinated herbal options, like chicory and cinnamon. INI Sips: A family- and veteran-owned company based in New Britain, Connecticut, this shop sells 16 teas, including one ceremonial-grade matcha, and a small selection of direct trade coffees. Kettl (Japan): Through its unique relationships with tea growers in Japan, Kettl has become the go-to for restaurants and Japanese tea lovers for the freshness and quality of its teas, which, because of supply chains, would not otherwise be available in the U.S. It has a small brick-and-mortar storefront in Manhattan but ships its shincha, matcha, genmaicha, rare Japanese oolong and black tea, and sobacha nationwide. Kolkata Chai Co. (India): Through their New York shop, Ayan and Ani Sanyal — motivated by the appropriation of masala chai that they observed — aim to reclaim chai’s cultural roots. The company currently offers two DIY chai kits, a masala chai with Assam, green cardamom, cinnamon, black cardamom, black pepper, and cloves, and rose masala chai. Matero (South America): With a mission to celebrate yerba mate culture, this online shop sells a wide selection of ethically and sustainably sourced mate from around South America. Loose leaf and tea bags are both available, as are calabaza (porongo) and bombillas. Puehr Brooklyn (China): This Brooklyn-based teashop specializes in aged cake pu’ehr, as you might imagine, but its online shop also offers a variety of oolong, green, and white tea. Raven & Hummingbird Tea Co. (Squamish Nation): A mother and daughter team, T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss and Senaqwila Wyss, are behind this Coast Salish-owned tea company. Their small batch teas are sourced from plants in their Xwemeltchsn community garden in West Vancouver, through wild picking, and from local herbal distributors. Red Lake Nation Foods (Red Lake Nation): A member of the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Red Lake Nation Foods offers a selection of herbal teas and tea blends in addition to wild fruit jellies, jams and syrups, and Red Lake Nation–cultivated wild rice. Serengeti Teas & Spices (Africa): This Harlem fixture isn’t just for herbal teas, although it carries a wide variety, including moringa, Moroccan mint teas, sorrel, South African Rooibos, and turmeric blends. It also specializes in premium and rare coffee, tea, and cocoa from countries around Africa. Song Tea & Ceramics (China and Taiwan): With new selections of teas from China and Taiwan each year, Song Tea is an excellent source for fresh leaves, including green, white, oolong, red, and aged teas. It also offers botanical blends like sobacha, marshmallow, holy basil, and carrot. For those with the budget, Song also offers a small collection of rare aged teas. Té Company (Taiwan): With a small tearoom in lower Manhattan and an impressive online shop, Té first got its start by partnering with fine dining restaurants. It specializes in high quality full leaf oolong tea from Taiwan that would otherwise not be available in the U.S. Besides oolong, it offers green, white, black, and herbal teas, including rare and vintage selections. Everything is sourced directly from tea producers. Tea Drunk (China): Another tea oasis in lower Manhattan with a stocked online shop, Tea Drunk is unique in that it sources and imports directly from heritage tea growers in China. A (virtual) visit to Tea Drunk is an education in and celebration of terroir, season, and craft across green, yellow, white, Wu Long, red, and black teas, including pu’ehr. Katie Okamoto is a Los Angeles–based writer and former editor at Metropolis, the New York–based design and architecture monthly. Find her work at katieokamoto.com and occasionally on Twitter and Instagram. Photo credits: Hand: Prostock-Studio/GettyShelves: Arman Zhenikeyev/Getty from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3hU75iR

http://easyfoodnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-socially-conscious-shoppers-guide.html