Manipur Wild Galangal Black Tea

This tea is intriguing as it is absolutely wild! The tea bushes in the forests of Manipur have grown in the wild and naturally for centuries. The galangal in this black tea also grows wild in the forest. Galangal is a rhizome belonging to the same family as ginger and is a culinary spice in south-east Asian cooking. Based on Ayurveda, galangal also has medicinal properties and helps with digestion. The wild galangal used in this tea, is of the lesser galangal variety and has a fennel flavor instead of the usual ginger and pepper flavors. When it mingles with the woody forest notes of the wild tea leaves, the combination is sublime and gives an immense sense of satisfaction.  The method of infusing the galangal rhizome flavors in the black tea is rigorous and meticulous. Unlike most blending, which is done by mixing dried tea leaves with dried herbs and spices, the blending of the wild galangal black tea is adopted from the method used to infuse flavors of jasmine in Chinese jasmine teas. Fresh galangal rhizomes are blended overnight with fresh wild tea leaves in a basket, separated in the morning, and then the tea leaves alone are sun-dried. The process is then repeated several times to achieve the right flavors and aromas. It has been thought that this method of blending gives a lovely aromatic infusion of flavors.