Tea Plantation and becoming certified tea specialist trip, part 7 the end

Part 7  Tea, tea and more tea please the final part

I have to say I had a great time and wished there was more time to explore Charleston.  I found a great shop that is part of the inspiration for my teashop, Lesesne http://www.shoplesesne.com/ and ate food at some incredible places.

Me touching a tea branch and leaf.

Tea flower

Our bus back to Charleston.

Bye bye!

Tea Plantation and becoming certified tea specialist trip, part 5b

Part 5b.  How tea is made or CTC black tea is made in Charleston Tea Plantation.

Oxidizing

Off to the drying phase

Looks like the drying phase is finished or is finishing

Finished CTC black tea in the green metal bin.  It drops from the shoot on the side into the bin, but I could never get a picture that showed the tea dropping.  Boy did I try, oh well

Tea Plantation and becoming certified tea specialist trip, part 5a

Part 5a How tea is made or CTC black tea is made in Charleston Tea Plantation.  This will be in 2 parts because I believe it is important to see the process.  Please excuse the fuzzy pictures, it is hard to take pictures with glass in the way, especially the first few pictures until I found a better way to take the pictures.

Processing fresh tea leaves. 

Withering

Only other places in the US that have tea plantations are Hawaii and starting some in Oregon, but they are very new.

About to be Crushing, Tearing & Curling (CTC)

Crushing, Tearing & Curling (CTC)

CTC to Oxidizing, see above picture for detail of the bottom right

Tea Plantation and becoming certified tea specialist trip, part 4

Part 4 Where in the world is Jennifer Nowicki?

Can't get there from here....

Hopefully someday, sigh....

These are the places I want to go when I win the lottery.

Here's hoping next week....

Using the same basic equipment Japan does because human labor is too costly

My new ride....

Tea Plantation and becoming certified tea specialist trip, part 3

Here is part 3 that is devoted entirely to tea leaves and tea bushes.  Enjoy

Tea Plantation and becoming certified tea specialist trip, part 2

Part 2 of my trip to Charleston, SC.

Phil is teaching the class about Puer-eh.  He is showing us a tea brick.

Picture taken on the trolley.

Greenery on the plantation that isn't tea

A famous tree that people get married under

Marrying tree again

See this is where I will get married someday...

Tea Plantation and becoming certified tea specialist trip

This will be the first of several posts on my trip to Charleston, SC in 2009 for my last classes taken in order to become a certified tea specialist and touring the Tea Plantation.  One day I would like to go to India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan or China to see tea production there, but for now I am sated with my trip to the Tea Garden in South Carolina.  Here are some pictures of my trip.

Welcoming sign to the tea plantation

Our welcoming sign

Bill Hall, partner of the plantation and third generation tea taster

The building where tea leaves are processed into tea and gift shop

Blurry picture of friends I made on the trip.