Interesting teas for connoisseurs who are looking for something a little eccentric.
Between 1884 and 1914, German planters cultivated numerous crops which included coffee, oil palm, tobacco, kole nuts, and bananas, and they also experimented with growing tea. The first tea bushes were planted in 1914 at Tole on the fertile slopes of Mount Cameroon一West Africa's only active volcano in the southwest of the country, overlooking Limbe on the Atlantic coast.
Tole is situated at an elevation of 2,000 feet above sea-level, and conditions for tea are good Annual rainfall is about 120 inches, temperatures range from 660 to 820F, and humidity is high .The tea plantations cover 66 acres, Although the initial plantings were developed during the 1940s and tea production expanded, the operation was discontinued in 1948 and did not start again until 1952, when several plots of tea were rehabilitated, In 1954, it was decided to develop Tole as a 700-acre estate and by 1968, about 795 acres had been planted, and production of orthodox black teas had reached 685.6 tons annually.
Further tea plantations were developed at Ndu in the steep grasslands of the northwest province. Using seed from Tole and from East Africa, the new plantations were set out in 1957 at an elevation of 7,000 feet, and an orthodox processing factory was built Thus, by 1968, Cameroon had two tea estates comprising of 1,823 acres of tea.
Today, the total area under tea is about 3,890 acres, of which 1,482 acres are planted with cloned tea bushes .The leaf is plucked throughout the year and during the peak season a workforce of 2,300 men and women are employed to harvest the tea. Annual production in 1996 was 4,067.5 tons which increased to 4,629.7 tons in the year 2002 and is expected to continue at this level In the 1950s, all Cameroon tea was sold at the London auctions. Until 1965,60 percent was exported to Europe and Nigeria, but since 1966, a higher proportion has been sold locally. Today, the republics of Chad and Sudan are Cameroons principal markets.
However; modernization of factories, and development and extension of planted areas is continuing, and the introduction of CTC processing is expected to increase offerings to the other tea-buying countries.
Cameroon tea is extremely interesting for connoisseurs who are looking for something a little eccentric. The three factories within this small country produce three very different teas .Totes low-grown teas, Ndu's high-gnown teas, and Djuttitsa's clonal teas are all of excellent quality.
NDU
Characteristics: High-grown orthodox black tea, grown at 7,000 feet Brightly colored liquor.
Brewing hints: Brew 1 teaspoon in a scant 1 cup water at 203°F. Infuse for 2 minutes.
Drinking recommendations: Drink with milk as a morning or afternoon tea.
Djuttitsa Clonal
Characteristics: Good quality, high-grown clonal CTC tea, grown at 5,500 feet. Bright liquor with good flavor.
Brewing hints: Brew 1 teaspoon in a scant 1 cup water at 203°F. Infusc for 3 minutes.
Drinking recommendations: Drink with milk as a morning or afternoon tea.
Tole
Characteristics: Interesting low-grown CTC leaf that gives good, bright color, and medium quality flavor.
Brewing hints: Brew I teaspoon in a scant I cup water at 203°F Infuse for 3 minutes.
Drinking recommendations: Good at any time of day with a little milk.
Recommend our Yixing Tea Sets to brew these teas.
