尼泊尔茶产业的“玫瑰茶”
Nepal Tea Collective’s Rose Reserve Tea
2022 年 7 月，位于尼泊尔东部高原的 Kanchanjangha 茶园和研究中心收获了一些罕见而引人注目的叶子。偶然的，这些叶子落在了一位19岁的天才制茶师Nikesh Gurung手中，他凭借敏锐的感官和加工经验，通宵制作出了尼泊尔的“玫瑰茶”，一款具有独特玫瑰风味和香气的红茶。
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.
品尝过这种茶的茶叶专家被它的香气和玫瑰味道所震撼，它有着层层叠叠的麦芽焦糖味和挥之不去的甜麝香回甘。这个茶100克的价格为100美元，这种独特品质不仅是尼泊尔独特的高海拔微气候和土壤所孕育出的，也体现了新一代制茶师的杰出技艺。
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.
沿着Kanchanjangha 茶园和研究中心的陡坡采摘茶叶
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来。茶叶品种Bannockburn 157号和稀有的野生种Assamica由茶农隔离管理。采摘这些茶叶的时机至关重要，需要精确的降雨和阳光供应，以促进茶叶玫瑰风味和香气的形成。
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.
茶树鲜叶是在第二次采摘期收获的，负责制作今年玫瑰茶的制茶师钱德拉·巴特拉伊(Chandra Bhattarai)满怀期待地等待着茶青。鲜叶的数量是有限的，保证了排它性。2022年仅生产了 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.
制茶师钱德拉在尼泊尔伊拉姆的多位制茶师和大吉岭的制茶师手下接受培训，对他来说，制作“玫瑰茶”是一种荣誉，也是一种挑战。他说：“我知道重现去年的玫瑰茶绝非易事，但我渴望去制作和实践，并将自己的制茶风格融入到这个过程中。”
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.”
玫瑰香是一种很受欢迎的风味，在茶叶中跻身世界前五大香型之列，但钱德拉的工艺是纯净的。他精心照料的茶叶散发出大自然的微妙香味，所用茶树品种的芳香化学物质中包括香叶醇，这是玫瑰最重要的气味成分。
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.
尼泊尔茶叶的历史仍处于起步阶段。然而，能够看到它如何迅速演变成一种独特的文化，并用自己独特的优质茶创造一个发展空间，是令人振奋的。培育和制作稀有玫瑰茶的年轻制茶师的心、聪明才智和精神是尼泊尔茶文化正在成长的标志，为茶界带来了新鲜而令人兴奋的神韵。当全世界的茶叶爱好者品尝这杯茶时，他们也见证了尼泊尔高原地形中正在形成的茶叶历史。
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.
本文章来源自《茶世界》2023年9月，总第499期
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