Miang - The True Origin of Tea
Ever heard of the traditional northern thai food miang? It's perfectly fine if you haven't! Made from the same plant (Camellia sinensis assamica), as we pick our tea leaves from, Miang, actually consist of tea leaves picked in bundles and then fermented in barrels before being consumed. The tradition of eating and using tea for herbal medicines has a history reaching further back in time than tea for drinking, and it is because of miang that we have so much Forest Friendly Tea here in Thailand as tea plants are free to grow high, and in harmony with surrounding nature, when picking the leaves for fermenting. Let's take you through the steps of Miang production!
1. Picking the tea leaves
2. Putting the fresh, larger tea leaves in bundles
3. Letting the leaves decompose in an initial stage of production
4. The bundles of tea can be fermented in barrels for weeks or months, all depending on the farmer's technique
5. The fermentation process is complete and the bundles of tea can now be transported to be sold at local markets
