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INDONESIA

Tea has been part of the way of life in Indonesia for more than 200 years. Situated in the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Indonesia forms an island chain stretching from Malaysia to Papua New Guinea. Java and Sumatra, two of the largest islands, are the main growing areas. The Dutch founded the tea trade in Indonesia in the 1700s. Tea from Indonesia, India and Ceylon dominated the black market in Britain and Europe until World War II. After the war, the Indonesian tea estates were in very poor condition. Wrecked factories and tea bushes that had reverted to their wild state were just two of the problems which faced the country.

By 1984, after a lot of hard work and investment, tea exports from Indonesia began to make their mark on the tea market. Since that time, improvement in tea production and replanting of old estates has continued, with the factories investing in new machinery. By the end of 1994, Indonesia had some 128,000 hectares under tea cultivation, with 57,000 of these being on Java. In 1994, Indonesia exported over 80,000 tons of tea, accounting for over 8% of world exports.

Teas from Indonesia are light and flavorsome. Most are sold for blending purposes as this produces good financial rewards through foreign exchange for the country. In recent years, however, it has become possible to buy Indonesian tea as a specialty. It is extremely refreshing taken without milk: garnished with lemon, it makes an ideal drink for the figure-conscious.