Page 83 - #47 English

Phongsaly was once part of the
Shan (later renamed) Tai Lue Kingdom of
Sipsongpanna (now Xishuangbanna) and
after some wrangling was handed to the
French colonists who then governed Laos.
But culturally and economically
the area remains linked to China, with
small informal paths crossing the border
along which the precious teas are carried.
Around 83% of the tea produced is sold to
Chinese merchants. Once part of the Tea
Horse Trail, the paths are now plied by
motorbikes and beaten-up vans.
While some processing plants are
semi-mechanised, the tea industry of Lao is
both organic and 90% artisanal. Women in
colourful headscarves gossiping as they rid
the sun dried leaves of twigs or incorrectly
rolled leaves. Rolling or ‘disruption’ as its
is delicately known, breaks down the leaf
structure and initiates the process of oxida-
tion and releasing the tea’s juices which
gives the tea flavour. Later it can be lightly
fermented to make the popular Pu’er style
tea or more fermented to make an oolong.
In Lao black tea is known as red tea and
it is readily available from the markets or
direct from the villagers. Popular green
tea thought to have medicinal benefits, is
made by tossing and heating the leaves,
but minimising oxidative processes.

For a long time Phongsaly was geo-
graphically inaccessible from the rest of
Lao. Road access was gruelling, involving a
hungry eleven hour jouncing car trip from
Oudomxai. Now Lao Skyway, a small but
reliable airline, connects Phongsaly province
to the rest of Lao. It’s visual flying, so some-
times lousy weather may cause the flight to
be cancelled. A new road is hewing its way
through the precipitous mountains, so tea
fans will have a choice as to how to take
some time to visit the villages, stay in town
and enjoy the cool calm of the mountains.
For those who love tea, a little ad-
venture and some cool weather in the midst
of our increasing heatwaves, Phongsaly is a
good choice. One doesn’t have to take hair
raising motorbike trips to enjoy the best this
little known province has to offer.

Melody starts her day with a cup
of Earl Grey Tea. An environmental and
geographic writer she is also passionate
about food and Asia, where she has lived for
26 years. She has writ-
ten a book about Lao
elephants called ‘32
Souls’ and contributes
to many international
publications.
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