True support for tea farmers, growers, and producers means paying a fair price for your tea

By Jeni Dodd, Jeni Dodd Tea Trust me, I know exactly what you are thinking and how you feel. I have been there. I have lived it and I’m now on the other side with a very different perspective. Ten years ago, at the World Tea Conference + Expo’s “World Origins Tasting Tour,” I tasted a Nepalese white tea that altered my perception entirely. First of all, I had no idea Nepal made tea. Secondly, my thought was “white tea tastes like this???” This was an entirely new flavor profile and sensation for me, and I was completely captivated. Little did I know, this would become my complete obsession and focus for the next decade. As someone with a fledgling tea business at that time, I did what you should do. I went to the booth after the tasting, spoke to the people from Nepal and attempted to buy samples. I wanted to taste the tea with water at home and determine whether I could get others as interested in this tea. I proudly told these men – who had bought plane tickets, were paying for ...