In the webinar A Flavorful Journey to Indonesia -Tasting Event and Mini Expo organized by Archipelago Store on 19 November 2021, Teh Walini is present as one of Indonesia's key players in the tea sector.
Walini is a well-known national tea brand in West Java owned by PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VIII. This tea has a wide range of premium and medium products and has its own loyal customers.
In the Coffee, Tea and Cocoa - Tasting Event and Mini Expo, Walini joined to present the history, culture of Indonesian tea and also their great work in producing sustainable products that are also beneficial for surrounding people and future generations.
Together with Hafidz Fikri, International Marketing Team of Walini who presented directly from Bandung, West Java. The following is a complete explanation of the seriousness of PTPN VIII in creating quality tea products.
Through the history of tea presented by Hafidz Fikri, Indonesia is known to have many high quality teas which have even been exported to Europe since 1824.
In Indonesia, Parakan Salak Bogor was the first private commercial tea plantation in 1884. Three years later, the third generation of owners of Parakan Salak Bogor planted Camellia Sinensis Assamica or a plant whose shoots are commonly used as tea drinks around Bandung which have been found to this day.
The growth of tea exports in Indonesia continued to increase in the 1990s. In 1945, the Indonesian government took over all tea plantations owned by private parties which are nowadays managed by PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN).
Indonesia is known to not have a thick central point for serving tea like Japan and China.
However, because Indonesia has a long history and culture of tea from a long time ago, people, especially the Sundanese, usually consume tea in a tradition called Ngariung.
Ngariung is the Sundanese word from "Riung" which means to gather to discuss anything.
"Gathering at coffee shops, gathering at factories and many more. So there is no special ritual" said Hafidz Fikri in his presentation on November 19, 2021.
As the tea producer in Indonesia, PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VIII produces tea by managing 19 productive plantations with an area of 19,000 hectares and the tea leaves are processed directly in 22 tea factories, you know!
PTPN VIII does not only focus on history but also on the quality of the products offered.
They have several products such as Orthodox Tea, CTC Tea and also White Tea.
PTPN VIII conducts tea tasting process that evaluates the appearance of the color, the aroma and the infused leaves.
"We do three tasting processes in each period to produce Orthodox Tea, CTC Tea and also White Tea to ensure the quality of the products that we can serve to the public," said Hafidz.
Not only focusing on their products, PTPN VIII also cares about the environment, proven by certification stating PTPN VIII as a company that is responsible for environmental sustainability.
From the activities of planting to processing product, PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VIII comes up with tea product called Walini.
Walini is a premium tea leaf packaged in a pouch with 3 variants, namely White Tea Silver Needle, Green Tea and Black Tea.
Walini also presents practical products in the form of tea bags, which have six flavors. The flavors offered are Black Tea, Green Tea, Lemon Tea, Lychee Tea, Jasmine Tea and Blackcurrant Tea.
What makes Walini Tea more special than others? Hafidz Fikri explained that Walini has the freshness of production quality because it is processed immediately after harvesting, guys!
"PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII has its own plantation, its own factory. So right after harvest time, usually at 1 pm, the tea leaves are sent directly to the factory and processed there. 2 days later the processed is done and the tea is ready to serve" he explained.
PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII is also known to have experts in the field since the 1960s.
Well, that's a complete explanation of the seriousness of PTPN VIII in creating quality and environmentally friendly tea products based on the history of tea in Indonesia since a long time ago.
