A note on the issue: Reading the tea leaves
It’s a drink that means many things to different people— and there’s a lot happening around tea today
There are all kinds of indices in the world of commodities—but it’s unlikely you’ve heard of the Teabag Index. Essentially a way to study how quickly or slowly plant matter decomposes over time, researchers at Umeå University in Sweden came up with the index nearly a decade ago during—you’ll guess this one—a tea break. They got citizen scientists around the world to bury teabags (three Rooibos, two green) in all sorts of conditions—parks, meadows, farms, deserts, under permafrost, even underwater. They’ve now collected individual data about how the tea decomposed from 36,000 teabags buried all over the world and published the findings a few days ago. It helps them track soil health in different parts of the world, information that can help with everything from agriculture and conservation to understanding carbon cycles.
Also read: How Indian tea is reinventing for millennials and Gen Z
It does seem fun—contribute to the cause of science and then celebrate with a cup of tea. It’s also an experiment that points to the versatility of tea, which is what our cover story is about this week.
There’s a lot happening around tea—tea lovers are fermenting and flavouring it, bakers are baking with it, mixologists are crafting cocktails with it, wine sommeliers are bottling it, and management bros are trying to isolate its nutritional properties so you can be more efficient about getting the best of it. That last one seems to contradict the idea of taking a break with a relaxing brew, but there’s no doubt that tea producers are trying to elevate tea as well as the drinking experience. Mumbai and Hyderabad have exclusive tea bars, which are definitely on my list of places to visit when I travel to the cities next—even if I don’t drink tea.
It’s a drink that means many things to different people, which is what tea producers are cheerfully betting on. And so, we recommend pouring yourself a nice cup and settling down with Lounge to read all about film, fashion, books, food, art and sports.
Write to the editor at shalini.umachandran@htlive.com
@shalinimb
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Business NewsLoungeA note on the issue: Reading the tea leaves
First Published:6 Jul 2024, 07:00 AM IST
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