Tea picking in Kerala

Tea is picked here in a way that I had not seen before. In Darjeeling, for instance, where they grow and process a finer brand of tea, all the picking is done by hand—just the first three leaves. Here in Kerala they use a tool not unlike a small two handled hedge trimmer with an attachment to collect the leaves.

Naturally, there are more stems and larger tough leaves picked and thrown into the mix than if picked by hand. But this is all sifted out later at the factory. They pick a lot more volume this way, but the quality of the tea suffers. Most of this tea is used to produce commercial grade powder for restaurants. Some is exported.

It's a beautiful sight to see acre upon acre of manicured tea bushes—dark green with the sun glinting off every leaf. It's very quiet around these parts except for the friendly chatter of the pickers.