Not coming as a shock to many, our expedition has gained some fuel of the ancient green variety from my own co-founded ‘Jalamteas‘. Michael and I will sip of the tea trees of southern Yunnan with a variety of leaves while we are on our journey through the Himalayas.
One of the world’s most understated fuels, tea, and its pungent green power will be our daily liquid ritual and stimulant. It will also add some weight to my old mantra of ‘fuelled by tea’.
We’ll take a few of our signature cakes of Bada unfermented Puerh – one of this year’s vegetal best (which Jalamteas will be offering in September). It will be the afternoon blast of fresh green and after lunch ‘digestif’. We’ll also take a dose of Lao Banzhang unfermented Puerh (8 years old) from old trees as with age it has become more mild and will be the morning tea of choice.
Tea cakes, along with other ‘formed’ teas were once critical for their ease of transport. They will once again fill that happy role on our own journey. Here some 100 gram Bada cakes and what is left of a Lao Banzhang that will be jammed into a pack and ready for serving daily.
About JeffFuchs
Having lived for a decade in Yunnan, Fuchs’ work has centred on indigenous mountain cultures, oral histories along with an obsessive interest in tea.
Fuchs is the author of 'The Ancient Tea Horse Road' (Viking-Penguin) and he was the subject of 'The Tea Explorer' documentary based on his exploration of the Tea Horse Road.
His photos and stories have appeared on three continents in publications such as Kyoto Journal, TRVL, and Outpost Magazine, as well as The Spanish Expedition Society, The Earth, Silkroad Foundation, The China Post Newspaper, The Toronto Star, The South China Morning Post, and UNESCO amongst others. Various pieces of his work are part of private collections in Europe, North America, and Asia. Fuchs served as Asian Editor at Large for five years at award-winning Outpost magazine.
Jeff has worked with schools and universities, giving talks on both the importance of oral traditions, tea and mountain cultures.
His recently released book ‘The Ancient Tea Horse Road’ (Penguin-Viking Publishers) details his 8-month groundbreaking journey traveling and chronicling one of the world’s great trade routes, The Tea Horse Road. Fuchs is the first westerner to have completed the entire route stretching almost six thousand kilometers through the Himalayas a dozen cultures.
Fuchs partnered with Wild China to create a journey along the Tea Horse Road which National Geographic Traveler called one of the "50 Trips of a Lifetime".
He is co-founder of Akahiao Nature Institute on the island of Hawai'i along with his wife, Julie Rogers.
Aside from the stimulant and comfort of a spot of tea, what else about the tea merits its weight in your pack? Are you taking it for emergency medicinal value? Please explain.
Tea in its raw, un-manipulated form (for us green Puerhs) is an anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory agent that is good generally for throats, phlegm, the stomach and anything that isn’t ‘potently’ wrong with the body. Headaches and digestion are both eased as well. It is also great for when one loses an appetite, which I cannot imagine happening. The old traders I spoke to who travelled the Tea Horse Road swore to tea’s abilities to aid in the high mountains…and whether its addictive grip on me or that there is some truth to their thoughts, it works. It is one of our absolute vitals on this journey – and any of my journeys – as well because to simply open up the tea to share is one of the best offerings one can make in these mountain highlands. It is as much about a commodity that all knew and the offering of it as it is about the leaves themselves…but still we’ll need its healing powers. There is too, an enzyme within ‘good’ teas that sates thirst more quickly than simply water.
Jeff
Excellent information. A “magical” herb that deserves its being packed into the limited expedition payload. Perhaps astronauts at the international space station should have a bit of puer in their kits as well.
Who knows where tea’s underrated abilities as a fuel source could find their liquid powers flowing. I’m thinking, a stash of tea for every endeavour and journey is a must.