Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/520302
STiR tea & coffee industry international 19 Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, Malaysia, Kuwait, Thailand, Korea, and, since 2013, Japan. The new green tea flavored popcorn balances the mellow sweetness of CaramelCrisp and bittersweet powdered green matcha grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan's largest tea-growing region. "We have wanted to introduce the flavor since our first launch in 2013. It took a while because we had to test various ways to determine how to maintain the delicate flavor and aroma of matcha when prepared at high temperature," said Kanae Yano, a spokeswoman for Garrett. The company plans to sell more green tea-flavored products in the future. Matcha Caramel- Crisp is available for a limited period at the Garrett Popcorn Harajuku Shops in Tokyo, Chiba, and Nagoya. Learn more at: www.garrettpopcorn.com KENYA Ajiri's Kickstarter campaign The Ajiri Tea Foundation, whose aim is to create a sustainable trade cycle that helps to create jobs and provide education for orphans in western Kenya, have just finished filming for their upcoming Kickstarter campaign. Sarah and Kate Holby, who founded Ajiri Tea in 2008, hope to raise enough money to put their tea into teabags and pack them into envelopes in order to help get the teas into foodservice outlets. The teas will then reach a wider market and bring higher profits for investment in the Foundation's educa- tion program. The range of teas, which includes Kenya black tea and a number of flavored Kenya blends, are currently sold in more than 500 stores in the US and elsewhere. Profits are sponsor 29 students in school and employ 60 women in Kenya. The women make labels for the tea packs and, through the Foundation's micro-savings system known as 'Merry-Go-Round', they each put a portion of their earnings into a collective pot and, each month, this pot of money is given to a different member of the group. The women have used the money to make larger investments such as renting land, buying cows, and most important, paying for their own children's school fees. And after a year-long effort, the women have been able to open bank accounts and secure their savings. Sara Holby was recently awarded the 2015 Leadership Award for Citizenship from the Specialty Food Association. This award recognizes her commitment to creating sustainable employment and education in Kenya, and of course, selling a delicious cup of tea along the way! Learn more at: http://ajiritea.com. NEPAL Rare teas from Sandakphu Sandakphu Tea Plantation and factory sits high in the foothills of Sandakphu Peak in Nepal's Jasbirey Village in Ilam district. It is here that a group of local farmers and shareholders of Sandakphu Processors (P) Ltd, (headed by one of the very few women tea entrepreneurs in the country), is producing Nepal's rarest teas. Sandakphu's tea plants were established in 1990 using cuttings and seed from older gardens in Ilam. These bushes are young and fresh and have high levels of aroma. Now available from the garden are seven specialty teas from four different growing seasons. Ruby Black is a traditional handmade tea from Jasbirey Village and the dark, rusty-brown leaf yields a strong, lively character with a gentle finish; Himalayan hand rolled is crafted by the hands of the village women and gives a fruity liquor with a Matcha flavored popcorn Ajiri field-coordinators Regina Moraa, left, and Duncan Mochache, center right, with Sarah Holby and Kate Holby.