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Across the cool, humid highlands of Mauritius, tea fields reveal another side of the island. Their deep-green rows follow the contours of the hills, disappearing into the mist before emerging again along winding country roads. Far from the coast, these landscapes speak of an inland Mauritius shaped by rainfall, altitude and the work of the people who cultivate the land.
Introduced to Mauritius in the eighteenth century, tea gradually became established in the cooler, wetter regions best suited to its cultivation. Every cup still begins in these fields, with a gesture that appears simple but requires considerable precision: the picking of the youngest and most tender leaves.
Tea pickers move carefully between the neatly pruned bushes, selecting the finest shoots by hand. The gesture is swift, exact and repeated hundreds of times throughout the day. Yet this first stage remains crucial, as the quality of the leaves will influence every part of the process that follows.
At the tea factory, the quiet of the plantations gives way to the rhythm of machinery. The freshly harvested leaves are first withered to reduce their moisture content, then rolled or crushed. They are subsequently oxidised, allowing their colour and aromas to develop, before being dried and sorted.
At each stage, timing, temperature and close observation are essential. Tea production relies not only on machinery, but also on the experience of those who can recognise when a leaf is ready, when an aroma has reached the right intensity or when the texture is just as it should be.
This careful process gives rise to the different flavours of Mauritian tea. Some are bold and full-bodied, while others are lighter and more delicate. Vanilla tea, deeply rooted in local habits, reflects Mauritius’ ability to embrace a tradition introduced from elsewhere and give it a character of its own.
Tea in Mauritius is more than an agricultural crop or an everyday drink. It connects the fields to the factory, inherited skills to contemporary techniques, and the harvest to a daily ritual shared across generations.
Behind the steam rising from a cup lies an entire landscape, a chain of craftsmanship and a collective memory.
To drink Mauritian tea is to taste something of the island’s highlands: their cool air, their patience and the quiet dedication of the people who continue to keep this tradition alive.
