Indonesia

Wikipedia: Indonesia | Official Government Website: www.indonesia.go.id/en 
Updated: Nov. 6, 2017 

About Indonesia

Indonesia is a country located on a large archipelago that lies between the continents of Asia and Australia. The country is bordered on land by Malaysia to the north.

Indonesia is the sixth-largest producer of tea worldwide. The production of tea in Indonesian began with Dutch colonialism in the 1700's, declined after World War II, but revived somewhat beginning in the 1980's.

Indonesia produces mostly black tea, but it does produce some green and oolong tea as well. Unlike many tea-producers, most of Indonesia's tea is exported, but the country does also have an active tea culture, consuming some of its locally-grown teas. Most of Indonesia's tea is used in blending, and the country is not well-known as a tea-producing region, but there are a small number of artisan, single-origin teas available from Indonesia.

Climate, geography, and regions

Indonesia's geography is shaped by its location at the subduction zone between two tectonic plates, creating numerous active volcanoes, some, like Mount Tambora, with violent eruptions causing global disruption of weather. The country has a diverse topography, with numerous flat, low-lying areas, and numerous mountain ranges, with the highest point reaching over 16,000ft (over 4800m).

Most of the country has a tropical climate, with subtropical montane climates at higher elevations. The climate is generally humid with high total rainfall in all regions of the country, but the precipitation is seasonal, with most regions experiencing a wet season from November through March and a dry season from July through September. Some regions have a second, brief dry period in March, and in other regions, Februrary is the driest month. With some exceptions, the dry season is less pronounced than the dry winters in mainland of Asia.

The distinct timing of the wet seasons from the pattern of the Asian monsoon drives a different pattern of tea harvests than that across most of China and India.

Deforestation

Much of Indonesia was historically covered by tropical rainforests. Deforestation is a critical issue in Indonesia; in spite of having less than a quarter of the size of Brazil's rainforest, Indonesia has a much higher total rate of deforestation and has severely under-reported its rate of deforestation. Some of the islands have already lost all of their lowland forests, the forests most at risk of clearing due to ease of access. This deforestation has made Indonesia the third largest producer of greenhouse emissions, with 85% of emissionss caused by deforestation.[2]

The government has been struggling to control the deforestation; much of the deforestation is illegal. The pulp-and-paper and palm oil industries are two of the main drivers of illegal logging.[3].

Tea-Producing Regions of Indonesia

Styles of Tea Produced in Indonesia

This is a selection, not an exhaustive listing, of the styles of tea most commonly produced in Indonesia.

Best Indonesian Teas

The notion of the "best" Indonesian teas is subjective, because different people have different tastes. We present the most often-rated and highest-rated teas produced in Indonesia, and allow you to draw your own conclusions.

Browse All Indonesian Teas (24)