PTPN Premium Tea Captivates IMF-WB Guests

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia -- Artworks and handicrafts are only few among many Indonesian products displayed at the Indonesia Pavilion, an exhibition co-organized by the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry on the sidelines of the 2018 International Monetary Fund-World Bank annual meeting.

The exhibition, also dubbed as the Indonesia Pavilion, also allows guests to take a sip of an array of premium tea products from state-owned companies' plantations.

Teh Sila, or Sila Tea--a tea brand--offers different variants of tea from Indonesia, each with distinct flavor and scent.

The scent that comes out from Levare Black Tea, for instance, could help one feel relaxed and calm, while that of Silver Needle would make those consuming it feel happy and peaceful.

"Sila tea has had 11 tea variants, and just added three new variants to the product line-up. So, now we have 14 variants," or Sila Tea House owner and founder Iriana Ekasari said on Saturday (13/10/2018) at the Indonesia Pavilion in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Silver Needle--Teh Sila's white tea product--is the most favorite one and has brought the brand to victory at a tea competition in France, she said.

"What's special about Silver Needle is that not only is the tea delicious and does the tea have a one-of-a-kind scent, but it also has high level of antioxidants, thus making it suitable for (anyone adopting) a healthy lifestyle," she said, while showing the product.

Other favorites at Sila Tea House are Rose Tea, Green Tea and Lemongrass Black Tea. Prices also differ from one product to another, depending on their grades.

For example, a 45-gram canister of the white tea--the most rare tea variant--is priced at 175,000 rupiah, a 10-gram mini pouch of white tea carries a price tag of 45,000 rupiah, a 100-gram canister of Lemongrass Black Tea sells for 90,000 rupiah, and a 25-gram mini pouch of Levare Black Tea is priced at 25,000 rupiah.

Iriana started producing Indonesia's premium tea after learning that Indonesians only get to enjoy low-grade tea products despite the fact that Indonesia comes seventh on the world's largest tea exporters list.

"Tea products that Indonesians usually consume are not the premium variants, because most of them have thick flavour and contains colour additives, different from premium ones that usually produce a not-too-thick flavour, and have no colour additives and preservatives," said Iriana, herself also a member at the Indonesia Tea Board.

"We are the seventh largest tea exporter in the world, but most of our high-grade tea products go to (cups of) other people abroad and high-end consumers," she said. (vws)

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