When it comes to the intersection of culture, food, and drink, few culinary concepts have had as much impact on modern society as tea. It is believed to have originated in modern China, the concept of immersion Camellia sinensis in hot water has left the most amazing mark on the world. Although the drink has had a lasting legacy throughout Europe, being one of the cornerstones of daily life in England, it was also one of the few catalysts for the American Revolution, sending large amounts of tea into New England waters during the Troubles. The Boston Tea Party – and in the current era, people are ready to take action to buy high-quality products, as the founders of Eat The Change Seth Goldman and Spike Mendelsohn met in early 2023.
Goldman, who has been in the tea industry for a long time, acted as a co-founder of the Honest Tea drink, first released in 1998. Coca Cola in 2011 finally showed the destruction of the brand. Last year, the organization made the decision to stop Honest Tea forever, prompting Goldman and Mendelsohn to start a new project through Eat The Change in the Just Ice Tea brand. Committed to researching products from Fair Trade certified farms, the pair set off for Zambezia in northern Mozambique, working hard to get visas and then embarking on a long journey that lasted 60 hours from their departure point. to arrive.
Starting in London, Goldman and Mendelsohn flew to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi before arriving in Mozambique – and once in the country, the pair faced a six-hour journey through winding jungles on dirt roads before reaching their destination. . Although the journey had a rough start, the two encountered the most beautiful place in all of Mozambique: the tea plantations of Cha de Magoma. Inhabited for decades by the civil war that ravaged the country, the area has been redeveloped and turned into a natural resource – and although there is no source of pollution to be found for hundreds of kilometers, the local population has long suffered from the chaos. of the world conflict.
“Besides the 60-hour journey, I think one of the hardest things was seeing firsthand the extreme poverty,” Mendelsohn says. “It really puts your life in perspective and the good opportunities you’ve had.” Working together with representatives of Fairtrade tea estates, the two are helping to establish clean drinking water, adequate educational facilities, and an ambulance to be used in their community, all in line with Eat The Change’s philosophy of bringing good to the world through their means. medicine.
In the north of Mozambique there are many beautiful places, but it is far from the only part of the country that is known for its beauty. In the southern part of the country, Bazaruto Island is one of the leading tourist destinations in the country, marine creatures such as bottlenose dolphins, leatherback sea turtles, and even sea urchins all call this area home. For those hoping to see the famous megafauna in the flesh, Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique is a popular destination, while the capital Maputo is home to luxury hotels like the Polana Serana – but for the founders of Eat the Change, less space. may be similar to relatives Cha de Magoma.
“The tea is amazing, but the most inspiring part of the trip was seeing the villagers living in amazing places,” says Goldman. “The natural beauty and variety is fine without the external inputs needed to grow and support such a large amount of tea.”
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