Gorreana facts for kids
Gorreana is a famous tea company from São Miguel Island in the Azores, Portugal. It's super special because it's the oldest tea plantation in all of Europe that's still making tea today! It's also one of only two tea farms still working in the Azores.
Contents
The Story of Gorreana Tea
How Tea Came to the Azores
Long ago, the Azores islands were famous for growing oranges. But around 1864, a plant sickness ruined almost all the orange farms. This was a big problem for the islanders.
A farmer named José do Canto had a clever idea in 1860. He thought, "What if we grew tea instead?" So, he brought the first tea plants to the island.
Learning to Grow Tea
To help the tea industry grow, in 1878, a group called the Society for the Promotion of São Miguel Agriculture invited two tea experts from China. Their names were Lau-a-Pan and Lau-a-Teng. They came all the way from Macau to teach the people of São Miguel how to grow and make tea.
Tea plants grew especially well on the northern hillsides of the island. Tea leaves were usually picked between April and September. Many women and children helped with this important work.
Gorreana's Beginning and Growth
The Gorreana tea plantation officially started in 1883. It was founded by Ermelinda Gago da Camara. After she passed away in 1913, her granddaughter Angelina and her husband Jaime Hintze took over.
Jaime Hintze was a very modern thinker. He updated the farm and gave it the name "Gorreana" in 1926. His son, Fernando Gago da Camara Hintze, took charge in 1945. Later, Fernando's wife, Berta Maria Ferreira de Lima Meirelles, managed the farm after he died in 1961.
In the 1990s, Fernando's daughter, Margarida Meirelles Gago da Camara Hintze, and her husband, Hermano Mota, started running Gorreana. After Hermano passed away in 2013, their children continued the family tradition, managing the tea company.
Challenges and Survival
There used to be many tea companies on São Miguel Island. However, tough times like the world wars and people moving away from the Azores made it hard for them. Also, tea from other places, like Mozambique, created more competition. Because of these challenges, many tea farms closed down. By the 1980s, Gorreana was the only one left still working.
Today, there is one other tea factory on São Miguel called Porto Formoso. It closed in the 1980s but reopened in 2001. However, Gorreana is special because it has been making tea continuously without ever stopping!
How Gorreana Makes Tea
Traditional Production Methods
Gorreana still makes its tea much like it did many years ago. They produce between 30 and 40 tons of tea every year. This shows how dedicated they are to their traditional ways.
In the 1920s, Gorreana tea even had a special note from Rear Admiral Herbert O. Dunn. He was a commander at a nearby U.S. naval base and liked their tea!
Types of Tea and Natural Growing
Gorreana makes different kinds of tea. They produce:
- Black tea: Such as Moinha, Broken Leaf, Pekoe, Orange Pekoe, Ponta Branca, and Oolong.
- Green tea: Like Hysson, Encosta de Bruma, and Pérola.
One amazing thing about Gorreana tea is that it's grown without any pesticides! The island's climate is quite dry, and it's far away from many common plant pests. This natural protection means they don't need to use harmful chemicals to keep their tea plants healthy.
See also
In Spanish: Gorreana para niños
