The first tea farm in Alaska is getting started last week near Fairbanks. And it’s geothermally heated.
Jenny Tse grew up in Fairbanks drinking coffee.
“I drink black coffee,” she said.
Not what you would expect from a world-class tea connoisseur. But Tse is an international-award-winning tea expert, consulted by artisanal growers in Hawaii, India and China And she runs the leading tea manufacturing company in Alaska. Now she will be starting the only tea farm in Alaska.
“I want people to know that tea in Alaska could be grown, be sustainable — and we can have amazing products here in the state,” Tse said.
She came to the idea after 14 years as the proprietor of Sipping Streams, an artisanal tea store on the west side of Fairbanks.
“We do all our own packaging, and labeling and blending. Most people don’t realize we are the leading tea manufacturer in the state,” she said.
She shows visitors a large bag of dried fireweed blossoms, cranberries and the tea leaves that helped earn her reputation…
