The first level of screening of teas for the 15th edition of The Golden Leaf India Awards: Southern Tea Competition was held at UPASI, Coonoor, recently.
According to a press release, the event, conceived by UPASI in collaboration with the Tea Board, is an annual event held for the last 14 years. This year, the contest received 152 entries from 44 estates/companies from different agro-climatic regions - the Nilgiris, Wayanad, High Ranges, Travancore, etc.
A five-member panel did the first level of screening and the final tasting session is likely to be held at Ahmedabad. Auction of TGLIA - 2019 teas will be conducted on March 27. In the multi-level screening process, the teas are ranked for dry leaf appearance, spent leaf appearance, colour, taste, briskness, and strength. The teas that qualified in the first level will be screened for pesticide residue parameters and heavy metals at the NABL accredited laboratory of UPASI Tea Research Foundation, the press release said.