Julie Hoihtinkim & Jemshe Gangte
Co-Founders

Long treasured into deep forest stretches of the wild mountainous terrains in southern Manipur, nature blessed expanses of wild tea trees drew the attention of three siblings, Julie Hoihtinkim & Jemshe Gangte (Co-Founders) who began a tryst with tea reformation. ‘Forest Pick’ was established as a result of this rendezvous, changing the tracks of conventional tea-making to a completely handcrafted art of tea-tending. Thus, this tale of a trio-sibling startup almost framed a picturesque image of nymphs cherishing the vitality of mother forest, using her bountiful resources for the betterment of a tea race. Nonetheless, as opposed to regular tea estates or tea plantations, Forest Pick tea remains untouched by the pollutants of mainland cultivation, chemicals and fertilizers, personifying the purest endowment of Mother Nature that could be brewed in a cup.

Preceded by an exclusive process, the tea-leaves are handpicked

from trees that are centuries old, steamed and hand-rolled followed by a process of drying (sun or charcoal), and natural withering, the reminiscence of which is later pan fried, sorted and packaged. With exotic variations like black, green, oolong and white tea, Forest Pick presents a unique blend of flavored tea additionally proffering the most exclusive and first-of-its-kind smoked tea. The obscure habitation of these trees and their rich bio-diverse milieu add-on flavorsome elements absorbed by the penetrated roots from the mountain soil, found perfectly stirred into every sip. Furthermore, each tea type is thoroughly tested by experts (including the tea taster - Parag Hatibarua (ITMA Certified Tea Master) for quality and market competency before finding its way to a tea cup. The effort and passion that go into each pack further parallels the boosting of mountain economy by shifting livelihood ways from ruinous 'jhuming' cultivation to more resourceful farm/commercial productions thereby preserving the productivity of the forest.

"As opposed to regular tea estates or tea plantations, Forest Pick tea remains untouched by the pollutants of mainland cultivation, chemicals & fertilisers, personifying the purest endowment of Mother Nature that could be brewed in a cup"

Essence, Herbs & Aromas
Like an amber extract infused with untainted forest essence and an aroma that transforms any dull moment to a pleasant experience, Forest Pick is the only producer of wild tea in the country besides a much-concealed tribe in the

craggy landscapes of northern Assam. Dawning its presence in the industry, the company throws-out a well tested limited stock of tea leaves for its consumers, who unfailingly return for more each time. This has driven the sibling-trio to cross limitations into exploring more diverse flavors and tastes of wild tea, currently experimenting with herbal sorts, blending in crude, healthy herbs like mountain pepper and Thai ginger with diverse natural and herbal elements. Moving into further exploration and drawing-out exotic styles of tea and its aromas, Forest Pick is the first ever establishment in the country to indulge in producing fermented tea-balls and tea-cakes adopted from the Pu’er tea styles followed in China.

Wild Tea Strides into Mainstream Markets
Amassing deepened knowledge and edge over the golden beverage and its health benefits, Forest Pick masters the art of brewing a Tea that is purely nurtured by the natural eco-system present in the fertile terrains of the North Indian mountainous region. Striding on these lines, the company currently serves these exoticas on online streams like Amazon and its home website, also holding a stand at several retail stores, including the famed Maati center in Guwahati besides earning some ardent offline B2B trades. Visualizing a splendid clearing at the end of a trial, Forest Pick aims at entering the exports market, as well in the coming financial year.