A cup of Wissotzky tea

Image by wesleyt via Flickr

November 1st, at the first Israeli Tea Party gathering, participants were carrying the W tea bags, as part of the country's brand. But, what it is in a cup of tea ?

Currently, the leading producer and exporter of tea in Israel, Wissotzky Tea was founded in 1849 in Russia.

The history

The company was created by Klonimos Wolf Wissotzky, a young Jew living in Moscow, who studied Torah and sent money to Palestine for the cause of Zionism. He expanded the plantations in Ceylon and India. After he died, in 1904, his heritors opened a branch in America, for attracting the Russian immigration there and further expanded to London, Poland and Italy. The Russian Revolution closed the offices of the company. Its first tea plant production in Israel was created in 1936, by Shimon Zidler.

Currently, the company's tea production plant is located in the industrial area in the Galilee and it is the largest tea manufactory in Israel.

In 2005, after 80 years of absence, the company reopened its offices in Moscow.

It continue to be considered a serious and very much appreciated brand, with an important share of the market. Here is an old ad, witnessing the spirit of the time.

My favorites? The jasmine and caramel sorts…Five o'clock tea time!