The Highlands are like Malaysia's vege patch. There are countless market gardens growing all kinds of fruit and vegetables, in particular strawberries, which the area is famous for. Stalls selling strawberry-themed merchandise line the roads.
It's also a very British area, with Tudor-themed buildings sitting rather oddly in the jungle landscape. We were here to learn about that most British of institution, tea, at BOH's Sungei Palas plantation and tea centre.Once you get into the plantation's grounds tea is everywhere you look, the bushes growing closely together in wavy lines that ripple over the hillsides, resulting in a sort of Dr Seuss effect.
BOH (Best of Highlands) Tea was started by British businessman J.A Russell in 1929 after he realised the land in the Cameron Highlands would be excellent for growing tea.
The company now owns four plantations, three in the Highlands and one in the lowlands, and produces around 600 tonnes of tea per year or 5.5 million cups per day - almost, but not enough to satisfy the Malaysian market.We took a tour of the factory where we could see the various stages involved in creating the perfect blend. Once the tea leaves have been picked they are withered for 15 to 20 hours, which removes most of the moisture in the leaves.
Next they are rolled and twisted to break open the surface of the leaves so natural fermentation, or oxidisation, can occur. This takes about two to three hours, during which process the leaves turn a coppery colour and develop much of their flavour or aroma.The leaves are then fed through a drying machine, heated by burning rubber wood branches, where they are blasted with hot air at almost 100 degrees celsius. This stops the fermentation process in its tracks and dries the leaves almost completely, crystallising the juices so the leaves attain their usual black colour.
The result is a mixture of tea leaves and bits of twig and other waste, which is sorted and graded in vibrating sieves. Batches are tested every half an hour to ensure quality.We repaired to the tasting room for a lesson in creating the perfect tea. Our guide clearly prided himself on his educational style, having a habit of asking us questions and then scoffing at us for our hazarded guesses. "For your kind information" (his favourite phrase) there are only three types of tea: black, oolong (red) and green. Get this wrong at your peril.
Want to know how to create the perfect brew? Brew it for three to five minutes max. No longer - and if you're using teabags (frowned upon, but sometimes necessary) you only want it in there for three minutes.Brew your drink in a porcelain pot and never reboil the kettle. You have been warned.
Thus instructed in the art of tea-making, we carried on our way to the Cameron Highlands Resort, where I was to get up close and personal with the area's other staple crop: the humble strawberry.
Amy Williams travelled to Malaysia courtesy of Malaysia Airlines and Tourism Malaysia.
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