Invest a little over an hour watching this documentary about tea and you might find yourself contemplating a new connection between rural farming communities and the tea farmers of China. That’s because All in this Tea deals with all aspects of Chinese tea production, but takes a special interest in how a new demand for high quality, organic Chinese tea is creating new opportunities for Chinese rural farmers.

The story begins by focusing on David Lee Hoffman’s elusive quest for rare and perfect teas.

David is a renowned tea importer and to say that he loves tea is an understatement. Based on the passion and knowledge shown in this doc, he seems to live for the stuff. Hoffman sees himself as a cultural zealot, promoting the rich history of simple Chinese farming practices and educating the western world on the merits of drinking pure, organic tea produced in the “Chinese way”.

He makes the act of producing tea seem like the ultimate expression of agricultural art.

His journey takes him to remote, obscure farms where he begins the process of encouraging the Chinese tea board to end mass farming practices and belligerent pesticide uses. His goal is to create a new tea farming economy, one where quality takes precedence over quantity.  If you like tea or if you want to learn more about Chinese tea farming practices, If you’re a tea drinker or know someone who is (don’t we all?) then All in this Tea is the right documentary for you.  For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.