| People | Menba · 门巴 |
| Region | Tibet, Nyingchi: Motuo and Cona counties on the southern slopes of the Himalayas |
| Role | growers |
Tea
墨脱茶 Mòtuō chá — high-altitude gardens in Motuo County on the southern slopes of the Himalayas: first trial plantings in 2011, large-scale establishment from 2013; in Beibeng Township 背崩乡 the Chaqiuka garden covers about 1,100 mu, in Gelin village about 560 mu, across the county over 19,000 mu. Spring leaf is picked by Menba village teams to the standard 一芽二叶 yī yá èr yè, delivered the same day, and withered under a canopy, because sun in the gorge lasts only briefly and the leaf picks up moisture.
Sprout on top
Upright shoot 一芽二叶: a narrow spire of unopened bud and two leaf blades bent downward, leaf edge finely serrated, whitish fuzz on the bud. The picking standard for Motuo garden spring leaf, set upright.
Headwear
巴尔霞 bā’ěrxiá (elsewhere 拔尔嘎) — everyday cap: round crown of black pulu, STRAIGHT crown band of red cloth two cun tall, ochre felt brim with indigo piping; a wedge-shaped notch is left in the edge, worn by men above the right eye. No flare toward the top: the wall runs strictly vertical, the only signature is the notch. The slot for the sprout is in the black crown.
Outline at 6 mm. Straight crown with a bite. A low, even vertical cylinder, edge bitten by a single wedge: differs from zhunya by the absence of a horizontal brim shelf, from korchaga and other flared styles by the wall not spreading anywhere, from gnetok by the closed crown and wedge-shaped notch in the silhouette.
Clothing
Dark red pulu robe to the knee, narrow woven sash, light woven basket on the back for fresh leaf, woven sandals.
Palette
Black pulu crown, brick-red cloth crown band, ochre felt brim, indigo piping, jade-dark leaf green only on the sprout.