Not so long ago, Kawah Putih lake, high up Mount Patuha in Java, had a mysterious reputation. Locals took the fact that no birds flew over it as a sign, and the whole area was considered to be eerie.

Even without the spooky background, Kawah Putih is remarkable - a lake of acid sat atop a volcano, surrounded by rocks bleached white by sulphur. But what's it got to do with tea?

Suzy from our tea buying team flew out to Java recently, and she explains:

"Kawah Putih gets its suphuric content from the volcano it sits on, which last erupted in the 12th century, and the soil in this area is rich in the kind of nutrients and acidity that tea bushes thrive on."

"Conditions are so good that, while I was on my recent visit, I was able to present one of our suppliers with our first ever quality award for this part of the world."

Suzy's trip to the tea estates of Indonesia was remarkable in lots of ways, so look out for more stories from this part of the world in the near future.