Paper short abstract:

This paper seeks to explore the ways in which hand made tea in Georgia is in itself the product of broader social and economic crises. It also challenges the western idea of small-scale, locally grown, home made food as an empowering process reuniting consumers with producers.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents ethnographic material obtained between 2015-2016 and shows a part of the ongoing research project. By this presentation I also want to contribute to the current body of research, which seeks to problematise food production and consumption in the former state socialist societies.

In Georgian context, need for changing modes of production from public, industrial to private, home-made is in itself a sign of broader social and economic crisis following decomposition of Soviet Union.

While researching tea production we can observe interesting process - product implemented as collective and factory-made, never meant to be "home-made", had to be translated into individual, small-scale production. Likewise, skills, experience and tools had to be adjusted to the new, post-crisis reality.

Hand-made recreational beverage enabled the creative way of providing family with tea and at the same time created a crafty way of subsidising family income. Until now, money earned from tea is usually used to cover for example education costs of children or grandchildren.

My paper has two main angles. First of all, I want to show the process of re-privatisation of knowledge and skills necessary to produce hand made tea, usually referred to as "artisanal".

Secondly, my paper explores the ways in which knowledge about tea production and "proper" taste of tea are being created and re-created. Embodied skills are being commodified and exoticised as they enter new, global market. I take a close look into the clash between global "professional" tea consumers and local producers discourses.