Isithombe: Ukuziqhenya kweRingwood Hops

Imisiwe sengathi ibanjwe isikhashana esingaphandle kwesikhathi, i-Pride of Ringwood hop cones ibonakala icishe ingabi nasisindo, ama-bract awo aluhlaza agqinswe ngezikali ezithambile, ezeqayo ezibenyezela kancane ngaphansi kokukhanya kwegolide kokukhanya okuhlukanisiwe. Ikhoni eliphambili lilenga ngokugqamile ekugxileni okucijile, i-bract ngayinye efana neqabunga igobeleka ngaphandle ngobuhle obuthule, iveza amaphethini ayinkimbinkimbi achaza ukumila kwale hop yase-Australia ewumfanekiso. Umbala wayo oluhlaza uhluke ngokusobala kungemuva elifudumele, elinoju, okwenza ukwakheka okuzwakala kungokwemvelo ngesikhathi esisodwa futhi kuhlelwe ngokucophelela, njengokungathi imvelo ngokwayo yethula lawa ma-hops njengento yakho kokubili ubuhle nokusetshenziswa. Emuva kwayo, kufiphele kancane ekujuleni kwenkambu engajulile, amakhoni engeziwe amathathu ahambahamba ngokulingana okuvumelanayo, amafomu awo enanela isifanekiso esimaphakathi kuyilapho efiphala kancane efinyelela ekukhipheni okuthambile. Lokhu kusebenzisana kokucaca nokufiphala kudonsa amehlo ombukeli ngokuqondile emininingwaneni emihle yekhoni ehamba phambili—ukwakheka okucashile, imithambo efiphele egijima ku-bract ngayinye, kanye nesiphakamiso se-lupulin esijule phakathi.

Ukukhanyisa kuthuthukisa umuzwa wenhlonipho, kuveza ukukhanya okuthambile endaweni yesehlakalo okukhumbula ihora elimnandi lakusihlwa ehlobo ezinkundleni ze-hop. Nokho lapha, esikhundleni sokuboshwa inhlabathi nama-trellis, ama-cones abonakala entanta ngokukhululekile, ekhululwe emigodini yawo, njengokungathi aphakanyiselwe esimweni sengcebo engavamile noma izinto zobuciko. Le phrezentheshini ye-ethereal igcizelela ukubaluleka kwamasiko nobuciko be-Pride of Ringwood, i-hop eshiye umlando waphakade emlandweni wokwenza utshwala. Idumela layo njengezinhlobonhlobo ezinikeza ukubaba okuqinile kanye nezinongo ezihlukile, amanothi anenhlaka asikiselwa ngobuqili amandla okubona ekhoni yayo—eminyene, eqinile futhi enombala ocebile. Ingemuva, elihunyushwe ngamathoni afudumele, anomhlaba e-amber kanye nensundu, liqinisa ukuhlobana phakathi kwalawa mahops nomhlabathi aphuma kuwo, kukhumbuza isibukeli ukuthi uhambo lwawo olusuka ensimini luye endaweni yokuphuza utshwala lungenye yakho kokubili isiko elizinzile kanye noguquko lokusungula.

Kukhona ukulandisa okuthulile okugxilwe ekuqanjweni, okungagubhi nje kuphela uhlobo oluphathekayo lwama-hops kodwa kanye nezinzwa ezizwakalayo athembisa ukuziletha. Ukugxila okucijile ngaphambili kumema umbukeli ukuba acabange ukuthintwa kwekhoni—ingaphandle layo eliphephezekile, ukunamathela kancane kwamafutha anenhlaka, kanye nephunga elimnandi eliphuma lapho ama-bract ehlikihlwa phakathi kweminwe. Izigaxa zangemuva ezilufifi, ngakolunye uhlangothi, zivusa inala, zikhomba kuso sonke isivuno se-Pride of Ringwood esitshalwe izizukulwane ngezizukulwane ezigodini ezivundile zase-Victoria, e-Australia. Ukuba khona kwazo kusikisela ukuqhubeka, ifa, kanye nomzamo womphakathi wabalimi nabaphisi botshwala abaye balondoloza futhi bafeza lokhu kuhlukahluka phakathi namashumi eminyaka.

Isimo sesimo sesithombe esokucabangela, cishe sihlonipheke, siphakamisa i-hop cone isuka emkhiqizweni wezolimo olula iye kuphawu lobuciko, ukunambitheka, namagugu amasiko. Ngokuhlukanisa ama-cones emoyeni futhi uwagubuzele ekukhanyeni okusagolide, ukwakheka kuvala igebe phakathi kwesayensi nobuciko, ukulima nokuphisa, isiko kanye nokusungula izinto ezintsha. Iba isithombe hhayi nje sokuziqhenya kwe-Ringwood njengesitshalo, kodwa sobunikazi bayo njengesithako esibalulekile ku-alchemy kabhiya-isikhumbuzo sokuthi phakathi kwalezi zigaxa ezincane eziluhlaza kunamandla okubumba ukunambitheka, ukuvusa inkumbulo, nokuxhuma abantu ngesikhathi nendawo ngokusebenzisa isiko lokuhlanganyela lokuphuza nokuphuza.

Isithombe sihlobene: Ama-Hops ku-Beer Brewing: Pride of Ringwood