Indian Tea

•     Tea bushes were discovered growing wild in Assam in 1836
•     12 chests of tea were sent as the very first shipment to London in 1839
•     First tea auction was held in India in 1861
•     India became the largest exporter of tea to Britain in 1899

The teas of India like its regions and the people who live there. Very interesting concept…

Assam: The Strong One “If strength is your weakness, Assam is your tea”

•     The teas are like the people: bold, robust, harsh and aggressive
•     Birth place of Indian Teas
•     Worlds single largest tea growing region
•     Worlds most used tea
•     900,000,000 lbs of tea is produced yearly
•     Is a very large leaf like the teas in Yunnan, China

Darjeeling: The Exotic One

•     Known as the Champagne of Teas
•     The people of Darjeeling are peaceful, are low spoken, soft and feel like they live in Nirvana on top of the world
•     80 + tea gardens located in the misty section of North-East India
•     Himalaya Mountains
•     Borders Nepal
•     7500 ft elevation

    1st Flush is called “Easter Flush”

•         Europe/Germany are the largest buyers of 1st flush teas but Japan is showing strong interest as well
•         Flavors are often vegetal, green, mild, and astringent

    2nd Flush (Spring)

•         Rains start to arrive until June/July
•         Some of the best Darjeelings are produced during this time of year
•         The green leaf hopper (similar to Taiwan) is part of what makes Darjeeling have the muscatel flavor
•         Very attractive tea with purplish browns, greens and silver tips
•         Coppery infused leaf has a penny color like a fine wine

    Monsoon Flush

•         Rain teas, produced and picked every 4 days
•         Enormous leaf
•         Produced from Mid-July to October
•         Has more color and strength then other flushes
•         More abundant and often used in blends

    Autumnal Flush

•         Light copper, brownish with a malty aroma
•         Produced late October – November

Nilgiri (Blue Mountains): The Forgiving One

•     First teas planted in 1859
•     Like the people of South India: intelligent and peaceful
•     You can’t over steep a Nilgiri tea
•     One of the best teas to use to make a chai concentrate
•     Less tannins and doesn’t cloud which makes it perfect for iced tea
•     Has overtones of a 2nd Flush Darjeeling but cost is less
•     8500 ft altitude and grown year round but best time is Oct – Mar
•     Nilgiri is the only Communist state left in India

Which tea region do you most associate with? Are you a bold Assam character? Are you more gentle like a Darjeeling? More forgiving like a cup of tea from the Nilgiri region? Something to think about as you brew that magical cup of Indian tea.

Sip tea. Feel Happy!