The Tea region of Assam and the type of tea grown here.
ASSAM, the Shangri-La of north-eastern India, is also the motherland of tea.
Tea here grows on flat lands within the falls of the Himalayas, mount Naga, and Patkoi bordering countries like China, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
It was here in the upper Assam region where the T pioneers first venture forth in a bid to grow in India along the banks of the river Dibru It was here that Robert Bruce first met the Shipho chief where he found the trees of tea growing.
The countryside of Assam is full of tea gardens. There are specific passing towns known as bought tea leave factories that service a large number of small tea growers around this area towns like Tinsukia, Dikom Chabua, and Panitola.
The history also mentions that Charles Alexander Bruce with the help of Chinese tea makers attempted to make tea this reading region today known as Makum which means meeting point in Chinese is still a popular tea factory town.
Some of the tea factories here are present from the British Raj.
Well-known companies like Mkcl, Russell India Ltd, ASSAM Company Ltd, Goodrich Group Ltd, et cetera had railroads running right up to the gate so that the leaves could be collected for quick processing.
The beautiful and scenic Tokai experimental station established in 1911 is surrounded by old trees and beautiful gardens with an exotic lotus pond. The institute has sophisticated laboratories with Agro scientists who conduct constant research for soil and improvement quality enhancement of the tea plant. It is Pride to have achieved one of the greatest feats in history which is the development of the TV1, the first-ever clone for the propagation of the tea plant.
Mrs AC, Tunstall wife of a scientist who is interested in botany, successfully created this clone and the region holds the Badush, from which, for the first time the tea plant was grown from a cutting rather than a seed.
Tea Research Association has been managing the experimental station funded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Board of India.
ASSAM holds a special place in the world tea market, Guwahati, the capital of the state is one of the largest centers for auctions in the world.
Assam is the single largest tea-growing region in the world. It holds 51% of tea sold in the Indian market. It has its own variety of the Camellia sinensis variety Assamica. This structure of the plant is a single tree-like trunk and has lived for over 50 years.
ASSAM currently has 2500+ tea gardens producing approximately 1500 million kilograms of tea.
Assam Tea Aroma, Flavour and Body
The ASSAM T variety is rich and multi with a full-bodied liquor enough to come through milk and even sugar. It has Koli tonnes and the maximum CTC is produced by the ASSAM variant. The Orthodox Assam is a black tea, which is full-bodied in liquor and is very sought-after by connoisseurs of the world!
The various flushes or the tea growing cycle for Assam tea is the first flush, The second flush, and the autumn flush.
Just like the different qualities and characteristics of the wine are affected by a number of variables like changes in climate, rainfall and the sun and shade so does tea.
Let’s begin with the ASSAM first flush.
The first flash is the first shoot after the do-see or sleeping period. After the cold weather, it starts in March. The tea here is fresh slightly green lingering after taste. It’s good for blends and as a breakfast, this tea can go well with morning breakfast items like sweet cakes, Samoleina cakes, bananas, bread, and your regular butter toast.
Assam 2nd Flush
This is the prime flash. It is rich in aroma. It is multi-slightly sweet, full-bodied, thick liquor with copper tones, and beautiful with milk and even sugar. If used as orthodox, you can compare the tea with ginger and honey cookies even your Samosa and duck glass or raisin bread will go very well with different kinds of muffins to bear well with this flush.
If the Assam 2nd Flush is being used for CTC, that is the cut-tear curl method of tea which is used in most Indian households. This can literally take any Indian heavy flavour full of spices. You can put your maala sandwiches or your Punjabi Samosa, vegetable chops, egg rolls, or even Mirchi Pakora. This can bear it all, and yet you will be able to taste the tea coming through, despite the heavy flavours of Indian food.
Assam 2nd Flush is harvested from May to July and the orthodox version of this tea is very sought after in international markets and even sells close to a hundred thousand Indian rupees per kilogram of tea.
Next ASSAM autumn flash, this flush is a little weak, therefore, it is used in blends.
All the ASSAM flushes are really good morning and afternoon tea because of the slightly higher caffeine content present in them.
There are some beautiful bungalows and homestays with a variety of festivals and foods to save up. Do check out and blog.
The Tea region of Darjeeling and the type of tea grown here.
Darjeeling, the state of West Bengal is a jewel in the Indian treasure of tea. It is bordered by Nepal and India. It is set at a height of almost 7000 feet above sea level and enjoys its name derived from the mythological scripture of Lord Indra, the God of rain. It’s called Dorje Ling or Abode of Thunderbolt.
True enough, the region is overcome by whimsical, clouds and constant humidity with a unique acid character to the Hills and thus emerges the world’s most celebrated tea, Darjeeling tea.
Just like no other wine can be labeled as champagne, so no other tea is permitted to be labeled Darjeeling because it is accredited with geographical indication by THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANISATION.
As compared to Assam, Darjeeling only produces around 10,000,000 kg of tea from around 17,500+ hectares of land does assumed there are around 87 tea gardens sprinkled around the districts of Darjeeling, such as Kurseong, Sardar division, and Kalimpong.
The flavour and aroma of Darjeeling
Darjeeling tea is mainly made in the orthodox form. However, some CTC is also being produced. They have a light delicate liquor, flavour, and aroma lighter than that of the ASSAM variant. They have small leaves and are made from Camellia Sinensis variety Sinensis.
The Darjeeling leaves are almost similar to Chinese tea because saplings were smuggled into India and successful growth was seen in Darjeeling. Therefore, the characteristics of the tea are smaller leaves. Just like the Chinese variant Darjeeling tea has been experimented a multiple times by the research association in India and surprisingly, Darjeeling tea has never been given a similar flavour in the Himachal region or the Negi region of India. Surprisingly enough when saplings were caught from these regions and planted in Darjeeling, similar light flavours due to the terroir and the combination of UV rays made the tea special, the Darjeeling plant is a push with multi-stem characteristics, unlike the ASSAM plant which is a single trunk like structure.
That Darjeeling tea plant can live up to 150 years.
Speaking of the various Darjeeling flushes or the growth cycle of the plant.
Only 1% of India’s tea comes from this region because the plucking is difficult due to the terrain and the weathering process is difficult compared to the robust ASSAM tea.
Darjeeling the first flush
After dormancy during winter, the first shoots appear from March to April.
The flavours are so delicate, light, and floral that tea is in demand by the top tea connoisseurs of the world and as well exported in Japan and Europe, also USA.
This tea can be paired with very delicate flavours that do not overpower this natural beauty of floral taste.
This light floral spring tea can be paired with beautiful and light fruit and cinnamon cakes, walnut cookies, cardamom sweets, rose cookies, and Light crumbled muffins, so has to not overpower the tea.
Darjeeling 2nd Flush
This tea is picked between May and June and is a full-bodied tea with brighter notes and a stronger fruity flavour, perfect for afternoon and evening.
2nd Flush MUSCATEL
About two weeks in the 2nd Flush, if nature plays magic Green flies that breed for a short spell to enjoy the sap of the leaves. Start breeding on these leaves. As a result, the leaf gets bruised, inducing an enzyme reaction, and its water content gets reduced, resulting in tuje publish color, which Inhibits the growth and gives it a concentrated aroma.
It’s called MUSCATEL.
It’s called muscatel tea because the flavour is similar to that of muscat grapes, and also has a popular taste with Wines.
Monsoon flush from July to September results in a lower bouquet of flowers and fruits, and is useful for blends!
Autumn flush from October to November. This flash has larger leaves. It is full-bodied with a copper liquor. This tea can be paid well with lemon cakes, oatmeal, and raisin cookies, and also creamy cheesy and carrot cakes.
Darjeeling is a beautiful place, having heritage schools, railways, world Heritage, UNESCO sites, and a few of the most popular tea Estates and homestays in India.
Do refer to the TEA tourism blog for the same
Tea regions of Southern India and the type of tea grown here
The Southern region of the Nilgiris and coastal western Ghats have a disposition very different from those in the Himalayas. Here the hilly region has a subtropical setting where the winters are not too severe and humidity stoked by two cycles. Therefore, there are no seasonal flushes, and the flourishes throughout the year, making the Southern region, possibly the highest yield of tea in the world.
Teas from the South region have a flavour and keynotes of their own. They are rich red and gold in liquor, and the tea is and clear ideal of Perfect to make an iced tea. Tea is very different from the body and color of an Assam. Nor is it pale and delicate like the Darjeeling variety.
The liquor and body of a Neil Giri tea are somewhere in between the flavours of an Assam tea and a Darjeeling tea. They have neutral liquor, subtle flavours, and aromas. They are crisp and clear and perfect for enjoying with all without milk.
The tease from these regions is ideal for making a B blend. They apprised low due to their perennial production. 50% of the tease from this region is exported.
Most of the teams are CTC and some good orthodox varieties are available the most popular and finest tea comes during the cold weather and is known as the winter or frost tea.
The Nilgiri region has almost 350 factories that keep on running throughout the year producing millions of kilograms of tea that is sold every week at the auction centre. There are approximately 45,000 smallholders cultivating 4 acres of the land.
- Tamil Nadu has 120 Tea Estates.
- Kerala has 95 tea estates
- Karnataka has 16 tea estates as it is more popular with coffee, plantations.
Due to the biodiversity and wearing elevations South, India produces several characteristics of tea that range from strong to light being generally bright in colour and possessing pleasing aroma.
The top Tamil Nadu regions produce good quality, orthodox, and CTC.
Teas from Ooty
At an elevation of a gentle 1200 m, The is dark and strong, and as the elevation rises, the tees become lighter and floral from the Chinese strain of the seat, good quality orthodox are produced here by Chamraj and Korakundah tea estates.
Teas from Coonoor
One of the oldest and most historic Dunsdale estates is present here at a high elevation.
There is the Thiashola plantations Private Limited that used Chinese prisoners of war to plant The tea is here.
Teas from the Annamalai
This area is a land of thick rainforest with the town of Chinnkallar receiving the second-highest rainfall in India companies like
Jay Shree Estate
B.k Birla group
Mudis group is present here
Wayananad and Nelliyampathy Tea
Extending to the Kundah Nilgiri range all the way to the Malabar coast like merging Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Has a boggled history of uprooting coffee plantations, gold mining, and finally tea plantations.
Many organic tea estates exist in this area such as the Poabs Organic Estate.
Companies like
Mudis
Woodbriar
BK Birla
Harrisons Malayalam Limited
Teas from Kerala
Teas from the Idukki district
This district in Kerala can be considered the heart from where the tea Trail begins with the city of Kochi, which has the nearest airport.
The old town still exhibits, splendid imagery of the past, where ships at sale with the cargo of tea dispatched from the Madras presidency during the British Raj.
Companies like Harrison Malayalam have headquarters here.
Kerala is also home to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Vandiperiyar.
Tease from Munnar
Munna is an acquitted town of the Idukki district nestling in the high range of the Kannan Devan Hills.
The first tea plantation was in 1880 at the Sevenmalley estate.
One can visit the prestigious and vintage planters club and museum when here.
Tea is here mostly strong, full-bodied with an orange, gold, liquor, and flavour that has a slightly fruity hint.
A few other companies that have gardens here are
Nallathani tea estate
Woodbriars group
Lockhart and pannier tea rate
Harrison Malayalam group
Teas from Karnataka
Chikmagalur
This little town is set a miss the Budan Giri Hills of the Western Ghats.
Primarily a coffee-growing region. They have little, but good quality CTC, and the new-generation plantations have higher yields.
Teas from Coorg
Though small tea, Belts produce a whooping, 5000 kg of tea, finding a relevant place on India’s team map.
Thus ending our journey for the Southern part of India and the mixed varieties of teas that are grown here, right from simple fruity to complex and full-bodied, All can be found here.
Do refer to our next block for pointers on Tea tourism and more in the Southern region of India
The other tea regions in India and the types of teas they grow.
Apart from the three main regional tea-growing Belts in India, there are other smaller tea-growing pockets that make a discrete do important contribution to the country. Total output of produce.
These smaller pockets of Tea growers are practical tea as they are inexpensive and are preferred enormously for the domestic markets and for making blends.
These pockets are located along the foothills of the Himalayas. Besides Assam. There are six other states that produce tea. Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Mizoram. The major share coming from Tripura of almost 7.8 million kg of tea.
The most popular in the region on the foothills of the Himalayas are DOOARS AND TERAI.
Elevation: Teas are grown at elevations ranging from 90 to 1750 meters above sea level.
Annual Rainfall: About 350cm.
Nestling just below Darjeeling, at the Himalayan foothills, is a land shared by jumbos, rhinos, deciduous forests, gurgling streams, and tea. The tea-growing areas in the district of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, along with a small part of Coochbehar District, are popularly known as Dooars, which is bound by Bhutan and Darjeeling district in the northwest, Coochbehar District and Bangladesh in the south and Assam in the east. Dooars (which means doors in Bengali, Assamese, and Nepali) is the gateway to the North East and Bhutan. Although tea cultivation in Dooars was primarily engineered by the British planters through their agency enterprises, there was a significant contribution of Indian entrepreneurs who set up a considerable number of new plantations with the issuance of grants of lands in a phased manner.
Tea Attributes flavour profiles:- The Dooars-Terai tea is characterized by a bright, smooth, and full-bodied liquor that’s a wee bit lighter than Assam tea.
And because most of these teas are used as CTC, they can pair well with almost any Indian snack right from Namak para to Jeera biscuits, cheese biscuits, Paneer rolls, Bajhiyas, Samosa, etc. The region produces approximately 147+ million kilograms of tea annually.
Many large companies like McLeod Russel, Goodricke, Duncan Industries, Octavius Tea, and various other plantations are present here.
In the north and the northwest region of the Himalayas, tea valleys in Uttarakhand, close to the state capital of Dehradun, produce organic and remarkable quality and flavour
The popular Kangra Valley in the north-west region chiefly produces green tea and good quality, orthodox black tea, which has a GI certification at the national level and these tees are exported to international markets.
The Kangra tea plant originates from the Chinese seed and due to its unique characteristics has been given the GI certification, although only 850,000 kg of tea is produced every year due to the Chinese variant, similar to the Darjeeling leaf they are very delicate and light, and fruity in nature with sweet undertones and is less astringent compared to the Darjeeling.
The first flush here is delicate, and fruity, and has a light golden, clear liquor. Well suited for ready-to-drink iced teas.
Foods that go well with those delicate teas are the classic Tibetan noodle soups, and European baked items so light creamy not to overpowering foods so as not to drown the taste of the teas.
- Broths and light soups
- Creamy sandwiches
- Sponge cakes
- Rose cookies or cakes
- Walnut cakes
- Light muffins
- White choco chip cookies
- Oat and honey biscuits etc
During the British Raj, the Kangra Valley area had flourished, however, by a sad work of feet in 1905, the Kangra Valley changed when it was devastated by a great earthquake, and the factories till today lie in ruin however, it developed a great market that is well appreciated in Kashmir, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
There are many well-known such as Wah tea, Him tea, Manjee Valley tea, and Himalayan Kangra tea present in this region.
The Kangra Valley lies in the region where one can produce white black, long, and green tea among the largest of the Tea growers is Mann’s Dharamshala Tea Company, where visitors can take a tour of the garden and visit the tea factory.
This region of the Himalayas is a true wonder of nature where one can see many monasteries mingling with Tea estates mingling with Hindu Culture, Tibetan culture, Colonial history, Art, and treks and is very popular among the Hollywood stars you have to visit this picturesque beauty and see the exile home of The Dalai Lama to believe how beautiful and serene this place.
Art mixes, adventure mixes, Zen culture, all in one place.
So Tealicious
Do visit our next travel blog for tips and tricks to visit Dharamshala and the Himalayan foot along with a delightful tea trip.