Darjeeling Tea: Bliss In A Cup

Being a chai-fanatic, I have a weird love for a cup of blissful Darjeeling tea. No matter how many different types of chai I get to try out, the craze for Darjeeling tea stays intact. Do you know why? Let me tell you how I got introduced to this blissful cup of tea. I remember I was 10 years old when my family took a trip to Darjeeling, West Bengal & Gangtok, Sikkim during my winter vacations in school. The trip was amazing as we got to experience snowfall and 7 days of pleasant stay but the best thing I came across was Darjeeling Tea & Assam Tea. Both of them were so different from one another yet provided so much warmth on those cold days.

It’s been so many years since that trip but I end up ordering Darjeeling Tea whenever I get an opportunity. So that’s why today I am going to share some known-unknown facts about my favourite hot beverage.

Unforgettable Flavours 

If you have tried Darjeeling tea, I am sure that you know about the flavours differ from one cup to the other. There are so many different blends, so many recipes and procedures that you can follow to get your perfect cup of tea. But how did Darjeeling tea find its unusual flavour?

There are so many types of black tea available in the market but the unique taste and flavour of Darjeeling tea come from its infusion with the Chinese variant of the ‘Camillia Sinensis’ plant.

If you dig up history, you’ll see how Britishers had a huge amount of tea consumption during the 1850s and China used to be the chief supplier of tea. To avoid paying huge taxes and to break China’s monopoly, the British started looking out for their alternate land in India for tea plantations. That is when they discovered the land of Darjeeling which went on to went the retire hill station for Britishers to escape from the brutal heat of Indian plains. The tea plantations started in 1850 and by 1866, the hill station of Darjeeling had more than 39 tea plantations of around 1000 acres of tea-producing area which has doubled and tripled in the next few years.

Explore Different Types of Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling Tea is harvested and plucked in four flushes between the periods of dormancy as well as growth where each of them has its flavour and aroma. The flush dates depend mostly on nature and not on calendars.

First Flush – This one is picked around Mid-March and May. First flush is generally the most expensive one of all the other types of Darjeeling tea due to its mild fruity notes and delicate flavours.

Second Flush – Picked between June & August, this one has deeper notes of stone fruit like cherry, apricot, muscatel grape and peach.

Third Flush – These are the autumnal harvest leaves that are picked between October and November. The third flush leaves are known to be bolder and when fully oxidized, are welcomed for various tea blends. 

Monsoon Flush – Monsoon season brings in the minor flush where the leaves picked around September comes with rich flavour but with fewer complexities than the first and third flushes. These are not so high in quality and are rarely exported.

Get Healthy With Darjeeling Green Tea

Along with the flavourful black tea, many tea estates are indulging in the plantation of green tea in Darjeeling. This variant is not divided into different flushes but the taste varies between the plucking seasons from March to November.

There are small leaves that are handpicked and further dried for the water to evaporate. Then the leaves are further steamed to prevent any kind of oxidation as unlike black tea, green tea retains its natural colour.

The Darjeeling green tea is known for its flowery aroma, nutty muscatel flavour and light yellowish-green colour that distinguishes it from the other green teas available in the market.

Now that you know so much about Darjeeling tea, why not give it a try before the winters slip away?

Various online stores bring in fresh Darjeeling tea into your living rooms. So without giving it much thought, get your favourite cup of blissful tea!