Tea Tip from In Pursuit of Tea:

We get many questions about Darjeeling, both the place and the tea. Here we give some background information about the region and some specifics about the wonderful teas produced there.

Darjeeling is a district of West Bengal, India. It is a days' drive due north of Calcutta, situated in the hills between Nepal and Bhutan. The town lies on a ridge which looks off into the snowy Himalayas and the steep, terraced hills of Sikkim. Historically it was home to a few Bhutia and Lepcha families who benefited from the trade route between Tibet and India. Now it's a crowded hill station surrounded by beautiful rolling hills of tea.

There are about a hundred tea gardens, or estates, each producing tea throughout the year. The plants are dormant during the winter and start producing in March. This first growth is known as First Flush. It's a bit like Beaujolais Nouveau, the first production of the year. As the season progresses the tea becomes more balanced. Darjeeling tea is complex, with notes of mint, honey and Muscadine grapes.

When the summer rains come, the tea quality drops - this is mostly used for blends and bags. When the Monsoon is over, the Autumnal flush is a quality tea produced before the shorter days of winter.

In recent years, the growers in Darjeeling have been making other types of tea, trying their hand at green, oolong and white teas. We have a Darjeeling white tea for those who are interested in trying it.

First Flush characteristics are: light, clear liquor with a fresh grassy taste. The infused leaf has a greenish brightness and a floral scent. Second Flush characteristics are: Darker liquor than the earlier teas, a rounder more mature flavor often with notes of muscatel. The infused leaf is has a coppery gold brightness and a sweet nose.

Autumnal tea characteristics are: A coppery golden leaf with a delicate, distinct flavor. Our Avongrove Autumnal has a nice sweetness to it.

We also have a sampler of each of our current Darjeeling teas at an attractive discount - use your teatip coupon to make it even more attractive!

One final note. Many people ask the meaning of FTGFOP1. It stands for Fine Tippy Golden Flower Orange Pekoe Grade 1.

Past Tea Tips:
Freshness Storage, and Packaging
Sound of Tea
Ceylon
Tieguanyin Oolong Tea
Why Pair Tea with Food?
Tea Classification
White Teas
Display Teas
For more information on drinks and beverages, read Charmaine Solomon's article on well-known drinks you may encounter in Asian travels or upon inspection of the refrigerator section of your local Asian grocer.