Darjeeling tea

Darjeeling

Type:	Usually sold as Black
Other names:	The Champagne of Teas[citation needed]
Origin:	Darjeeling, India
Quick description:	Fruity, floral, astringent.

Darjeeling tea is a tea from the Darjeeling region in West Bengal, India. It is available as black, white and oolong. When properly brewed, it yields a thin-bodied, light-colored infusion with a floral aroma. The flavor can include a tinge of astringent tannic characteristics, and a musky spiciness sometimes described as "muscatel." Although Darjeeling black teas are marketed commercially as "black tea", almost all of them have incomplete oxidation (<90%), so they are technically more Oolong than black.

Unlike most Indian tea, Darjeeling is normally made from the small-leaved Chinese variety of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, rather than the large-leaved Assam plant (C. sinensis var. assamica). Traditionally, Darjeeling tea is made as black tea; however, Darjeeling oolong and green teas are becoming more commonly produced and easier to find, and a growing number of estates are also producing white teas^{[citation needed]}. After the enactment of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection Act, 1999) in 2003, Darjeeling tea became the first Indian product to receive a GI tag, in 2004-05 through the Indian Patent Office.

History

Further information: History of tea in India

Tea planting in the Indian district of Darjeeling had begun during 1841 by Dr. Campbell^{[citation needed]}, a civil surgeon of the Indian Medical Service. Campbell was transferred to Darjeeling in 1839 and used seeds from China to begin experimental tea planting, a practice that he and others continued during the 1840s. The government also established tea nurseries during that period. Commercial development began during the 1850s.^{[citation needed]}

Designation

Logo of the Darjeeling Tea Association. The central portion is the actual certification mark.

According to the Tea Board of India - "Darjeeling Tea" means: tea which has been cultivated, grown, produced, manufactured and processed in tea gardens (see 'Estates' section below) in the hilly areas of Sadar Sub-Division, only hilly areas of Kalimpong Sub-Division consisting of Samabeong Tea Estate, Ambiok Tea Estate, Mission Hill Tea Estate and Kumai Tea Estate and Kurseong Sub-Division excluding the areas in jurisdiction list 20,21,23,24,29,31 and 33 comprising Siliguri subdivision of New Chumta Tea Estate, Simulbari and Marionbari Tea Estate of Kurseong Police Station in Kurseong Sub-Division of the District of Darjeeling in the State of West Bengal, India grown on picturesque steep slopes up to 4000 ft. Tea which has been processed and manufactured in a factory located in the aforesaid area, which, when brewed, has a distinctive, naturally occurring aroma and taste with light tea liquor and the infused leaf of which has a distinctive fragrance.

Adulteration and falsification are serious problems in the global tea trade;^{[citation needed]} as of 2004 the amount of tea sold as Darjeeling worldwide every year exceeds 40,000 tonnes, while the annual tea production of Darjeeling itself is estimated at only 10,000 tonnes, including local consumption. To combat this situation, the Tea Board of India administers the Darjeeling certification mark and logo (see right). Protection of this tea designation is similar in scope to the protected designation of origin used by the EU for many European cheeses.

Darjeeling tea cannot be grown or manufactured anywhere else in the world, similar to Champagne in that region of France.^{[citation needed]}

Varieties

First flush Darjeeling tea

After steeping

Traditionally, Darjeeling teas are classified as a type of black tea. However, the modern Darjeeling style employs a hard wither (35-40% remaining leaf weight after withering), which in turn causes an incomplete oxidation for many of the best teas of this designation, which technically makes them a form of oolong. Many Darjeeling teas also appear to be a blend of teas oxidized to levels of green, oolong, and black.

• 1st Flush is harvested in mid-March following spring rains, and has a gentle, very light color, aroma, and mild astringency.
• In Between is harvested between the two "flush" periods.
• 2nd Flush is harvested in June and produces an amber, full bodied, muscatel-flavored cup.
• Monsoon or Rains tea is harvested in the monsoon (or rainy season) between 2nd Flush and Autumnal, is less withered, consequently more oxidized, and usually sold at lower prices. It is rarely exported, and often used in Masala chai.
• Autumnal Flush is harvested in the autumn after the rainy season, and has somewhat less delicate flavour and less spicy tones, but fuller body and darker colour.

Darjeeling White Tea

Darjeeling White Tea. Tea with a delicate aroma and brews to a pale golden cup.

This is the white variant of the Darjeeling Tea. It has a delicate aroma and brews to a pale golden cup with a mellow taste and a hint of sweetness. Darjeeling white tea leaves are very fluffy and light; therefore, it is recommended to use more (by volume) when preparing it than one would of other teas.

Processing

The tea is hand picked and rolled by hand and then withered in the sun, making it a rare and popular tea. It is grown in the rainy and cold climate of Darjeeling in India at altitudes of 2000 metres.

Darjeeling Oolong

Darjeeling Oolong tea. Chocolatey Oolong, characteristic of teas from the region.

The Oolong variant of Darjeeling tea has two distinct characters: one is Clonal type and the other is China type. The China type is more similar to Taiwan Oolong and the Clonal type is totally different from it.

Darjeeling Oolong is lighter than usual Darjeeling black tea during First Flush, as it is semi-oxidized. The cup looks light orange and infusion remains green. Darjeeling Oolong in second flush is more accepted worldwide. It is more thick in cup and dark orange in liquor with distinct Muscatel flavours. The China type oolong has very rare muscatel flavour and sells somewhere around US$40–200 per kg. Clonal Oolong has distinct flowery or spicy taste and not much accepted as Darjeeling Oolong Worldwide.

All Darjeeling Gardens are not qualified to produce Darjeeling Oolong maintaining all the factors. Gardens with the following conditions are capable of making Darjeeling Oolong -

1. Altitude (High Altitude at 3000 ft above sea level) is required.
2. Old China bush (Chesima) concentration should be there. At least 40 % of total tea growing area.
3. Clonal type (AV II) is required – at least 25 % at high altitude. (Like Tingling Division Of Singbulli tea Estate.)
4. Area should not absorb too much heat during any time of the season.
5. Average temperature should remain 5–20 °C throughout the season.

Lower Elevation garden can only make the look but they will be far away in flavour which is the main characteristics of Oolong tea. Lower elevation Oolong can be considered as fake darjeeling oolong.

Darjeeling Oolong teas are made from finely plucked leaves usually two leaf and a bud and sometimes withered naturally in sun and air. The withered leaves get hand-rolled and pan-fired at certain temperature. This can also be done in machine. Withered in trough, light rolled in rolling machine and fired at 220 °C in Quality Drier with faster run-through depending on the leaves that has been used.

Grades

When Darjeeling teas are sold, they are graded by size and quality. The grades fall into four basic groups: whole leaf, broken leaf, fannings, and dust.

Whole Leaf

• SFTGFOP: Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe indicates that it contains many tips and are long and wiry in appearance. The liquors are lighter in color.
• FTGFOP: Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe.
• TGFOP: Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe

Broken Leaf consists of small tea leaves or pieces of large leaves.

• FTGBOP: Fine Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe.
• TGBOP: Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe.
• FBOP: Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe.
• BOP: Broken Orange Pekoe.

Fannings consists of even smaller leaf size than the brokens.

• GFOF: Golden Flowery Orange Fannings.
• GOF: Golden Orange Fannings.

Dust represents the lowest grade in classification, consists of small pieces of tea leaves and tea dust.

• D: Dust.

Estates

Mount Kanchenjunga,3° eight-thousander in height and Darjeeling city seen from Tiger Hill

Darjeeling tea plantation

Tea Garden on the way to Rock Garden, Darjeeling

Fresh bud in a tea plant

There are many tea estates (also called "tea gardens") in Darjeeling, each producing teas with different character in taste and aroma. Some of the popular estates include Arya, Chamong, Glenburn, Lingia, Castleton, Jungpana, Makaibari, Margaret's Hope, and Risheehat. Below is a non-exhaustive list:

• Ambootia
• Arya
• Avongrove
• Badamtam
• Balasun
• Bannockburn
• Barnesbeg
• Castleton
• Chamong
• Chongtong
• D'alrus
• Gielle
• Giddapahar
• Ging
• Glenburn
• Goomtee
• Gopaldhara
• Happy Valley
• Hilton
• Jogmaya
• Jungpana
• Kaley Valley
• Kanchan View
• Lingia
• Longview
• Makaibari
• Margaret's Hope
• Mim
• Moondakotee
• Mission Hill
• Nagri
• Namring
• Orange Valley
• Puttabong
• Peshoke
• Phoobsering
• Phuguri
• Poobong
• Potong
• Princeton
• Pussimbing
• Ringtong
• Risheehat
• Rohini
• Runglee Rungliot
• Samabeong
• Seeyok
• Selimbong
• Singbulli
• Singell
• Singla
• Soom
• Soureni
• Snowview
• Steinthal
• Sungma
• Takdah
• Teesta Valley
• Thurbo
• Tindharia
• Tongsong Dtriah
• Tumsong
• Upper Fagu
• Vah Tukvar

See also

• Teekampagne - World’s largest importer of Darjeeling loose tea
• Darjeeling Tea Boutique - Top Ranked Online supplier of Pure Bio Organic Darjeeling Tea.

References

Darjeeling Tea Boutique - The top ranked online supplier of Pure Darjeeling Tea Globally.

www.darjeelingteaboutique.com

External links

• Darjeeling Tea Association website