Origin, Harvest & Tradition – Golden...

These young small-sized leaves provide the tea with the unique flavour and aromatic qualities it is known for around
the world.

Darjeeling
First Flush leaves
are generally younger and undergo less processing and oxidation than other varieties of black tea. It gives
processed First Flush leaves a greener appearance than their counterparts.

Later tea flushes such as; the Second Flush teas are harvested from May to June, or the Monsoon Flush teas are
harvested from June to October are characterized by stronger and bolder flavours. However, these flavours are
noticeably less complex than that of the First Flush. They also experience more intense oxidation during their
processing, resulting in a darker tea.

What Makes Darjeeling Unique?

Darjeeling tea is
a distinct tea species that isn’t actually indigenous to India. It’s a Chinese variety of tea known as Camellia
Sinensis that was planted by the British Government in the 1850s. However, the tea species were able to adapt to the
high altitude misty conditions of the Darjeeling region and grew incredibly well.

This unique setting imparted characteristics to the tea that made it distinct from other Indian or Chinese teas. It
is neither an oolong tea nor a black tea, but still possesses certain characteristics of each one.

Darjeeling First Flush is generally brewed at a lower temperature than other
black teas
due to the fresh and relatively unprocessed nature of its
green leaves. The tea’s complex yet delicate flavour should be enjoyed on its own to enjoy the freshness of the leaves in its
entirety. However, you can add milk and sugar, although at the cost of significantly masking or altering its
distinct flavour.

The Darjeeling Logo

The valuable nature of this tea makes it a prime target for counterfeit tea producers who often attempt to
sell their cheaper lower-quality imitations as actual Darjeeling First Flush. The issue became so prevalent
that the Tea Board of India made it compulsory for producers and sellers to obtain a license prior to
engaging in the sale and distribution of Darjeeling teas.

The Darjeeling logo was also created in 1986 to ensure any producers or distributors of tea that used the Darjeeling
label were meeting strict quality guidelines to preserve the
high quality that Darjeeling tea
is known for.

The Darjeeling region where the tea is grown is almost as exciting to learn about as the tea itself.

Darjeeling and Its Tea

It’s impossible to talk about Darjeeling
First Flush tea
without mentioning the West Bengal region of
Darjeeling
where it’s grown. Darjeeling First Flush derives its unique natural flavours from the extraordinary location where
it’s grown.

The landscape of the Darjeeling region is characterized by misty rolling hills and massive pine trees that provide a
unique view for visitors seeing the region for the first time. The tea estates and gardens where Darjeeling is grown
are located at elevations between 2000ft and 5000ft. Its hilly slopes are lined with fertile soils that are fed by
an ample 3100mm of rainfall annually.

This setting makes for the brief conditions during early spring where Darjeeling First Flush is harvested. The short
length of the harvesting season for Darjeeling First Flush makes it highly sought after by tea connoisseurs. This
high demand coupled with the limited supply makes it more expensive than other varieties of tea. It can often be
found for sale at auctions due to the limited quantity available.

Darjeeling Tea Estates

There are a total of 87 tea estates in the Darjeeling region that have been licensed to produce Darjeeling
tea by the Tea Board of India. These tea estates cover an area of 17,500 hectares and produce 10,000 tons of
tea per year. However, it is estimated that around 40,000 tons of “Darjeeling” tea are sold every year,
implying that the issue of counterfeit tea being sold as authentic Darjeeling remains widespread.

The first Darjeeling teas were grown in 1850 by the British Government, and while ownership of the tea estates may
have changed hands since then, the techniques for growing and harvesting Darjeeling have remained largely unchanged.

Preserving Traditions

Darjeeling tea leaves are still picked by hand to preserve the integrity of the tea bushes to harvest later flushes
and to also provide employment to the many locals who have lived in the region for generations.

The tea industry in Darjeeling employs approximately half the locals living in the region either directly or
indirectly. Since tea harvesting began in Darjeeling, the region has expanded from a small property to a bustling
tourist town that boasts other attractions such as the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which has been
designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Tiger Hill.

With the beginning of
First Flush season, the current months are a great time to visit the Darjeeling region and view the first flush harvesting up close
and learn what makes Darjeeling First Flush the Champagne of Teas.