Darjeeling also fondly known as the land of Thunderbolt is a town located in West Bengal. It is famous for its beautiful varieties of teas. Darjeeling tea is made up of Chinese variety of Camellia Sinensis leaves. The different varieties of the Darjeeling teasare a. Darjeeling Black tea (most popular and traditional form of Darjeeling tea)b. Darjeeling Green tea c. Darjeeling Oolong and d. Darjeeling White tea (widely appreciated by the connoisseurs).
Darjeeling black tea
It is the oldest and traditional variety of Darjeeling tea. It is hundred percent oxidized form of tea and comes in a number of flavors. The flavor of the tea depends on the season when it is harvested (harvesting time: March ~ November). The flavors are below
- First flush- It is harvested between the months of March to May from the fresh shoots of the tea gardens in Darjeeling. The ‘tea liquor’ obtained is light green in color, aromatic, and mildly astringent.
- Summer flush – It is harvested in the month of June from the bigger and darker tea leaves. The liquor obtained is muscatel flavored, amber colored infusion.
- Monsoon flush – It is harvested between the months of July to September. Being the rainy season, it is a more oxidized form of tea;hence this form of Darjeeling teaprice is much lesser than others. The liquor obtained is relatively darker and stronger due to which it is the most preferred ingredient for Masala Chai.
- Autumnal flush – It is harvested between the months of October to November from the light brown colored leaves of the Darjeeling tea gardens. The infusion is less delicate, coppery in color, and has an intricate aroma.
Darjeeling Green tea
This form of Darjeeling tea is gaining popularity since it has many health benefits. Since this form of tea is steamed and not fermented, the oxidation process doesn’t start. This preserves approximately 60~70% of the anti-oxidizing polyphenols. Polyphenols, ECEG, and Tannin present in the green tea improves the immunity system, stimulates weight loss, lowers anxiety, and improves brain power.
Darjeeling Oolong tea
It is a semi-oxidized form of Darjeeling tea, much lighter than the ‘First flush’ of Black tea. The infusion is usually dark-orange in color with a rare muscatel flavor. This form of tea can only be grown at altitudes 3000 ft. above sea-level and the temperate should be between 5˚C~20˚C. It is also gaining demand amongst tea lovers.
Darjeeling White tea
It has the most delicate aroma with a tinge of sweetness. It has a very mild flavor. The Darjeeling white tea is hand-plucked, sun-dried and hand-rolled. It is very fluffy and light in weight hence, it is highly priced as compared to the other flavors of Darjeeling tea. Due to these unique qualities, this form of tea is widely appreciated by the connoisseurs and exporters of tea.
How to buy Darjeeling tea
How do you buy the best form of Darjeeling tea? Goodricke Tea is a known brand that has a number of tea estates in Darjeeling. If you are a tea lover, you can buy Darjeeling tea online from Goodricke website. Apart from buying Darjeeling tea online, you can also buy the same flavors from popular retail outlets. The tea is packaged and shipped in a manner that the key qualities of the tea are preserved. If any of your friends or relatives loves tea, you can gift them a ‘customized Darjeeling tea pack’ from Goodricke.
