India is, after China, the most important tea country. In addition, the country has an own way of growing and processing and a whole own history. India produces on average from 800.000 to 950.000 tonnes of tea. The biggest and most leading tea area in India is Assam. This area is responsible for 45 percent of the total tea production.
The well-known tea types form India are Darjeeling tea and Assam tea. Chai and Masala Chai are herbal blends of very high quality and really popular.
Darjeeling tea
Darjeeling tea is traditionally an exclusive black tea in England and other countries of the former British Empire and is seen as the champagne among the teas. It is a very special black tea with extraordinary quality. The high quality is because the Darjeeling tea is grown on the foothills of the Himalaya in West-Bengalen in India. In fact, on a hight of 1200 to 2000 metres.
The history of the Darjeeling tea goes back to the 1800, when both East-Indian Company and the British Empire got their income from the taxes of the imports of tea from China. After they lost their monopoly in Chinese tea in 1833, they had to find an alternative and keep them close. It became India. At the time India was part of the British Empire and they could ship their tea extremely cheap to the rest of Europa.
Nowadays there is a lot more “Darjeeling” tea being sold than actually being produced. That is why the Tea Board of India developed a logo.
Assam tea
Black tea comes from Assam, India and is being drunk outside of India since 1838. The first quarter of the century this tea could not compete with the Japanese and the Chinese teas which were being consumed since the 17th century. Approximately the half of the entire tea that is being harvested is from India, Assam.
Assam is plucked twice a year, just like the Darjeeling tea. During the First Flush, the first harvest just after the winter and during the Second Flush, leaning towards the end of spring. Tea from the First Flush is lighter in colour and taste. Assam is extremely suitable for making blends. The Assam tea is popular to make the English Breakfast and the Irish Breakfast.
Chai
Besides Assam tea you have Chai which is in the meantime a very well-known verb in Europe. Chai literally means tea in Asia and a few other countries. In the Netherlands we call it Chai tea, which means if you translate it tea tea. When using Chai, you often mean the spicy Indian herbal tea: Masala Chai.
The East India Company was very concerned about the Chinese monopoly on tea and started to establish tea plantations in India.
Around the 1900 the India Tea Company tried to increase the tea consumption in India to promote tea breaks for the workers on the tea plantations. Because the black tea was very expensive, the working class could not afford it. That is when they started drinking only the spices with cream and suger. This was a cheap energy source for themselves! And tadaa, they invented the Masala Chai. Every region in India has their own personlised recipe and not even one Masala Chai is the same.
Tea cultures
“Darjeeling First Flush” is being produced from the first plucking. The leaves are being plucked from March until the end of May. The First Flush is traditionally very luxe and has high quality. This one tastes a little floral. The “Darjeeling Summer Flush”, or the second flush, is the second plucking. This one is being plucked from the end of June until the beginning of July. The Summer Flush, in comparison with the First Flush, is stronger in taste because it is less refined.
From the Pure Tea Collection (loose leaf tea) are the “Classic Strong English” and “Traditional Earl Grey” are blends made with Assam tea.
The “Original Black Spice Chai” and “Red Rooibos Chai” are tea types with a warm taste of all the different spices. You can drink this tea as a normal tea, or you can make a really delicious Chai Latte. Check the recipe “Dirty Chai Latte” on how to make this!
