Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling is praised and appreciated by tealovers from all over the world. Darjeeling is a tea that perfectly suits the current season due to its rich, fresh and fruity taste. In this blog you will learn more about this special tea and how you can best serve the Darjeeling to your guests.

The Darjeeling tea

Darjeeling tea gets its name because it's grown in the famous 'Darjeeling' tea district in India. The tea is grown at the foot of the snowy Himalaya Mountains. As a result, the tea owes its excellent quality to the cold, humid and high altitude. The Darjeeling is known among connoisseurs as a muscat flavor, with similarities of the French muscat wine.

The Darjeeling First Flush

The Darjeeling First Flush, also known as the Royal First Flush, is the first pick after the winter break. It is the 'champagne' among the teas. The Darjeeling leaves are picked from mid-March to the end of May. The tea exudes real luxury and is specially flown over. The leaves of the First Flush are green in color. This color is due to the fact that the first picked leaves are very soft and are minimally rolled. Then the leaves are immediately dried and the oxidation process stops. Due to the minimal oxidation, the leaves retain their fresh green color. In addition, the minimal oxidation of the First Flush results in a tea with less 'body' but a more intense aroma. The Darjeeling First Flush is known for its fresh, fruity and floral taste.
The leaves of a later picking season are rolled under a higher pressure and oxidize approximately between 2 to 3 hours further than the First Flush. This way of oxidation then results in a more spicy taste.

What makes this tea so special?

Darjeeling tea is one of the few teas with seasons. The Darjeeling has 4 harvests that all vary in taste, of which the spring harvest (Darjeeling First Flush) is the most special. Due to the cold of winter, these tea leaves grow slowly, and this gives extra flavor to this tea. This slow growth is good for the taste, but not the volume. This makes the First Flush even more special and is therefore more expensive in price. At the moment the First Flush is flown from India, so the best time to try the Darjeeling First Flush is now. 
Many people in the world think the Darjeeling is the best tea in the world!

How do you drink Darjeeling tea?

The Darjeeling tea is known for its specific flavors that can be described as fruity and spicy. The tea has a nice aroma and therefore has a recognizable character. The ideal way to drink this tea is different for everyone. In order to bring out the flavors of the Darjeeling as well as possible, the level of oxygen is important, think of mineral poor water. In addition, a temperature of 95 ° degrees for the water is desirable. If you have good quality Darjeeling at home, you don't need more than 2 grams of Darjeeling per cup. Let the tea steep for about 5 minutes, this is closely related to the desired strength of tea. This creates the ideal situation for a delicious tea moment with Darjeeling tea.

Foodpairing with Darjeeling tea

With this beautiful tea you can give your dishes a real boost in taste. We have put together food tips and ideas for you. As described, the Darjeeling First Flush has a fresh, fruity and floral taste. These aromas and flavors go perfectly with earthy and creamy flavors, think of carrot cake, smoked salmon and goat's cheeses for example. 

A delicious dish is the chicken with couscous and a zucchini cream sauce from 'Theesommelier.me'. This dish makes the tea fresher and spicier and gives it more depth. This gives the chicken extra flavor and the tea strengthened the spices in the dish. The couscous brings in more umami. After the dish, the tea brings a floral, fresh and fruity taste.
For more dishes with tea, take a look at our website! 

This is a nice tea to enjoy in the spring or summer. Broaden your taste and discover the flavors of the Darjeeling First Flush tea.