Temi Tea Estate The Temi Tea Estate and its history when narrated to a person, who doesn’t know, may sound like a legendary saga that had all its stars rightly aligned for it. It starts with China capturing Tibet and a group of refugees looking toward India for help. The Temi saga:…
Darjeeling Tea Gardens THE INCEPTION: Darjeeling Tea Gardens, according to records, the first commercial tea gardens planted out by the British tea interest were Tukvar, Steinthal, and Aloobari tea estates. This was in 1852 and this entire plantation used seeds that were raised in the government nurseries. Darjeeling was then…
Arya Tea Estate Arya Tea Estate was earlier known as ‘Sidrabong’ till 1885 when it was renamed Arya Tea Estate by a group of Buddhist Monks. In the early 19th Century, the Buddhist Monks were so fascinated with the beauty and serenity of the valley that an attempt to plant…
Jogmaya Tea Estate, Kurseong, Darjeeling. This Darjeeling tea garden was established in the year 1881 and ever since has been under the management and ownership of the Shaw Family. The fourth generation of the Shaw family presently manages this tea garden. Location of Jogmaya Tea Estate Jogmaya Tea Garden is…
Castleton Tea Estate Castleton Tea Garden is located in Kurseong’s South Valley, about an hours’ drive from the town of Darjeeling as well as Siliguri. It was planted in 1885 by Dr. Charles Graham. The former name of this tea estate was Kumseri but it now derives the present name…
Giddapahar Tea Estate, Kurseong, Darjeeling. The literal translation of the name Giddapahar means Eagle’s mountain. (Gidda=Eagle; pahar=mountain) but it is translated as Eagle’s Cliff. Giddapahar Tea Estate, Kurseong, Darjeeling. This Darjeeling tea garden was established in the year 1881 and ever since has been under the management and ownership of…
The autumnal leaves produce a liquor colored a ruddy copper, bright auburn, even burgundy. What a surprise to see claret tones glowing in the white tasting cup! Autumn Flush The final flush is short, just a few weeks or so on each side of the Diwali holiday celebrated at the…
White Tea Produced mostly in China’s Fujian province, white tea is the least processed of all teas. However, it takes a long time to produce (2-3 days), and has slight natural oxidation from its long withering process (about 2 days), after which it is baked at low heat, sorted, and…
Oolong Tea Oolong is also produced in China’s Fujian province, especially in the Wuyi Mountains, and on Taiwan’s mountainsides. This semi¬oxidized tea uses mature leaves that undergo a rigorous production process. They are withered for a few hours, then “rattled” or shaken to bruise the leaves and destroy the cell…
Black tea A fully oxidized tea, black tea is produced in Kenya and many Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, China, and India. Much of the world’s black tea is grown for the tea bag industry, and it is often mixed with other types of tea to make blends, such as…