Tea 101

Selecting good tea can sometimes be daunting. But there are a few things that can be kept in mind which will guide you in your selection.     Tea Bloom: Did you know that a halo is bestowed upon good tea?...

When I first began seriously pursuing tea, one thing odd that I had to learn was to stick my nose into the infused leaves. I had grown up amidst tea gardens of Darjeeling, and drank tea all my life, but until I entered the tasting room of a tea garden professionally 10 years ago, I never had thought of participating in the ritual of tea physically with my nose.

The tradition of cold brewing tea is old. It is believed to have originated in Japan, where people just poured cold water over tea in a pitcher that was left to sit for hours in the coolest part of the house. The resultant brew was cool, smooth, full of flavor and very little bitterness.

Darjeeling, the land from where the eponymous tea, famously described as the champagne of teas comes, is situated in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. Ranging from 100-4200 meters this mountainous region borders Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Most of the...

Before the tea is ready for your cup, the leaves go through the following process: plucking, withering, rolling, oxidation, drying and sorting. Plucking is done entirely by women with their hands. It is believed that women nimble and dexterous hands will...

Grading of Darjeeling, like teas from China, can be a bit confusing. It is a bunch of acronyms that take a while getting used to. However, the grade is one among several factors that determine the quality of a tea....

Darjeeling Tea is harvested in four cycles a year, commonly referred to as First Flush, Second Flush, Summer Flush and Autumnal Flush.   First Flush is plucked and produced from March-April. The liquor from the young leaves is light colored...

Darjeeling tea comes from a region of Indian Himalayas and is marked by a taste unique to the terroir. Often described as "champagne of teas," Darjeeling tea has three distinct seasonal characters. The teas produced in spring, also called Darjeeling...

One common question among Darjeeling tea lovers is why does the first flush look so green? Although it is classified as black tea, the appearance of dry Darjeeling first flush tea can make one mistake it for a green tea.