The A - Z of Tea:

D is for Darjeeling

A  B  C  D

Darjeeling town is redolent with the history of the British Empire when it was the summer home for colonial staff and their families escaping from the heat of Calcutta. Many examples of churches, schools, clubs and hotels echo the past as do the names of some of the tea estates: Glenburn, Margaret’s Hope, Happy Valley, Castleton and Bannockburn. The charms of the town remain as they always did in the beautiful views of Kanchenjunga in the distance and closer by, the lush rolling hills covered with tea bushes. A large percentage of these bushes date back to the original planting of tea in the 1860s and it is a testament to the hardiness and resilience of the camellia sinensis plant, from which tea is made that it is able to deliver its unique flavour after so many decades.

Darjeeling's production is known as the champagne of teas for a good reason. Like champagne it owes its unique character to its altitude and location. The bushes become dormant during the cold winters but flush into life in the spring. The slow spring growth delivers sweet and subtle flavours and delicate aromas. The factories take pride in the production of quality and the whole region has been recently being awarded Protected Geographical Indication status in the European Union. This means that like Champagne and Stilton, Darjeeling must come from a specific geographical area and that only those packets that contain 100 per cent Darjeeling tea can be sold as Darjeeling Tea.

Acquiring Protected Geographical Indication status should give fresh impetus to the investment in factories and to the re-planting of old fields which we know is already being done by our friends at Ambootia. So, hopefully, the glory days of the past will come again in the not too distant future.

E is for?