Probably you have come across this fact that India is a well known name when it comes to the tea beverage industry. India is the highest tea exporting country in the world just after China. In the year 2004 China’s production of tea was 25 percent of the total production of tea worldwide and same was the figure for India. So, it’s not impossible that the cup of green tea you are sipping while reading this article on tea is a green tea from India.

Indian tea is of two varieties, the Assam Tea and the Darjeeling Tea. Assam Tea is Sinensis Assamica, the variant of Camellia Sinensis the evergreen plant that generally grows in Tropical and sub-tropical climate regions. Most of the tea plants across India are of this Assamese variety. The next variety is Darjeeling tea. It is different from the Assam tea. Darjeeling tea is Sinensis Sinensis, the Chinese variety of Camellia Sinensis. Whereas Assam tea is grown at an altitude of 150 to 200 ft above the sea level, a Darjeeling variety of tea is grown at the highest altitude ever like at a height of 4000ft for a tea plant. Darjeeling tea is grown on the hilly gardens across Darjeeling covering hilly areas of Kalimpong Sub-Division which have the tea estates namely Samabeong Tea Estate, Ambiok Tea Estate, Mission Hill Tea Estate and Kumai Tea Estate and Kurseong Sub-Division. And also in the district of Darjeeling from where it got its name tea is cultivated in a big amount. The Darjeeling Tea has a special fragrance which is distinctive in nature. This fragrance separates Darjeeling variety of tea from rest of the black or green tea available in the market. Assam tea is great at taste and the Darjeeling tea is best at its fragrance. So, a hybrid combination of both is not an impossible idea here for a future black or green tea variety.

The scented Darjeeling variety of tea is commonly a black tea, but green tea and white tea are also being given a good touch of cultivation for the Darjeeling variety. Being the best at fragrance Darjeeling tea is considered to be the Champagne of teas. Generally the Darjeeling variety of tea is fruity, floral and a little soar in taste. There are five varieties of Darjeeling tea depending the harvesting period. The first type is First Flush, harvested in the month of March, mostly by the mid of March just after the rains. The yield that it gives is of a light coloured, aromatic, astringent type of tea. The next type is In Between, which is harvested in between two flush periods. The third type is the second flush which is harvested in the month of June every year. The produce from this type of harvesting is a dark yellow coloured, grape tasting. Fourth type is Monsoon tea harvested in rainy seasons. The monsoon tea is a variety full of moisture and the leaves are much smoother than the other types. The last type of Darjeeling black or green tea is the one harvested during autumn and hence known as autumn flush that comes with darker colour than the rest of the varieties.

Now, you can take a sip of freshness with a scented cup of green tea or say the Darjeeling Green Tea.