In which season the tea is grown?
Like Darjeeling teas, Assams are typically harvested from March through to December. Higher quality teas are harvested here during two distinct growth periods, the first and second flush. All other grades of tea are harvested after this period. The first flush begins in March, and the second flush begins in June.
In which climate tea is grown in India?
moderately hot and humid climateTea grows in a moderately hot and humid climate, which is preferred for better yield, crop distribution and quality. An ambient temperature within 13°C and 28-32°C is conducive for growth of tea.
What is the best season of tea?
Spring. This is often the most renowned picking season for tea, especially in the oldest tea origins. Spring is when the fresh new buds and young leaves appear on the tea bushes after a dormant period during the cool winter when just the roots have been working underground.
Can tea grow in hot climate?
Tea plants can grow from tropical to subtropical climates, but often require high humidity and heavy rainfall during the growing season.
What is the best climate for tea?
In its wild state, tea grows best in regions which enjoy a warm, humid climate with a rainfall measuring at least 100 centimetres a year. Ideally, it likes deep, light, acidic and well-drained soil. Given these conditions, tea will grow in areas from sea level up to altitudes as high as 2,100 metres above sea level.
What kind of tea is four seasons?
Seasons OolongFour Seasons Oolong is a very floral lightly oxidised oolong from Mingjian Township in Nantou County, Taiwan. Tightly rolled leaves produce a bright light liquor with a lovely honeysuckle fragrance. The flavour profile is smooth and light, with a taste that is floral and sweet with a slightly creamy finish.
What tea is good in winter?
Best tea to drink in winter For example, green and white tea both contain EGCg, while rooibos is praised for its antioxidant activity and zero caffeine. Rose hip may be beneficial for fighting several types of bacteria, while peppermint may help with enhancing breathing in common cold.
How many seasons does tea have?
A more useful approach is to recognize that there are in fact three distinct growing seasons with their own advantages and disadvantages. Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Tea is picked in all three seasons, and there are interesting elements to each.
Where does tea grow in India?
The Assam valley and Cachar are the two tea producing regions in Assam. In West Bengal, Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling are the three major tea producer regions. The southern part of India produces about 17% of the country's total production with the major producing states being Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.
Where is tea mainly found in India?
Tea plantations in India are mainly located in rural hills and backward areas of North-eastern and Southern States. Major tea growing areas of the country are concentrated in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Which region of India is home to tea?
The three primary tea-growing regions are Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Assam. The northeastern part of India is home to Assam region, which is situated in lush dense jungles near the foot of eastern Himalaya, and Darjeeling tea growing region, which bumps against the Tibetan Himalaya and stretching between the deep mountain valleys and high mountain ridges. By contrast, Nilgiri is located in the mountains of southernmost tea-growing regions. The Nlgiri, Blue Hill, Mountains have high altitude ridges that feature jungles and lush forests where the tea plants thrive well.
How many tea gardens are there in India?
India tea industry did not come to a standstill after the British left the country. In fact, the tea industry has been growing rapidly. Assam has over 43,293 tea gardens, Nilgiris has over 62,213 gardens while Darjeeling has 85 tea gardens. To ensure the supply of genuine tea, the government incorporated a compulsory system of certification in the Tea Act of 1953. The terms “Darjeeling”, “Assam logo”, “Nilgiri logo” and “Darjeeling logo are already registered under Geographical Indications of Good Act of 1999.
What is chai tea?
In Hindi, “Chai” is the word for “tea”. The term was derived from the Chinese word “Cha”, which also means tea. Chai refers to spices steeped into tea-live beverages. The recipe for Chai varies across, towns, families, cultures and continents. However, the traditional spiced tea ingredients included black tea and spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper. The Indians brewed spiced tea with milk and sweetened it with honey or sugar.
How long has chai been around?
Chai dates back to over 5,000 years when ordered the preparation of a healing spiced beverage. The beverage was prepared for use in the traditional medicinal practices, known as Ayurveda, in which spices and herbs were used for healing. The spices used to prepare the healing drink varied from one region and continent to the other. Originally, spiced tea or masala chai did not contain Camellia Sinensis tea. People started adding sugar, tea leaves and milk thousands of years afterwards – in the mid-1800s – when the British established tea growing regions of India and people learnt more about tea as a beverage.
How did the discovery of tea help the English trade?
The discovery of native tea in India was a boost to the English trade. The British were already addicted to tea but the importation from China was getting expensive. Conflict from India and China in addition to the trade and shipping competition with the Dutch traders made it even harder for the English to succeed in the tea trade. After Robert Bruce and his Brother discovered that the natives of Assam had been brewing tea for centuries, they decided to propagate and cultivate it in the region. The result was a British-dominated tea industry.
Why was tea discovered in India?
The discovery of native tea in India was a boost to the English trade. The British were already addicted to tea but the importation from China was getting expensive. Conflict from India and China in addition to the trade and shipping competition with the Dutch traders made it even harder for the English to succeed in the tea trade. After Robert Bruce and his Brother discovered that the natives of Assam had been brewing tea for centuries, they decided to propagate and cultivate it in the region. The result was a British-dominated tea industry.
Where did the British produce tea?
By mid-1850s the British were producing large amounts of tea in Darjeeling – both the native India and China varieties and even hybrids of the two. The British government continued sending resources to India to develop the tea industry in Darjeeling. Even though the number of tea gardens, tea estate acreage and the amount of tea increased, it never reached the output from Assam. Including today, Darjeeling only produces 1 percent of India’s tea output.
How is tea harvested in India?
A skilled worker using hand shears can harvest between 60 to 100 kg of tea per day , whereas machines cut between 1,000 and 2, 000 kg. The latter, however, are usually applied to low grade teas that often go into teabags. The tea "fluff" and waste from processing is used to produce caffeine for soft drinks and medicine.
What is the tea industry in India?
The Indian tea industry has grown to own many global tea brands, and has evolved to one of the most technologically equipped tea industries in the world. Tea production, certification, exportation, and all other facets of the tea trade in India is controlled by the Tea Board of India .
How high is Darjeeling tea?
Darjeeling tea is grown at elevations ranging from 600 to 2000 metres above sea level with over 300 cm rainfall on average. They were first planted in the 1800s and now they have their own unique brand in the world.
What is the taste of chai tea?
The taste of chai (sweet and milky) helps disguise the stronger and more bitter flavours of some of the medicinal additives, while others such as cardamom, clove and ginger add a pleasing flavour and aroma to the tea along with health benefits. For many years, documentation of tea in India was lost in history.
Which country produces the most tea?
The tea cultivation begun there [India] in the nineteenth century by the British, however, has accelerated to the point that today India is listed as the world's leading producer, its 715, 000 tons well ahead of China's 540, 000 tons, and of course, the teas of Assam, Ceylon (from the island nation known as Sri Lanka ), and Darjeeling are world famous. However, because Indians average half a cup daily on per capita basis, fully 70 percent of India's immense crop is consumed locally.
What is the largest tea producer in the world?
Commercial production of tea in India did not begin until the arrival of the British East India Company, at which point large tracts of land were converted for mass tea production. Today, India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, with over 70% of domestic tea being consumed within India itself.
Where did tea originate?
But there is no substantial documentation of the history of tea drinking in the Indian subcontinent for the pre-colonial period. One can only speculate that tea leaves were widely used in ancient India since the plant is native to some parts of India. The Singpho tribe and the Khamti tribe, inhabitants of the regions where the Camellia sinensis plant grew native, have been consuming tea since the 12th century. It is also possible that tea may have been used under another name. Frederick R. Dannaway, in the essay "Tea As Soma", argues that tea was perhaps better known as " Soma " in Indian mythology. The tea plant is native to East Asia and the Indian subcontinent, but the origins and history of tea are not precise. Many of the origin myths for tea are found in Chinese mythology, and the first verifiable records for tea consumption also point towards China.
When is tea harvest season in China?
The harvest season in China varies greatly with the different growing regions and elevations there, but in general the harvest season can begin as early as March and can last until late November. Finished teas that are made from young leaves or buds have a more finite growing season and will often be harvested on specific dates on the East Asian lunisolar calendar. Teas plucked before Qing Ming (清明 , qīng míng; literally “clear bright”) are highly sought after and command a premium; these teas are called Pre Qing Ming or Ming Qian teas. Here are the two most highly regarded harvest seasons:
Where is specialty tea harvested?
Here’s a guide to the harvest seasons for the world’s major producers of specialty teas: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Japan, South Korea and the countries of East Africa:
What is the name of the first harvest of the year?
Shincha (新茶: literally “new tea”): this is the name given to the first harvest of the year.
What is the harvest season in South Korea?
South Korea’s growing seasons correspond to dates on the lunisolar calendar. Finished tea from the first harvest of the year is called Ujeon. Harvest periods that follow Ujeon contain the root word jak, which comes from the word jakseolcha or “sparrow’s tongue.” This is a reference to tiny buds from the tea plant that resemble the tongue of a sparrow. It is important to know that different grades of tea are harvested during different times in South Korea.
What is tea harvest called?
In India and Nepal, each harvest is called a flush, a term that refers to a period of growth in the tea plant. In China, Taiwan and South Korea, the terms used to denote tea harvests relate to dates in the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar.
What is the term for the tea harvest?
Each growing region has special terminology for referring to their tea harvest periods. In India and Nepal, each harvest is called a flush, a term that refers to a period of growth in the tea plant. In China, Taiwan and South Korea, the terms used to denote tea harvests relate to dates in the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar.
How long does it take for tea leaves to open?
The timing of the harvest is of utmost importance, as missing the harvest can destroy a crop. It can take only a few days for a bud to appear, open up and mature.
Where is tea grown in India?
The biggest and most prominent tea growing area in India is Assam – it boasts of its own variety of Camellia sinensis var. assamica (a native tea plant), with tea gardens set up in an area as large as 3220 sq. km. In fact, Assam contributes to more than half of India’s tea production!#N#Darjeeling tea estates have an altitude of 600 to 2000 meters and mostly produce black tea, whereas the Dooars and Terai have an area of 1000 sq.km. to grow tea – they produce around 1/4 th of the nation’s total tea output.
When was tea first discovered?
Coming from a tropical plant called Camellia Senensis – which is best grown in a warm climate with an abundance of rainfall, long sunny days and cooler nights – tea is said to have been discovered way back in 2750 BC by a Chinese emperor named Shen Nung. He was boiling water under the shade of a tea tree, when a lovely breeze caused a few leaves to fall into the pot, giving the water a flavour he found irresistible. Soon after, Emperor Shen Nung began encouraging people to cultivate it.
What is gunfire tea?
Discovered by the British Army soldiers during the 1890s, Gunfire is a tea blend that is more of a cocktail than actual tea. It is typically a shot of rum mixed with a cup of black tea. Looking for boozy tea sessions? This is just for you!
How to make Moroccan mint tea?
Moroccan Mint Tea is a blend that can be made at home. Simply crush mint leaves and boil them in water. It is quite refreshing and can be used for iced tea, as well.
What is English breakfast tea?
English Breakfast Tea is a popular tea blend that boasts of a dark brown color and rich flavor. Several producing areas, including, Chinese Keemun, Assam and Sri Lanka develop this black tea blend.
How is matcha tea made?
Made by grinding green tea leaves to form a powder, it is then mixed with some water. Matcha tea is popular in Japanese tea ceremonies and is very healthy to drink.
What is herbal tea made of?
Like the other tea varieties, herbal tea does not come from tea leaves. Fruits, flowers and dried herbs are used to make this treat, which is why a huge range of flavors can be created from it. Chamomile, lemongrass, ginger, and hibiscus are commonly used ingredients.
What are the major crops grown in India?
Major crops grown in India are rice, wheat, millets, pulses, tea, coffee, sugarcane, oil seeds, cotton and jute, etc. of canal irrigation and tubewells have made it possible to grow rice in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.
What are the main roping seasons in India?
There are three distinct crop seasons in India, namely Kharif, Rabi and Zaid. The Kharif season started with Southwest Monsoon under which the cultivation of tropical crops such as rice, cotton, jute, jowar, bajra and tur are cultivated.
How much does agriculture contribute to India's GDP?
Agriculture in India contributes to 14% of the GDP and the distribution of income and wealth. It provides essential amenities like food for the people and fodder for the animals. It also provides a major source of raw materials to the agro-based industries in India.
How much of India's population is dependent on agriculture?
Agriculture in India is an important topic in Indian geography. 49% of the population in India is dependent on agriculture. In the total geographical area in India, 141 million hectares is the net sown area while 195 million hectares is the gross cropped area.
Where is tea grown in India?
The first tea plants to grow here came from Robert Fortune’s travels to China. If you’d like to learn more about that, I recommend All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose. There are currently 87 gardens within the area defined by the geographic indication. The climate here is relatively cooler as the teas from this region are grown at a high elevation. They are known for their muscatel aroma, particularly the 2nd flush.
What are the three tea regions in India?
Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri are the big three when people talk about Indian tea regions. I love them all but, there are so many other teas to explore! For this post, I’ll be using the region list that is used by the Tea Board India. They have each been granted a geographic indication by the World Trade Organization. Keep in mind that there are small producers throughout India and not all of them fit into neat little boxes. Nearly all of the tea produced in India is black tea but that is slowly changing.
What is Assam tea?
Assam is a lowland Indian tea region with a hot and humid rainy season. The Chinese plants that thrived in Darjeeling did not do well in this climate. Rober Bruce is often credited with discovering native tea plants growing in Assam. It had been used by the Singpho for centuries before that encounter. Their traditional preparation involves smoking the tea and then packing it into bamboo tubes. The teas from this region are known for being bold and malty. They are frequently used in breakfast-style blends for this reason. There are approximately 800 tea estates in Assam.
Where is Dooars tea located?
Terai is located in the foothills of Darjeeling while Dooars is lower elevation and borders Bhutan. There are 300 estates in this region and they make up about 20% of India’s tea production. Most of the tea is CTC-style black tea. Teas from Dooars-Terai are bright, smooth, and a little lighter than Assam but still full-bodied.
Where is Kangra tea made?
Kangra, known as ‘the valley of the gods’, is an Indian tea region located in the north-western state of Himachal Pradesh. Tea production was started there in 1852 with plants of Chinese origin. Tea production was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1905 but has slowly been making a comeback since the 1960s. There are around 6,000 smallholders alongside one cooperative factory and a few private tea estates. Black orthodox tea makes about 90% of the finished tea produced there. Kangra tea is paler in color and less aromatic than Darjeeling but has a lingering sweet aftertaste.
Why is Tripura an interesting region?
Tripura is an interesting region because it is the only one that was not started by British planters. It has a history of tea cultivation dating back to 1916. There are about 54 Tea Estates, 21 Tea processing factories, and more than 2500 smallholders. Tripura seeming flies under the radar, but they are the 5th largest producer in all of India. Most of that is CTC black tea and a small amount of green tea. They are very little known outside of India, so much so that I could not find a description of what they taste like!.
What are the tea regions in India?
Following the success of tea cultivation experiments in Darjeeling and Assam in the 1800s, endeavors in other parts of India with similar natural conditions were undertaken. These efforts led to thriving tea industry in at least ten distinct tea producing regions of North-East and South India: 1 Darjeeling 2 Assam 3 Dooars and Terai 4 Kangra 5 Nilgiri 6 Annamalai’s 7 Wayanaad 8 Karnataka 9 Munnar 10 Travancore
When was tea first introduced to India?
Initial experiments with tea cultivation commenced in the Ketti Valley in 1853, and commercial production was first undertaken in the Thiashola and Dunsandle Estates in 1859. Over a century later, Glensmorgan emerged as the first estate in South India to produce green tea in 1969.
How many kg of Nilgiri tea are produced in India?
Nilgiri tea has also been registered as a GI in India, and around 92 million kg of different tea varieties are produced every year – about 10% of India’s total tea production.
How much tea does Terai produce?
Today, Dooars and Terai have a combined annual production of 226 million kg of tea, which accounts for around 25% of India’s total tea crop.
Why is white tea considered a good tea?
It is also considered to be a far more excellent source of antioxidants than green tea and other Tea varieties because the tea leaves undergo minimal processing.
Where did tea grow in the 1800s?
Following the success of tea cultivation experiments in Darjeeling and Assam in the 1800s, endeavors in other parts of India with similar natural conditions were undertaken. These efforts led to thriving tea industry in at least ten distinct tea producing regions of North-East and South India:
What is tea made of?
As per the provision of the Tea Act, 1953, tea means the plant Camellia Sinensis (L) O. Kuntze and all Tea varieties known commercially as tea made from the leaves of this plant.
What temperature is required for tea production in India?
For the production of tea in India, a continuous 21°C temperature for 8 months is required. In the Northeastern part best yields take place between June to September. Monsoon is also another essential condition for high-quality tea production.
Which country is the second largest tea producer?
Now, let us have a glance at some of the most important tea-producing states which make India the world's second-largest producer of tea. These are -
What Are The Conditions Required To Grow Tea Leaves?
Apart from the area, different conditions are also required to grow high-quality tea leaves and make them tea producing states. Some of these conditions are as follows-
What is the tea in Nilgiri hills?
Nilgiri hills in western ghats are famous for their strong, aromatic teas. One can also find exotic tea varieties such as white teas, green teas, oolong teas and orange teas.
How much tea does Assam produce?
Assam produces more than 400 million kilograms of tea annually. The most exquisite variety of tea with a refreshing aroma is going in Assam.
What is Darjeeling famous for?
Darjeeling is famous for the production of green tea, black tea, white tea and oolong tea. This state produces tea which is exported. Darjeeling is also a famous tourist spot. Most of them take tours because of the tea factories which are set up. Total 84 tea estates are working in Darjeeling.
Why are tea estates sloping?
Sloping land is required for tea plantations as they do not survive in stagnant water. Therefore, the tea estates are located at an altitude of 1220 metres and higher.
Overview
India is the second largest producer of tea in the world after China, including the famous Assam tea and Darjeeling tea. Tea is the 'State Drink' of Assam. Following this the former Planning Commission (renamed Niti Aayog) Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia had plans to officially recognise tea as the Indian "National Drink" in 2013. According to the ASSOCHAM report released in Decem…
Ancient India
Tea cultivation in India has somewhat ambiguous origins. Though the extent of the popularity of tea in ancient India is unknown, it is known that the tea plant was a wild plant in India that was indeed brewed by local inhabitants of different regions. But there is no substantial documentation of the history of tea drinking in the Indian subcontinent for the pre-colonial period. One can only speculate that tea leaves were widely used in ancient India since the plant is native to some part…
Dutch exploration
The next recorded reference to tea in India after the 12th century dates to 1598, when a Dutch traveler, Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, noted in a book that the leaves of the Assam tea plant were used by Indians as a vegetable, eaten with garlic and oil, and as a drink.
The same year, another reference to tea in India was recorded, by a different group of Dutch explorers.
Early British surveys
In an 1877 pamphlet written by Samuel Baildon, and published by W. Newman and Co. of Calcutta, Baildon wrote, "...various merchants in Calcutta were discussing the chance of imported China seeds thriving in Assam, when a native from the province present, seeing some tea said, 'We have the plant growing wild in our jungles.'" It is then documented that the Assamese nobleman, Maniram Dutta Barua (also known as Maniram Dewan), showed British surveyors existing fields …
East India Company
In the early 1820s, the British East India Company began large-scale production of tea in Assam, India, of a tea variety traditionally brewed by the Singpho tribe. In 1826, the British East India Company took over the region from the Ahom kings through the Treaty of Yandabo. In 1837, the first English tea garden was established at Chabua in Upper Assam; in 1840, the Assam Tea Company beg…
Modern tea production in India
India was the top producer of tea for nearly a century, but recently China has overtaken India as the top tea producer due to increased land availability. Indian tea companies have acquired a number of iconic foreign tea enterprises including British brands Tetley and Typhoo. India is also the world's largest tea-drinking nation. However, the per capita consumption of tea in India remains a modest 750 grams per person every year due to the large population base and high p…
Geographical varieties of tea in India
As per the Tea Board under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, the tea varieties found in India are Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiri, Kangra, Munnar, Dooars-Terai, Masala Tea and Sikkim tea. Most of the teas have been named after the regions they are produced in and they are also statutorily protected as Geographical Indicators.
Darjeeling tea is grown at elevations ranging from 600 to 2000 metres above sea level with over …
Consumption of tea in India
• Northern India's most popular way to drink tea, masala chai, served with tea biscuits.
• A cup of Darjeeling tea.
• Butter tea or gur gur in the Ladakhi language, in a bowl; popular in Himalayan regions of India, particularly in Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Darjeeling (India) and Nepal Teas
Assam
- Like Darjeelings, Assams are typically harvested from March to December. Higher quality teas are harvested here during two distinct growth periods, the first and second flush. All other grades of tea are harvested after this period. The first flush begins in March, and the second flush begins in June.
Nilgiri (India) and Sri Lanka Teas
- Due to the warmth in the southernmost tropical growing regions of Nilgiri in South India and Sri Lanka, tea plants can be harvested year-round.
China
- The harvest season in China varies greatly with the different growing regions and elevations there, but in general the harvest season can begin as early as March and can last until late November. Finished teas that are made from young leaves or buds have a more finite growing season and will often be harvested on specific dates on the East Asian lunisolar calendar. Teas plucked bef…
Japan
- The harvest season in Japan varies by region as well, but it typically begins in late April and ends in early October. Japan’s sought-after first harvest is called Shincha. Japan has four distinct harvest periods: 1. Shincha (新茶: literally “new tea”): this is the name given to the first harvest of the year. 2. Ichibancha (一番茶: literally “first tea”) this refers to the entire first harvest season, in…
South Korea
- South Korea’s growing seasons correspond to dates on the lunisolar calendar. Finished tea from the first harvest of the year is called Ujeon. Harvest periods that follow Ujeon contain the root word jak, which comes from the word jakseolchaor “sparrow’s tongue.” This is a reference to tiny buds from the tea plant that resemble the tongue of a sparrow. It is important to know that differ…
Africa
- In the East African tea producing countries of Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Burundi, and Ethiopia, tea is harvested year round due to the lack of a cold season. Peak tea production coincides with the rainy seasons.