Darjeeling Black Tea

Darjeeling varieties are the most expensive teas of their kind and differ from other black teas primarily because of environmental conditions where the plant is grown. Enough sunshine and just the right amount of rain produces the unique, appealing flavor.

The tea plants are grown at 6,800 feet above sea level and are aged naturally, which contributes to the astringent and tannic characteristic of the brew. Dargeeling tea's floral aroma and musky spiciness come from the mountainous soil.

All Darjeeling black teas undergo the same harvesting and processing methods to yield the unique, quality taste. The process involves:

• Carefully plucking young shoot leaves
• Withering for 14 to 16 hours until the leaves reach 100% oxidation
• Detailed rolling through machine to ensure the leaves are kept whole and intact
• Another 2 to 4 hours of fermentation
• Drying for 20 to 30 minutes
• Finally sorting the leaves according to size that will determine its grade when sold.

The tea is usually graded on one of four different scales of varying sizes. Whole leaf teas are highest quality followed by broken leaves, fannings, and dusts. Whole leaf teas are produced with little or no changes to the leaf that results in a finished product with a coarser texture than that of bagged teas. Whole leaf teas are widely considered the most valuable, especially if they contain leaf tips.

Broken leaves are commonly sold as medium grade loose teas. Fannings are usually small particles of tea leftover from the production of larger tea varieties and are typically used in bagged teas. For steeping instructions, click here.

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