Darjeeling is an area at the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, between Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, where the conditions are excellent for growing tea plants. At higher altitudes and lower temperatures, the tea plant grows more slowly, giving it time to accumulate more health-beneficial and aromatic substances in its leaves.
Darjeelings are referred to as black teas, but in terms of the degree of oxidation they have much more in common with oolongs. The substances that the tea plant produces and accumulates at different times during the year play an important role in the chosen length of oxidation - in particular, the ‘First Flush’ and ‘Second Flush’ harvests.
Depending on the altitude, the First Flush is harvested from the end of February to mid-April. The leaves grow more slowly at this time, are more fragrant and are only allowed to oxidise for a short time - about 10-30%. Second Flush is later, harvested from the second half of May, when the tea plant produces more catechins and the petals are better suited to longer oxidation - about 60-80%.
The later ‘Autumn Flush’ harvests follow the monsoon rains, which flush a lot of nutrients out of the soil towards the end. Therefore, they are not as good as the first and second harvests.
In our offer you will find not only the classic First Flush and Second Flush harvests, but also interesting white and green teas, which are a rare in Darjeeling.
Be enchanted by these great highland teas and discover the variety of flavours from the different gardens.
