The Chinese used tea for 2000 years and colonial powers like Britain and Dutch fought for it. When East India Company introduced tea in India around 200 years ago, it was more of a strategic decision to stop growing monopoly of Chinese in tea. Who knew it would turn this nation into one of the largest producers of tea. What is even more surprising is that 70% of tea produced in India is consumed by its own people. Most of us start our day with an invigorating cup of ‘Chai’. Over the years tea has been grown across many parts of India each having a distinct flavour and variety. So here’s a list of popular kind of teas grown in India:

1. Assam Tea

Source: Time8

Assam is where tea was first grown in India. Assam is famous for its black tea and it is sold all over the world as an English Breakfast tea. Tea plantation in Assam is at sea level and is grown in a warm, wet and humid climate that brings in a strong malty taste to the tea. CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) and Orthodox are the two varieties of tea grown in the Assam region.

2. Darjeeling Tea

Source: Daily Mail

Darjeeling, West Bengal produces one of the world’s largest varieties of tea. Tea is grown in the beautiful terraced hills here and has a sweet and mature taste. Darjeeling tea is also one of the country’s best tea with lots of health benefits. It strengthens the immunity, improves oral health, promotes weight loss, prevents certain types of cancers, and is even believed to treat diabetes. Though it’s black tea is world famous, Darjeeling produces several tea varieties like green, white and oolong tea.

3. Nilgiri Tea

Source: Chamraj Chai

Nilgiri tea is grown in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. Grown in terraced style fields in the subtropical climate, Nilgiri tea is highly aromatic and has natural fruity sweetness. Because of the cold weather in winter, the Nilgiri tea leaf retains a lot of concentrated flavours that are sweet and rosy. Such tea when plucked in winter is used to make a rare variety of tea famous as ‘Frost Tea’.

4. Munnar Tea

Munnar in Kerala is one of the highest tea growing regions of India. Munnar orthodox tea is strong and brisk with a fruity aftertaste that lingers in the mouth for a long time. The taste of Munnar tea is described as that of sweet biscuit in a dip of malt. Munnar also produces high-quality organic green and black tea.

5. Kashmiri Kahwa

Kashmiri Kahwa is traditional Kashmiri tea flavoured with saffron strands, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. A hot cup of Kashmiri Kahwa keeps one warm during winters and has a lot of health benefits.

6. Kangra Tea

Source: Exporters India

Kangra tea is produced in the snow-clad mountains of Kangra region, Himachal Pradesh. Kangra green tea has a lingering after taste with a little bit of pleasant pungency. The orthodox variety of black tea grown in Kangra has a smooth earthy flavour and strong aroma.

7. Coorg Tea

Source: Cult Street

You may be familiar with the popular Coorg coffee but very few people know about Coorg tea. The black tea and green tea is grown in this region of Karnataka are citrusy in taste. Unlike other tea growing regions, Coorg tea is hand-picked and hand-sorted. Variety of tea powders are also produced in Coorg like red dust, orange dust and pekoe dust. Flavoured tea variants like vanilla tea and chocolate tea can be found in markets of Coorg.

 

Sterling Resorts in all of these locations will make sure you enjoy the best cup of each of these refreshing teas while staying with them. Sterling Resorts can also arrange for a guided tour to one of these tea estates if you wish to get a first-hand experience of tea-growing and tea-making.  So get up, book a holiday, stay with Sterling Resorts and indulge yourselves in a cup of deserving tea!