Darjeeling (First Flush)

Blending Ideas

Darjeeling is a light-bodied black tea, so it would go well with lighter fruit flavors (e.g. mango) and also most flowers (apart from chamomile). If you want spices, they work as well (just be aware that you might not taste the tea as much as you would with Assam or Ceylon which are fuller-bodied).

Story

Darjeeling tea comes from the Darjeeling tea region in northeastern India, with Nepal to the west and Bhutan to the east. Tea production first began in the area in the mid-1800s as the British looked to expand their tea dependency on China. After India gained independence, the tea farms were mostly brought up by Indian businessmen and Darjeeling’s popularity grew beyond Europe to be a favorite black tea for teaheads throughout the world. If you don’t typically like the boldness of black tea or are in search of a tea that is lighter yet still fully oxidized, then Darjeeling is worth trying. It has a light, floral character and is often referred to as the champagne of teas.

• Origin: Darjeeling, India

• Year: 2023

• Type/Cultivar: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis

• Caffeine Level: High