Darjeeling Tea: History, Flushes and How It Compares to Assam
Teatentional
India grows tea in many places, but two names stand above the rest: Darjeeling and Assam. They grow a few hundred miles apart and could hardly be more different. Darjeeling is light, floral and delicate, grown on steep Himalayan slopes. Assam is bold, dark and malty, grown on hot river plains. Together they tell the story of how India became a tea giant.
This article is part of our series on the history of tea.
Where Is Darjeeling?
Darjeeling sits in the far north of West Bengal, in the foothills of the Himalayas, with Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the east and Sikkim to the north. The tea gardens climb steep hillsides, often wrapped in cloud, under the view of Kanchenjunga, one of the highest mountains on earth. Cool air, heavy rain and high altitude make the tea grow slowly, which concentrates its flavor.
How Tea Came to Darjeeling
In the 1800s, Britain was searching for places to grow tea outside China. In 1839, a Scottish doctor named Archibald Campbell was posted to Darjeeling as superintendent of the small hill station the British were building there. In 1841 he planted tea seeds in his garden, and they thrived.
More plants followed. The botanist Robert Fortune, sent into China by the East India Company in 1848, smuggled thousands of Chinese tea plants and seedlings to India, and many went to the Darjeeling hills. Most did not survive the trip, but enough did, along with the knowledge of the Chinese tea workers who came with them. Commercial tea gardens spread through Darjeeling in the 1850s. Read the full story in Where Does Chai Tea Come From?
Because so much of Darjeeling's tea comes from Chinese plants, it has more in common with some Chinese teas than with the rest of Indian tea. That is part of why it tastes so light and fragrant.
A Protected Name
Like rooibos, Darjeeling has a legally protected name. In 2004, it became India's first product to receive geographical indication status, and in 2011 the European Union gave it protected status too. Real Darjeeling must come from the registered gardens of the Darjeeling hills.
First Flush, Second Flush: What They Mean
A "flush" is a harvest season, when the tea bushes push out new growth. Darjeeling is famous for how different each flush tastes.
- First flush (spring, roughly March to April): the first tender leaves after winter. Light gold in the cup, fresh, floral and a little brisk.
- Second flush (late spring to early summer, roughly May to June): fuller and deeper amber, with the famous "muscatel" note, a fruity flavor often compared to muscat grapes. Tiny insects nibbling the leaves help create it.
- Monsoon flush (summer): picked during the heavy rains. Stronger and plainer, often used in blends.
- Autumn flush: smooth, mellow and coppery, picked as the weather cools.
And Then There Is Assam
Assam is in India's northeast, along the wide Brahmaputra River valley. Unlike Darjeeling, the tea plant grows here naturally. The local variety, Camellia sinensis var. assamica, has big leaves and loves the region's heat and humidity. The Singpho people brewed it long before the British arrived, and in 1823 they showed it to a Scottish trader named Robert Bruce. The first Assam tea was sold in London in 1839.
Assam tea is strong, dark and malty, with a rich body that stands up beautifully to milk and sugar. It is the backbone of most breakfast teas and of the chai sold on India's streets. Today, Assam produces far more tea than any other region of India.
Darjeeling vs Assam at a Glance
- Where it grows: Darjeeling in high, cool mountains; Assam in hot, low river plains.
- Plant: Darjeeling mostly from Chinese-type plants; Assam from the native broad-leaf variety.
- Flavor: Darjeeling is light, floral and fruity; Assam is bold, malty and full.
- How to drink it: Darjeeling usually plain; Assam often with milk.
How to Brew Them
Darjeeling is delicate, so treat it gently. Use water just below boiling, around 195 to 205°F, and steep for 2 to 3 minutes for a first flush or 3 to 4 minutes for a second flush. Most people skip milk so the aroma comes through.
Assam can take full boiling water and a 4 to 5 minute steep. Add milk, and sweeten if you like. On a dark Portland morning, a strong malty cup like this does the work of an alarm clock.
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Steep intentionally. Sip with intention.
Related Reading
Go back to the full History of Tea, or keep exploring with Where Does Chai Tea Come From?, What Is Ceylon Tea? and British Tea Culture.
