The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
India - The World's Largest Tea Producer
India is the world's largest tea producer (followed closely by China, who has edged it out for the
#1 spot some years).  Over 100,000 tea estates with over a million workers, produce close to a   
million metric tons of tea a year.  Because India consumes much of its own tea, it was 4th in ex-
ports in 2005, behind China, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.

Even though it's easy to assume they have been
producing it for much longer, tea production is rel-
atively new to India.

Named for the areas in which they are grown,
India's tea was originally produced by the British
Empire when British industrialists established the
first tea plantations in their colonies.

These early teas were designed to be strong and
hearty, with plenty of pucker, meant to be drunk
with plenty of milk and sugar.

In the late 18th century the first native tea plants
were discovered growing in Assam.  It wasn't un-
til 1834, though, that commercial plantations were
planted, using seeds from the Chinese tea plant
Camellia sinensis var. assamica.  These plants readily flourished and the first shipment of Indian
Assam tea was shipped in 1838, and sold at the London Tea Auctions in 1839.

Tea production quickly spread during the 1850's, first northwards to Darjeeling and Bengal, then
to Nilgiri in the Blue Mountains of India's southwestern tip.  Production increased from 180 tons
in 1853, to 6,600 tons in 1870, 35,000 tons in 1885, and by 1947, when India finally won inde-
pendence from Britain, yearly tea production was a whopping 277,000 tons.

Producing all this tea, though, was another matter entirely.  In the beginning the British tried imi-
tating China's style of processing tea, but quickly realized how impractical this was.

For one thing, no one had ever tried making this amount of tea, this quickly.  In the time it took
for Chinese tea makers to wither their tea, Britain's tea rotted in the hot, humid moisture laden
air.

So, being the bright industrialists they were, they devised machines to do what before had
been done by hand.  Withering tables were invented to speed up evaporation that softened the
tea for rolling.  They then went on to invent the very first rolling machines, one appropriately call-
ed the Brittania, which is still used today in many of India's tea gardens.

India's three main growing regions, Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri are all considerably different,
each with its own unique climate and geography.

The region of Assam lies at the foothills of the eastern Himalaya's, in the far northeastern corner
of India.  The Himalaya mountain range traps the hot and humid air from the monsoons, prevent-
ing it from dissapating and blowing north away from Assam.  The abundant rainfall from the mon-
soons causes the Brahmaputra river, which runs through the center of the region, to overflow,
depositing a rich, fertile coat of new topsoil each year.

Assam grows the largest quantity of tea in India, producing both mass-market ctc (cut-tea-curl)
tea, and premium specialty or orthodox teas.

The small hill town of Darjeeling lies in the foothills of the beautiful snow-capped Himalayan
Mountains.  In contrast to low lying Assam, Darjeeling's tea gardens range in elevation from
2,000 to 7,000 feet (the town of Darjeeling is at 7,100 feet).

With the many changes in elevation, going from high ridges, down to low valleys, Darjeeling has
a varied climate.  With long, cold winters, cool spring breezes with abundant sunshine, and
quenching monsoonal rains in late summer, providing plenty of moisture to grow premium
Darjeeling teas.

Darjeeling has four distinct pluckings.  The first and second spring flush, late summer flush, and
lastly, an autumnal flush.  Darjeelings First Flush spring teas are as eagerly anticipated as
China's Qing Ming, and Japan's First Flush Sencha teas.

The lush, high forests and jungles of the Nilgiri (Blue Hill) Moun-
tains in southern Nilgiri is home to India's Nilgiri teas.  Growing
on a series of high altitude ridges running along the western
portion of the state of Tamil Nadu, this area, like that of Darjeeling
and Assam, also provides the perfect climate for growing tea.

Like Darjeeling, the climate varies because of the range of altitude, going from softly undulating
foothills at the base of the Nilgiri's to elevations of 8,200 feet at the highest point.

Although tea is plucked all year long, the best comes from December to March, producing what
are called "frost teas," with a bright, brisk flavor similar to Ceylon teas, grown by their neighbors
to the east, Sri Lanka.

Today India produces a mixture of ctc and orthodox specialty teas.  But with so many countries
producing ctc teas, mainly used in tea bag blends, the price has dropped dramatically, forcing
many tea gardens to close.
With over 13,000 tea gardens and a workforce of over a million employees, who in turn generate an income for  
another ten million people, tea production is at the apex of India's economy.

That's why the government, along with the Tea Board of India has worked steadily to help solve problems faced by
the country's tea growers.  A Special Purpose Tea Fund has been pledged by the government to help fund cutting and
pruning of old tea bushes and replant fields more than 40 years old.  It is hoped that the rejuvenation and replanting
efforts help increase the quantity and quality of India's tea, and that overseas buyers take note and respond to their
efforts.

The Tea Board is also hoping to address a problem of misleading labelling of India tea being marketed as "Pure
Assam," and "Pure Darjeeling," when in fact the teas in question were actually blended with teas from other countries.

The Tea Marketing Board has launched a campaign in recent years to assure buyers that India's Assam, Darjeeling,
and Nilgiri teas are genuinely 100% tea from those regions.  They have begun labelling their teas with a new distinct-
ive logo displayed on all packaging.  Additionally they have stepped up efforts to monitor packers and blenders with
regular checks to guarantee the tea is 100% Indian.  Enjoy.



For more information or to learn more about tea, visit our other pages:

Which three teas is India most famous for?
Learn about India and the teas it's best known for, along with the past history, climate, growing season,
and the majestic backdrop where their tea is grown. (Visit Silver Leaf Tea for their Afternoon Blend - a
lighter blend of big bodied Nilgiri and malty Assam teas that pair well with breads, cheeses, and jams).

How much tea should I use to make a gallon of iced tea?
Quick and easy recipe for brewing up a gallon of iced tea, along with tips and ideas for adding tasty
flavors with fresh fruit, juices, and using flavored teas.

Which tea is used in Japan's traditional tea ceremony?
Learn about Japan's oldest and most expensive tea, used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.  Also
learn about two lower grades, and what you can expect to pay for each.

Genmaicha - from poor people's tea to pour me another cup, please.
Genmaicha was originally a peasant's tea, but not anymore.  Learn why this healthy tea is in demand in
the West by health conscious Americans, and by the elite Japanese, as well. (Try Silver Leaf Tea's low
caffeine, savory yet mild Genmaicha tea.

Yixing teapots - beauty meets function.
Yixing teapots are beautiful yet functional, and with proper care can last a lifetime.  Get tips on buying
either decorative or functional teapots and price ranges for each category.  Also learn how to care for
and season your new Yixing teapot.
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