Brief History of Darjeeling Tea

 Darjeeling produces the world's most aromatic variety of tea. The unusual mixture of soil, altitude, sunshine, rainfall and the character of the people help Darjeeling produce the most fragrant of teas. Thus, good Darjeeling tea is indeed the champagne of teas.

It was around 1834 when Lord William Bentinck appointed a committee "to consider the question of importing seeds and plants from China; to decide upon the most favourable localities for growing them..." Around 1835 seedlings and tea seeds were distributed to various parts of India, mostly in the hilly regions of the country.

Meanwhile, tea seeds were introduced in Darjeeling and an experimental nursery was started in Lebong (near Darjeeling town) which was found to be very encouraging. This success encouraged prospective tea growers to procure land. The first tea gardens to be started in Darjeeling were Makaibari (near Kurseong town) and Alubari (near Darjeeling town). Soon after, Tukvar, Moondakothi, Dooteriah, Margaret's Hope were started.

The local people soon learnt the trade and continued to work in most of the factories. Some Europeans like Dr. Grant, The Barnes Brother, Capt. Masson, Capt. Samler, Mr. Smith. Dr. Brougham, Mr. Martin, Mr. James White, Mr. George Christison as well as a local resident Mr. Bhagatbir Rai were some of the pioneers of Darjeeling tea, planting and manufacturing tea in different parts of Darjeeling. By 1866 Darjeeling had 39 tea estates covering about 405 hectares.

Mr. W. O'Brien Ansell, a very competent engineer, further helped the growth of the tea industry in Darjeeling by using the first power driven tea roller and tea sorters. He was also the first engineer to survey a hydro-electric scheme for the electrification of Darjeeling town and he installed turbines on many tea estates of the Darjeeling. By 1872 this completely revolutionised tea manufacture.

After India's independence in 1947, many of the British owners, who controlled about 90% of the plantations in Darjeeling hills, started to dispose their properties. By 1956 a large number of Tea estate's ownership changed hands. It was very difficult for inexperienced young Indian planters and fierce competition in tea auctions demanded improvement in standards of tea industry. The Darjeeling tea industry, however, owes a good deal to few European planters like Mr. C.W. Emmett and Mr. T.J. Hardingham who stayed back and helped Darjeeling tea.

By the 1960s a lot of replanting was done. By 1966 Tea Research Association had opened the Clonal Proving Station, making clones of selected plants for selective replantation.

Presently the Darjeeling tea industry is going through a very hard time. The past few years have seen the disappointing decline due to financial and administrative problems with the result a few tea gardens having to close down. Recently among these were Peshok Tea Estate, which you may still find vividly described in many Tourist Guide books of Darjeeling.

 Darjeeling is such a famous tea that many people assume it has as long and as illustrious a history as Chinese tea. In fact, Darjeeling tea is a relative newcomer in the world of tea, with a history dating back just over 150 years.

The history of Darjeeling tea begins with the kingdom of Sikkim, which controlled the Darjeeling area until 1849. Sikkim remained a kingdom until 1975 when by referendum it became India’s 22nd state.

In 1814 Sikkim became involved in a dispute with neighboring state Nepal. The British East India Company intervened with the result that Sikkim became a buffer state between Nepal and Bhutan. Afterwards the British maintained a presence in the area and found that the area of Darjeeling was suitable for a health resort. In 1835 they negotiated to lease the area from the king of Sikkim with plans to establish a sanitarium for British troops.

The first superintendent of the sanitarium was Dr. Archibald Campbell, who was transferred to the area in 1839. Dr. Campbell planted some tea seeds and tea seedlings as an experiment to see what types of crops were suitable for the area. The tea was from the Botanical Gardens of Calcutta, and included specimens originally from southern China and north-eastern India.

Both varieties did well, but produced an inferior quality tea. The climate of Darjeeling was obviously well-suited to tea, but a better grade of tea plant was needed to make the area commercially viable.

The best grade of tea plants were thought to be from northern China, which at that time was closed to foreigners because of military disputes between China and European countries. A peace treaty of 1842 (The Treaty of Nanking) gave the British access to certain ports of northern China, but the interior was still off-limits.

At this time, Robert Fortune, a Scottish botanist who had learned the Chinese language, was commissioned by the Horticultural Society of London to collect plants from China. Traveling alone, he passed himself off as Chinese and was able to collect thousands of new plants and seeds over a 3-year period.

Fortune returned to China in 1848 on commission from the British East India Company to secure top-grade tea plants for the Darjeeling area. By 1851 Fortune had forwarded 20,000 tea plants from the major tea producing regions, and it is these high-quality teas that formed the basis for Darjeeling’s eminence in the world of tea as well as ending China’s monopoly on the tea trade.

According to the Tea Board Of India - "Darjeeling Tea" means: tea which has been cultivated, grown, produced, manufactured and processed in tea gardens (current schedule whereof is attached hereto) in the hilly areas of Sadar Sub-Division, only hilly areas of Kalimpong Sub-Division comprising of Samabeong Tea Estate, Ambiok Tea Estate, Mission Hill Tea Estate and Kumai Tea Estate and Kurseong Sub-Division excluding the areas in jurisdiction list 20,21,23,24,29,31 and 33 comprising Subtiguri Sub-Division of New Chumta Tea Estate, Simulbari and Marionbari Tea Estate of Kurseong Police Station in Kurseong Sub-Division of the District of Darjeeling in the State of West Bengal, India. tea which has been processed and manufactured in a factory located in the aforesaid area. which, when brewed, has a distinctive, naturally occurring aroma and taste with light tea liquour and the infused leaf of which has a distinctive fragrance.

History of Darjeeling Tea

The story of Darjeeling Tea started around 1850 when a Dr. Campbell, a civil surgeon, planted tea seeds in his garden at Beechwood, Darjeeling, 7000 ft above sea level as an experiment. He was reasonably successful in raising the plant because the government, in 1847, elected to put out tea nurseries in this area.

"According to records, the first commercial tea gardens planted out by the British tea interests were Tukvar, Steinthal and Aloobari tea estates. This was in 1852 and all these plantations used seeds that were raised in the government nurseries.

"Darjeeling was then only a sparsely populated hamlet which was being used as a hill resort by the army and some affluent people. Tea, being a labour intensive enterprise, required sufficient numbers of workers to plant, tend, pluck and finally manufacture the produce. For this, employment was offered to people from across the border of Nepal.

"It appears that in 1866, Darjeeling had 39 gardens producing a total crop of 21,000 kilograms of tea. In 1870, the number of gardens increased to 56 to produce about 71,000 kgs of tea harvested from 4,400 hectares. During 1860-64, the Darjeeling Company was established with 4 gardens while the Darjeeling Consolidated Tea Co. dates back to 1896. By 1874, tea in Darjeeling was found to be a profitable venture and there were 113 gardens with approximately 6,000 hectares."

The process of Darjeeling Tea production

The Art of Plucking

Proper plucking of Darjeeling Tea leaves is as unique as its flavour. Great emphasis is given to plucking as true quality is inherent in a good raw material (Tea Leaf) and the special Darjeeling flavours is generated from the very fine plucking standard. The smallest shoots, comprising of two leaves and a bud are plucked. It requires 22,000 such shoots, all plucked by hand - to produce 1 Kg. of Tea. In attaining this high plucking standard, the hilly terrain, makes the task even more difficult.

Darjeeling Tea Pluckers have strived hard for years, battling against difficult terrain, cold, mist, rainfall etc. to maintain exacting standards. They begin early in the morning, when the overnight dew is still present. Only the tenderest leaves are finely plucked by gentle hands. Pluckers are so quick and skilful that it is often impossible to follow the motion of their hands and fingers as they pluck.

Withering

During this process, the green leaves are evenly spread on troughs, through which hot & cold air are blown in a regulated manner. The object is to remove moisture in the leaf slowly over a period of 14 - 16 Hours.

Rolling

The withered leaves are loaded into rollers where they are twisted by a mechanical action. The process is carefully monitored so that the style of the leaf is maintained and overheating does not take place.

Fermentation

After Rolling, the leaf is spread in a cool & humid room in very thin layers. The process lasts between 2- 4 hours, depending on temperature, humidity and leaf quality. During the process the tea develops a unique flavour and aroma. The Tea Makers sensory judgement is critical to quality of the liquor.

Drying (Firing)

The fermented leaf is taken to a dryer, where it is subjected to regulated varying temperature for a period of 20 - 30 min. The result is black tea whose moisture has been lost after natural fermentation is checked.

Sorting and packing

This is the final stage, where the tea is graded according to the size and packed in specially designed foil lined packages.

Tasting

Darjeeling Tea tasting is a refined art which necessarily encompasses a large number of variables. A taster’s palate and olfactory senses are finely sensitive and highly discriminatory. An experienced taster can identify the garden, ambient conditions of the plucking day and can even suggest adjustments in the manufacturing process. A taster uses his sharp sense of sight, smell, touch and taste while judging the quality of the tea.

A taster must also have an in-depth knowledge about the prevailing market conditions, consumer preferences and manufacturing techniques while evaluating the tea. These are endowments of birth - it would be true to say that tasters are born and not made. These natural talents, however, have to be trained and developed through long years of practice before the palate is proficient enough to register the minute differences. This is particularly true for Darjeeling Tea Tasters as the quality of tea differs from invoice to invoice and being an exclusive tea, it has no yardstick to standardise against.

It is only an excellent cup that truly cheers and taste is perceptible only by the human palate - No wonder that this craft is viewed with a tinge of awe and wonderment.

 -Collected from different websites.