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Indian Tea Culture
India produces and consumes more tea than any other country in the world. Indians produce large amounts of specialty teas, most famous of which are Assam tea and Darjeeling tea. Additionally, India is the world’s largest producer of mass produced Crush Tear Curl (CTC) tea, destined for both massive amounts of domestic consumption, and inexpensive tea bags.
India’s most famous specialty black tea is Darjeeling tea, from the relatively cold mountainous Darjeeling region of northern India. Many tea lovers consider Darjeeling tea to be the best in the world. Pure Darjeeling tea is also expensive, because it is grown high in the mountains on steep slopes and is difficult to harvest. Additionally, the Darjeeling region is not big enough to produce enough tea to fill the demand that its deliciousness has created around the world.
India’s other most famous specialty black tea is Assam tea, also from Northern India. Unlike Darjeeling tea, however, Assam tea is grown at low altitudes. It is full-bodied and has a very astringent, strong flavor. Assam tea is a popular ingredient in Irish breakfast tea blends, and goes best with milk.
Southern India’s most famous specialty black tea is Nilgiri tea. It is grown in the mountains of India’s Tamil region. Nilgiri tea is more plentiful than Darjeeling tea mainly because more tea can be grown per acre in Southern India, due to its hot, humid climate.
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