Best Indian Tea

In terms of the area of ​​tea plantations, India ranks second in the world, after China, and is one of the largest exporters of tea.

History of Indian tea

Although tea bushes have grown for centuries in the foothills of the Himalayas and were used by the local population, it is believed that the history of Indian tea began relatively recently, from the middle of the X-IX century. The appearance of tea on the Indian mainland is associated with the activities of the British colonialists. In the 30s of the 19th century, they brought several tea bushes from China, from which the formation of tea plantations began. Having gained a positive experience in growing tea, and convinced of the prospects of the business, the British brought a large batch of tea sprouts to the country, which after 10 years began to give an excellent harvest.

Several large tea companies sprang up at once, which continue to flourish to this day. True, the volume of high-quality teas produced in the traditional way is steadily decreasing and has already reached 15% of the total volume. The production of CTC tea (granulated Indian black tea), on the contrary, is increasing and, on average, already exceeds 80%. There are several reasons for this: firstly, industrial production in large quantities is more economically profitable than manual production, and secondly, there are a huge number of unpretentious buyers for cheap teas, both in India and neighboring countries, and in Western countries.

Indian black tea

Tea growing areas

The main tea production in India is concentrated in three areas: Assam, Bengal, Darjeeling, Nilgiris.

Assam Indian tea, depending on the region of growth, is heterogeneous in quality. Elite varieties are grown in Upper Assan, medium-quality tea is produced in Middle Assan, and low-quality tea in Lower Assan. Assamese tea plantations are located on the plains. The largest ones are located in the Brahmapura valley, the soils of which are abundantly irrigated by rains and are very favorable for growing tea.

Approximately the same is the case in Bengal, where teas of different quality are produced. But at an altitude of 2000 m in Darjeeling, the best black tea in the whole country is grown - Darjeeling. It is distinguished by the flavors of honey and rose, velvety and bright aroma, intense and deep color of the brew. Darjeeling is always a large leaf tea. But it can also be of different quality, depending on the time of collection of the tea leaf.The highest quality darjeeling is obtained from the March collection.

Nilgiri is the southern region of India. I must say that teas from southern plantations do not have the taste characteristics of elite teas. They are somewhat harsh and harsh. This Indian milk tea is consumed. Milk softens the harshness of this tea.

But in Nilgiris, in the area of ​​the Blue Mountains, at an altitude of 1800 m above sea level, a high-quality, real Indian tea of ​​the same name is grown. It is harvested all year round, however, the best varieties are produced from the leaf of December, January and February harvests.

In other parts of India there are also tea growing and processing plants, the production of which is not so significant. These are Duaras, Terai, Sikkim, Travancor, Anaimallai, etc.

The quality of Indian teas

Only one variety of Indian tea is produced in large leaf, i.e. whole sheet. This is Darjeeling. All other teas are cut, crushed (30% BP, 50% Fngs and 20% D). Industrial teas are necessarily blended. Sometimes they contain up to 20 ingredients, most of which are low grades of tea.

But, despite this, the popularity of Indian tea does not fall. It impresses with its brightness of taste, ease of brewing, rich color, convincing aroma. Its more precise and subtle characteristics are of little interest to the mass consumer, which is what the producers of Indian teas are counting on. Producers literally tailor their teas to the tastes of the European consumer.

How to brew Indian tea

Indian tea is unpretentious in the way of brewing. Most often, two methods are used:

Chinese brewing method: a small amount of tea is brewed with 100-120 ml of water at a temperature of up to 80? С. The dishes should be warm. The holding time of the infusion is 1-1.5 minutes. This method is more suitable for high quality Darjeeling. Its properties are better revealed with the "Chinese" delicate approach.

English brewing method: consists in the fact that a large volume of tea leaves (at the rate of one teaspoon per cup) is placed in a well-heated teapot and infused longer - 3-4 minutes (water temperature up to 95? C). Due to the fact that this tea is very strong, it is drunk with milk or cream.

Indian black tea is a "heavy" morning tea. It impresses, awakens, but of little use. Perhaps that is why black Indian tea is drunk with various additives. It is not for nothing that there is the concept of not brewing, but the preparation of Indian tea.

There are many recipes for making black tea: Indian ginger tea, Indian milk tea, Indian spice tea, etc.

For example, masala tea contains - cloves, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt or sugar (for an amateur), black leaf tea, milk. The bouquet is beautiful and impressive. But this is no longer tea, this is a hearty, delicious morning drink.

Indian teas

	Darjeeling Tea - expensive leaf tea, which is practically not available for sale. It is being auctioned. Tea under this name on store shelves is either fake, third-grade tea, or a low-quality blend.
	Assam Tea - high-quality tea, which in its pure and authentic form is rarely found on sale. It is tart, with a bright, almost orange color of the infusion. Used in morning tea blends such as Irish Breakfast.
	Nilgiri Tea - South Indian tea, more often used in blends than in pure form. It tastes like Ceylon.
	Sikkim Tea - a new variety of tea, which in its characteristics occupies an average position between Darjeeling and Assamese tea.

Indian green tea

Indian green tea is produced in small batches in North India. Green tea is not popular in the country, it is grown exclusively for export to other countries and for tourists within the country.

Tea from the districts Garhwal, Dehra-Dun, Almor has a small and hard leaf, tastes of average and lower. It is grown for export to neighboring poor countries - Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal.

Green tea, which is grown in the Kagra valley, is better in terms of its quality indicators, to a greater extent resembles Chinese. He finds sales in Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Pakistan.

Chinese varieties of tea are grown in the Ranchi area. And although in quality it is lower than Chinese, it has a pronounced taste and strength in the brew.

Only Darjeeling produces small quantities of excellent green tea.

How to distinguish real Indian tea when buying

• The inscription "Made in India" is present only on the packaging of fake tea.
• There are well-known Indian firms whose brand name is a guarantee of quality. A. Toch, Davenport, C.T.C. owns 70% of Indian tea exports. The name of the variety is indicated on the labels of their teas. For example, Davenport Indian Tea, Tosha Indian Tea.
• Tea packages from leading Indian companies often feature a compass as a measure of precision, and a ram's head as a symbol of strength.
• A lion, a symbol of the Republic of Sri Lanka, will be depicted on the packaging of Ceylon tea.
• On genuine Indian tea, the name of the company is always printed in a smaller font than the name of the tea.
• Russian factories buy medium and low quality Indian tea and pack it themselves. This is already a low-grade tea, but if the packaging indicates that the tea is packaged at a food concentrate plant, then it also absorbed all kinds of concentrate odors and lost its own.

Tea is one of the most common drinks on earth. According to statistics, almost two billion people consider it to be the main one for themselves. Besides, tea is a very ancient drink. Its use is inextricably linked with the historical traditions, economy and culture of many nations. Tea is not just one type of beverage out there. Some peoples refer to it as an essential product.

The word "tea" has several meanings for us. This is a drink, dry raw materials for brewing and the plant itself.

Product production history in India

The tea plant was discovered by the Chinese. This is evidenced by the most ancient manuscripts, in which a bush with fragrant leaves was mentioned as far back as 4,700 years ago.

Tea production in India began in the middle of the 19th century. It was during this period that the bushes, which provide the raw material for the aromatic drink, were brought from China to the state of Assam. First-class Indian tea was obtained ten years later.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, India had become the leading supplier of tea in the world market. And today this country remains in the status of the largest producer of this product. However, the volume of high quality tea produced in the traditional way is currently declining. Today it is only 15% of the total. Indian tea is produced in large quantities in granular form. Today it is already 80% of the total production.

Types of tea produced

When purchasing tea, consumers usually distinguish it by the region of growth. These are Indian and Ceylon, Krasnodar and Georgian, etc. Many people consider the geographical feature to be the main one for a certain type of product, believing that a special type of tea plant grows in a particular area. However, this opinion is erroneous. There are a huge number of commercial varieties that are obtained through various factory processing.

The aromatic beverage brewing product is divided into four types. These include:

- black;

- Red;

- green;

- yellow.

This division is not due to the coloring of the sheets in dry form and in infusion. The assignment of a product to one type or another indicates the differences in the technological processing of the sheet. This ultimately affects the aroma and taste of the finished beverage.So, the production of black teas involves withering, rolling, fermentation and drying of the leaf. Getting green involves only two processes. These include drying and curling.

Yellow and red teas are intermediate between black and green teas. Fermentation is used in their production, but only in incomplete form.

Baikhov varieties

Almost ninety-eight percent of the global consumer market is black teas. They are mostly buy-in. There is a greater variety of commercial varieties available, as evidenced by the richest range of aromas and flavors within a given type.

Tea production in the south of India is carried out in two regions. This is Madras and Kerala. In the first of them, where the Assamese variety of plants is bred, the raw materials are of higher quality. However, Indian tea from the southern regions can be very pungent in taste. This gives the drink some harshness. Most often, these teas are consumed with milk. The quality of this product is considered average.

An exception is Indian tea produced in the state of Madras (Nilgiris region). Here valuable shrubs are grown near the Blue Mountains at an altitude of more than 1800 meters above sea level. The best varieties are made from leaves harvested during the winter months.

Which tea is the best among the aromatic products offered by the manufacturer? This is Darjeeling. It is a loose leaf tea. Its price is so high that it is simply impossible to find this product in retail trade networks. Darjeeling is sold by auction only. If you still find a package with this name on the counter of the store, then you should know that this is either a third-rate fake or a low quality blend.

The rest of the Indian teas are fine and cut. Crushed by 30% are labeled BP, 50 - Fngs, and 20 - D. For their greater standardization, companies add from fifteen to twenty percent of the components to the commercial mixture, among which sometimes two-thirds are low or medium grades.

Despite this state of affairs, India has conquered the world market over the past three to four decades. It attracted the buyer with the ease of use of the product, guaranteeing the tea flavor and dark color of the infusion, even in the case of not particularly thorough brewing.

Determination of the quality of the drink

Which tea is better can be determined by some external signs. These indicators include the color of the leaves, their shade, as well as the quality and degree of their curl. Real Indian black tea should be black in color. Such a drink can have various tints of bluish, reddish, orange hues, or simply shine. Brewed Indian black tea with gray tea leaves is clearly of poor quality. This indicator indicates the loss of a part of the soluble components by the leaf during processing, and, consequently, the loss of aroma and taste.

The light brown color of the infusion can also indicate a violation of the technology. Coarse leaves were taken as raw materials for such tea.

Green varieties

These teas differ from black teas in the absence of a specific aroma. In addition, green varieties have a tart and harshly astringent taste. The drinks made from them have a delicate aroma, giving off a combination of the smell of a wilted strawberry leaf and freshly dried hay.

Indian green tea is produced in relatively small quantities in the north of the country. Plantations are located in the districts of Kangra and Ranchi, Kumaon and Dehra Dui, as well as Garhwal. In India itself, this tea is not consumed. The product is made from a hard and small sheet. When brewing it, a light, weak infusion of low quality is obtained. Typically, this tea is exported to Nepal, Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan and Kumir. These are countries where the bulk of the population lives in poverty and is happy to buy a product at a low price.

Green teas, which are grown in the Kangra Valley, are closer to Chinese in quality. They have a subtle pleasant aroma.Such teas are exported to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Baluchistan. The population of these countries is used to drinking rice with this drink.

Tea grown in the Ranchi area produces a strong, thick and tart beverage with a distinct flavor. However, in terms of its quality, this product is still inferior to the Chinese one. It is mainly exported to the Arab states of North Africa, as well as to Pakistan. In general, Indian green teas are low on the global market. They are inferior to Chinese, Japanese and even Georgian.

Brewing rules

Several methods are used to prepare a flavored drink. How to brew tea? To do this, you need to adhere to certain rules:

1. Warm up an empty china teapot before brewing. This can be done by rinsing it three to four times with boiling water.
2. Add a portion of dry tea. Pour boiling water over everything.
3. First, you should pour water only up to half of the porcelain teapot, and if the tea is green, then up to one fourth.
4. Cover the container with a linen napkin, which will trap the aromatic volatile essential oils.
5. After 3-4 minutes add boiling water to the kettle.

The foam that appears will indicate the proper implementation of all the rules. Its presence will confirm that the tea has not stood, and the aroma has not disappeared from it.

How to brew tea correctly? The concentration of the prepared drink should be optimal. It is not recommended to dilute the resulting infusion with boiling water. Only in this case the drink will turn out to be of high quality and pleasant taste. It should be borne in mind that it should be consumed within fifteen minutes after preparation.

Brewing mode

Good quality black leafy teas should not stand for more than five minutes after adding boiling water. The chopped product needs 4 minutes. Coarse black teas can withstand a harsher regime. The total brewing time for such a product can be from seven to nine minutes. And if the preparation of the drink takes place in a cold room, then the holding time should be 10-12 minutes.

For flavored green tea, you can brew it twice. The first time the drink is aged for 4 minutes. The infusion is drunk, leaving at least a third in the teapot. The second time, pour boiling water over the product for 6-7 minutes.

Application of the Chinese way

This delicate method is more suitable for high quality Darjeeling teas. A small amount of the product is placed in a preheated dish and 100-120 ml of water brought to 80 degrees is poured. The holding time should be no more than 1-1.5 minutes.

Application of the English way

It differs from the others in that the infusions should be taken in a sufficiently large volume (1 tsp per cup). In a well-heated teapot, a drink filled with water at a temperature of 95 degrees should be infused for three to four minutes. The result is a fairly strong Indian tea. The recipe for a drink prepared in this way involves adding milk or cream to it.

In addition, Indian black tea can be drunk with various additives. Recipes for preparing this drink involve the use of various spices. This can be cardamom and cloves, cinnamon and allspice, ginger or nutmeg. It all depends on your personal preference.

Tea is one of the most common drinks on earth. According to statistics, almost two billion people consider it to be the main one for themselves. Besides, tea is a very ancient drink. Its use is inextricably linked with the historical traditions, economy and culture of many nations. Tea is not just one type of beverage out there. Some peoples refer to it as an essential product.

The word "tea" has several meanings for us. This is a drink, dry raw materials for brewing and the plant itself.

Product production history in India

The tea plant was discovered by the Chinese.This is evidenced by the most ancient manuscripts, in which a bush with fragrant leaves was mentioned as far back as 4,700 years ago.

Tea production in India began in the middle of the 19th century. It was during this period that the bushes, which provide the raw material for the aromatic drink, were brought from China to the state of Assam. First-class Indian tea was obtained ten years later.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, India had become the leading supplier of tea in the world market. And today this country remains in the status of the largest producer of this product. However, the volume of high quality tea produced in the traditional way is currently declining. Today it is only 15% of the total. Indian tea is produced in large quantities in granular form. Today it is already 80% of the total production.

Types of tea produced

When purchasing tea, consumers usually distinguish it by the region of growth. These are Indian and Ceylon, Krasnodar and Georgian, etc. Many people consider the geographical feature to be the main one for a certain type of product, believing that a special type of tea plant grows in a particular area. However, this opinion is erroneous. There are a huge number of commercial varieties that are obtained through various factory processing.

The aromatic beverage brewing product is divided into four types. These include:

- black;

- Red;

- green;

- yellow.

This division is not caused at all by the color of the sheets in dry form and in infusion. The assignment of a product to one type or another indicates the differences in the technological processing of the sheet. This ultimately affects the aroma and taste of the finished beverage. So, the production of black teas involves withering, rolling, fermentation and drying of the leaf. Getting green involves only two processes. These include drying and curling.

Yellow and red teas are intermediate between black and green teas. Fermentation is used in their production, but only in incomplete form.

Baikhov varieties

Almost ninety-eight percent of the global consumer market is black teas. They are mostly buy-in. There is a greater variety of commercial varieties available, as evidenced by the richest range of aromas and flavors within a given type.

Tea production in the south of India is carried out in two regions. This is Madras and Kerala. In the first of them, where the Assamese variety of plants is bred, the raw materials are of higher quality. However, Indian tea from the southern regions can be very pungent in taste. This gives the drink some harshness. Most often, these teas are consumed with milk. The quality of this product is considered average.

An exception is Indian tea produced in the state of Madras (Nilgiris region). Here valuable shrubs are grown near the Blue Mountains at an altitude of more than 1800 meters above sea level. The best varieties are made from leaves harvested during the winter months.

Which tea is the best among the aromatic products offered by the manufacturer? This is Darjeeling. It is a loose leaf tea. Its price is so high that it is simply impossible to find this product in retail trade networks. Darjeeling is sold by auction only. If you still find a package with this name on the counter of the store, then you should know that this is either a third-rate fake or a low quality blend.

The rest of the Indian teas are fine and cut. Crushed by 30% are labeled BP, 50 - Fngs, and 20 - D. For their greater standardization, companies add from fifteen to twenty percent of the components to the commercial mixture, among which sometimes two-thirds are low or medium grades.

Despite this state of affairs, India has conquered the world market over the past three to four decades. It attracted the buyer with the ease of use of the product, guaranteeing the tea flavor and dark color of the infusion, even in the case of not particularly thorough brewing.

Determination of the quality of the drink

Which tea is better can be determined by some external signs. These indicators include the color of the leaves, their shade, as well as the quality and degree of their curl. Real Indian black tea should be black in color. Such a drink can have various tints of bluish, reddish, orange hues, or simply shine. Brewed Indian black tea with gray tea leaves is clearly of poor quality. This indicator indicates the loss of a part of the soluble components by the leaf during processing, and, consequently, the loss of aroma and taste.

The light brown color of the infusion can also indicate a violation of the technology. Coarse leaves were taken as raw materials for such tea.

Green varieties

These teas differ from black teas in the absence of a specific aroma. In addition, green varieties have a tart and harshly astringent taste. The drinks made from them have a delicate aroma, giving off a combination of the smell of a wilted strawberry leaf and freshly dried hay.

Indian green tea is produced in relatively small quantities in the north of the country. Plantations are located in the districts of Kangra and Ranchi, Kumaon and Dehra Dui, as well as Garhwal. In India itself, this tea is not consumed. The product is made from a hard and small sheet. When brewing it, a light, weak infusion of low quality is obtained. Typically, this tea is exported to Nepal, Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan and Kumir. These are countries where the bulk of the population lives in poverty and is happy to buy a product at a low price.

Green teas, which are grown in the Kangra Valley, are closer to Chinese in quality. They have a subtle pleasant aroma. Such teas are exported to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Baluchistan. The population of these countries is used to drinking rice with this drink.

Tea grown in the Ranchi area produces a strong, thick and tart beverage with a distinct flavor. However, in terms of its quality, this product is still inferior to the Chinese one. It is mainly exported to the Arab states of North Africa, as well as to Pakistan. In general, Indian green teas are low on the global market. They are inferior to Chinese, Japanese and even Georgian.

Brewing rules

Several methods are used to prepare a flavored drink. How to brew tea? To do this, you need to adhere to certain rules:

1. Warm up an empty china teapot before brewing. This can be done by rinsing it three to four times with boiling water.
2. Add a portion of dry tea. Pour boiling water over everything.
3. At first, you should pour water only up to half of the porcelain teapot, and if the tea is green, then up to one fourth.
4. Cover the container with a linen napkin, which will trap aromatic volatile essential oils.
5. After 3-4 minutes add boiling water to the kettle.

The foam that appears will indicate the proper implementation of all the rules. Its presence will confirm that the tea has not stood, and the aroma has not disappeared from it.

How to brew tea correctly? The concentration of the prepared drink should be optimal. It is not recommended to dilute the resulting infusion with boiling water. Only in this case the drink will turn out to be of high quality and pleasant taste. It should be borne in mind that it should be consumed within fifteen minutes after preparation.

Brewing mode

Good quality black leafy teas should not stand for more than five minutes after adding boiling water. The chopped product needs 4 minutes. Coarse black teas can withstand a harsher regime. The total brewing time for such a product can be from seven to nine minutes. And if the preparation of the drink takes place in a cold room, then the holding time should be 10-12 minutes.

For flavored green tea, you can brew it twice. The first time the drink is aged for 4 minutes. The infusion is drunk, leaving at least a third in the teapot. The second time, pour boiling water over the product for 6-7 minutes.

Application of the Chinese way

This delicate method is more suitable for high quality Darjeeling teas. A small amount of the product is placed in a preheated dish and 100-120 ml of water brought to 80 degrees is poured. The holding time should be no more than 1-1.5 minutes.

Application of the English way

It differs from the others in that the infusions should be taken in a sufficiently large volume (1 tsp per cup). In a well-heated kettle, a drink filled with water at a temperature of 95 degrees should be infused for three to four minutes. The result is a fairly strong Indian tea. The recipe for a drink prepared in this way involves adding milk or cream to it.

In addition, Indian black tea can be drunk with various additives. Recipes for preparing this drink involve the use of various spices. This can be cardamom and cloves, cinnamon and allspice, ginger or nutmeg. It all depends on your personal preference.

In terms of the area of ​​tea plantations, India ranks second in the world, after China, and is one of the largest exporters of tea.

History of Indian tea

Although tea bushes have grown for centuries in the foothills of the Himalayas and were used by the local population, it is believed that the history of Indian tea began relatively recently, from the middle of the X-IX century. The appearance of tea on the Indian mainland is associated with the activities of the British colonialists. In the 30s of the 19th century, they brought several tea bushes from China, from which the formation of tea plantations began. Having gained a positive experience in growing tea, and convinced of the prospects of the business, the British brought a large batch of tea sprouts to the country, which after 10 years began to give an excellent harvest.

Several large tea companies sprang up at once, which continue to flourish to this day. True, the volume of high-quality teas produced in the traditional way is steadily decreasing and has already reached 15% of the total volume. The production of CTC tea (granulated Indian black tea), on the contrary, is increasing and, on average, already exceeds 80%. There are several reasons for this: firstly, industrial production in large quantities is more economically profitable than manual production, and secondly, there are a huge number of unpretentious buyers for cheap teas, both in India and neighboring countries, and in Western countries.

Indian black tea

Tea growing areas

The main tea production in India is concentrated in three areas: Assam, Bengal, Darjeeling, Nilgiris.

Assam Indian tea, depending on the region of growth, is heterogeneous in quality. Elite varieties are grown in Upper Assan, medium-quality tea is produced in Middle Assan, and low-quality tea in Lower Assan. Assamese tea plantations are located on the plains. The largest ones are located in the Brahmapura valley, the soils of which are abundantly irrigated by rains and are very favorable for growing tea.

Approximately the same is the case in Bengal, where teas of different quality are produced. But at an altitude of 2000 m in Darjeeling, the best black tea in the whole country is grown - Darjeeling. It is distinguished by the flavors of honey and rose, velvety and bright aroma, intense and deep color of the brew. Darjeeling is always a large leaf tea. But it can also be of different quality, depending on the time of collection of the tea leaf. The highest quality darjeeling is obtained from the March collection.

Nilgiri is the southern region of India. I must say that teas from southern plantations do not have the taste characteristics of elite teas. They are somewhat harsh and harsh. This Indian milk tea is consumed. Milk softens the harshness of this tea.

But in Nilgiris, in the area of ​​the Blue Mountains, at an altitude of 1800 m above sea level, a high-quality, real Indian tea of ​​the same name is grown. It is harvested all year round, however, the best varieties are made from leaves of December, January and February harvests.

In other parts of India there are also tea growing and processing plants, the production of which is not so significant. These are Duaras, Terai, Sikkim, Travancor, Anaimallai, etc.

The quality of Indian teas

Only one variety of Indian tea is produced in large leaf, i.e. whole sheet. This is Darjeeling. All other teas are cut, crushed (30% BP, 50% Fngs and 20% D). Industrial teas are necessarily blended. Sometimes they contain up to 20 ingredients, most of which are low grades of tea.

But, despite this, the popularity of Indian tea does not fall. It impresses with its brightness of taste, ease of brewing, rich color, convincing aroma. Its more precise and subtle characteristics are of little interest to the mass consumer, which is what the producers of Indian teas are counting on. Producers literally adapt their teas to the tastes of the European consumer.

How to brew Indian tea

Indian tea is unpretentious in the way of brewing. Most often, two methods are used:

Chinese brewing method: a small amount of tea is brewed with 100-120 ml of water at a temperature of up to 80? С. The dishes should be warm. The holding time of the infusion is 1-1.5 minutes. This method is more suitable for high quality Darjeeling. Its properties are better revealed with the "Chinese" delicate approach.

English brewing method: consists in the fact that a large volume of tea leaves (at the rate of one teaspoon per cup) is placed in a well-heated teapot and infused longer - 3-4 minutes (water temperature up to 95? C). Due to the fact that this tea is very strong, it is drunk with milk or cream.

Indian black tea is a "heavy" morning tea. It impresses, awakens, but of little use. Perhaps that is why black Indian tea is drunk with various additives. It is not for nothing that there is the concept of not brewing, but the preparation of Indian tea.

There are many recipes for making black tea: Indian ginger tea, Indian milk tea, Indian spice tea, etc.

For example, masala tea contains - cloves, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt or sugar (for an amateur), black leaf tea, milk. The bouquet is beautiful and impressive. But this is no longer tea, this is a hearty, delicious morning drink.

Indian teas

	Darjeeling Tea - expensive leaf tea, which is practically not available for sale. It is being auctioned. Tea under this name on store shelves is either fake, third-grade tea, or a low-quality blend.
	Assam Tea - high-quality tea, which is rarely found on sale in its pure and authentic form. It is tart, with a bright, almost orange color of the infusion. Used in morning tea blends such as Irish Breakfast.
	Nilgiri Tea - South Indian tea, more often used in blends than in pure form. It tastes like Ceylon.
	Sikkim Tea - a new variety of tea, which in its characteristics occupies an average position between Darjeeling and Assamese tea.

Indian green tea

Indian green tea is produced in small batches in North India. Green tea is not popular in the country, it is grown exclusively for export to other countries and for tourists within the country.

Tea from the districts Garhwal, Dehra-Dun, Almor has a small and hard leaf, tastes of average and lower. It is grown for export to neighboring poor countries - Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal.

Green tea, which is grown in the Kagra valley, is better in terms of its quality indicators, to a greater extent resembles Chinese. He finds sales in Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Pakistan.

Chinese varieties of tea are grown in the Ranchi area. And although in quality it is lower than Chinese, it has a pronounced taste and strength in the brew.

Only Darjeeling produces small quantities of excellent green tea.

How to distinguish real Indian tea when buying

• The inscription "Made in India" is present only on the packaging of fake tea.
• There are well-known Indian firms whose brand name is a guarantee of quality. A. Toch, Davenport, C.T.C. owns 70% of Indian tea exports. The name of the variety is indicated on the labels of their teas. For example, Davenport Indian Tea, Tosha Indian Tea.
• Tea packages from leading Indian companies often feature a compass as a measure of precision, and a ram's head as a symbol of strength.
• A lion, a symbol of the Republic of Sri Lanka, will be depicted on the packaging of Ceylon tea.
• On genuine Indian tea, the name of the company is always printed in a smaller print than the name of the tea.
• Russian factories buy medium and low quality Indian tea and pack it themselves. This is already a low-grade tea, but if the packaging indicates that the tea was packaged at a food concentrate plant, then it also absorbed all kinds of concentrate odors and lost its own.

Black and green teas, Darjeeling, Assam and Masala are varieties of Indian teas known all over the world. India is one of the world's top tea producers and suppliers. There are about 13 thousand tea plantations in the country.

India accounts for over 30% of all tea produced in the world. And it may seem strange that they began to grow it in India relatively recently - in the middle of the 19th century. Cultivating tea in India was the idea of ​​the British, whose East Indian company brought tea bushes from China and started growing tea in the state of Assam. And already in 1900 India became the leading supplier of tea to the world market.

In Russia, they learned about the excellent taste of Indian tea only in the early 70s of the XX century. The Soviet Union received tea from India in huge volumes, not buying it, but exchanging it for the products of the engineering industries. Gradually, Indian tea rose to the well-deserved first place among the Soviet consumer, pushing aside Georgian and Chinese teas. I think many people remember the famous Indian “elephant tea", About the amazing taste of which to this day there are legends. With the collapse of the USSR, the import of tea from India to our country practically stopped. Later, some companies, taking advantage of the impeccable reputation of Indian tea formed in Soviet times, began to import tea of ​​rather low quality from other countries (Indonesia, Vietnam, etc.), passing it off as Indian.

Today it is quite difficult to find high quality Indian tea in Russia, but still there is such an opportunity. For example, buy quality Indian tea can be here.

Indian black tea

Black teas in India are classified primarily by place of production. So, there are two groups - South Indian and North Indian.

On the south of India the main regions for tea production are the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Very often teas from the southern states are collectively called "Travancore". South Indian teas give a dark infusion and have a slightly harsh taste, so they are best suited for drinking with milk. An exception in this case is tea from the region Nilgiris (Nilgiri) of Tamil Nadu, where tea plantations are located above 1800 m above sea level.

The main region of tea cultivation in north of India Is the state of Assam. The second largest region of North Indian tea production is Bengal. It is in West Bengal that Darjeeling tea is grown, which is considered the best in India.

Assam tea

Assam black tea is what it is classic indian tea... Assam tea is named for the area in which it is grown. The Indian state of Assam is the largest region in the world for the production of black tea. This place is located in northeastern India, between the Eastern Himalayas and Shillong, in the valley of the Brahmaputra River. The climate in Assam is humid and hot, which creates favorable conditions for the growth of tea.The Assamese tea tree in the wild can reach a height of 20 meters, but for the convenience of harvesting on tea plantations, it is allowed to grow only up to 2 meters.

Assamese teas are among the richest varieties of black tea, they can be used to prepare a drink even with hard water. Assam tea goes well with milk... Most successfully this tea is suitable for morning tea drinking.

The color of the brewed Assam tea is called "biscuit crust color", it is a bright reddish brown color. When brewed, Assamese tea has a tart, spicy taste and a slightly floral aroma. The drink turns out to be strong and full-bodied, with unusual honey notes and a slight malt flavor.

Darjeeling tea

Darjeeling is without exaggeration considered the best black tea in the world. It is especially appreciated in Great Britain, where it is called “tea champagne».

Darjeeling tea is grown in the vicinity of the city of the same name in the northern part of West Bengal. Unlike the Assam lowland tea plantations, Darjeeling plantations are located at an altitude of 750-2000 meters above sea level in the Himalayas. This is a unique mountainous region, where the cool and humid climate, soil and air are ideal for the tea leaf to produce rare varieties of aromatic black tea. In the Darjeeling area, a frost-resistant Chinese tea bush is cultivated, while Assamese teas are grown in other parts of the country. Darjeeling tea, unlike other varieties of black tea, is not fully fermented, for this reason it is often compared to oolong tea.

It is believed that Darjeeling tea is most suitable for daytime tea drinking, they drink it without milk.

Darjeeling is always large leaf tea... When brewed, the drink has a light brown color with a dark burgundy tint of tea leaves. It gives an intense, velvety infusion. Due to the unique climatic conditions of the highlands, tea acquires completely unusual and pleasant taste and aroma properties. Darjeeling tea has a delicate nutmeg taste and floral aroma with a light honey-rose tint.

Indian green tea

Green tea is produced in India in much smaller quantities than black varieties. Tea of ​​the Kumaon, Dehra-Dun, Almora and Garhwal districts has a small hard leaf and gives a weak light infusion. A small amount of green tea is grown in Assam and has a light sweetish taste. The Kangra tea is very similar to the Chinese varieties, while the Ranchi Valley has an exclusively Chinese variety. When brewed, they give a strong, thick drink with a pronounced tart taste. However, all these teas are not of high quality and are not used in India itself, but are exported. The exception in this case is the Darjeeling region, where the highest quality green tea is produced - green Darjeeling.

Masala tea

Masala tea is a very popular drink in India, literally means “tea with spices". This drink is obtained by brewing tea with a mixture of spices and herbs.

There is no single recipe for making masala tea, there are a very large number of variations. Each chef uses different ingredients and adds them in different proportions, but there are always four ingredients used in making masala tea - tea, spices, milk and sweetener.

For the base, black tea is usually taken, the variety of tea can be any. Sugar or honey can be used as a sweetener. The amount of milk is determined by taste, very often milk and water are taken in equal proportions, or milk is added a little less than water. The choice of spices for making masala tea is huge, as a rule, so-called "warm spices" are used. Most Indian masala tea recipes are dominated by cardamom, cloves, ginger and black pepper. To these are added cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg, saffron and anise.Rose petals, licorice root and almonds are also often used.

Generally, recipe for making masala tea simple enough. The water is mixed with milk and spices. The resulting mixture is cooked over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Tea and sweetener are added, after which the mixture must be boiled for another 4-5 minutes. Next, you need to remove the drink from the heat and let it brew a little. That's all, masala tea can be poured into cups and served at the table.

Masala tea has an unusual spicy taste and has a stimulating effect due to the presence of spices in it. This drink is used everywhere in India, masala tea is an integral part of Indian cuisine and one of the most amazing gastronomic features of Hindustan.

India has the second largest tea plantation area in the world (after China). The volume of production and export of black tea from this country is amazing - they amount to several hundred tons per year! However, it is not so easy to buy really good Indian tea; in the pursuit of volumes, quality often suffers.

Traditional Indian tea - how to choose a quality one?

Tea cultivation in India began only in the middle of the 19th century. The British colonialists brought from China several samples of tea bushes, from which Indian tea traces its history. After the first trees gave a good harvest, a large batch of tea seedlings was brought into the country, which later grew into large-scale plantations - in terms of their area, India is in second place in the world (after China). Now India is one of the leading exporters of tea leaves.

There are several large and many small tea companies operating in the country. The production of high quality raw materials is steadily declining and only accounts for 15% of the total. At the same time, the production of granulated tea increases - it exceeds 80%. This is due to the fact that industrial production is more economically profitable than manual production - but you can only collect delicate tea leaves without scrap and branches with your hands. Mechanized cutting speeds up and reduces the cost of the collection process, but has a negative effect on the quality of raw materials.

Varieties of black tea in India

Mainly in India, black tea is produced, the share of green tea is insignificant - and it is inferior in quality to the Chinese one. The main plantations in India are located in 4 districts, in each area a special variety is grown and produced.

• Assam... Most of all tea is produced in India in the state of Assam - it is located in the north-east of the country, in the Brahmaputra valley. Assam is the world's largest region for the production of black tea raw materials. The climate here is hot, with abundant rains - very favorable for the growth of tea trees. A drink from the state of Assam - rich and invigorating, rich red-brown color, thick tart taste and floral aroma. It goes well with milk and sugar.
• Darjeeling... This Indian black tea is one of the finest black teas in the world. The elite variety grows at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level in the Himalayas. In the mountains, the climate is humid and cool; frost-resistant Chinese tea bushes are planted there. Darjeeling is always large leafy, not fully fermented, which is why it has been compared to oolong. Infusion of light brown color, delicate taste with honey tints, floral aroma with fruity notes. The most expensive variety.
• Nilgiri... The varieties from southern tea plantations are harder and more intense. Infusion with a pungent taste, the raw material is usually used in blends.
• Sikkim... A region in the eastern Himalayas where a new variety of black Indian tea is grown (in mass production since 1980). In taste and smell, it combines the best shades of Assam and Darjeeling.

Indian green tea

Green tea in India is produced in small quantities. From the small raw materials of the states of Kumaon, Garhwa and Dehra-Dun, a weak infusion of a light shade is obtained. Green raw materials from Assam give the drink a sweetish taste. In the states of Kangra and Ranchi, Chinese varieties are grown, from which a thick tart infusion is obtained.The quality of these green teas is not very high, they are exported. The only exception is green Darjeeling, which does not lag behind the black of the same name in quality.

Feature of Indian teas

The only large leaf tea from India is Darjeeling. The rest of the varieties are produced in cut and chopped form. Industrial varieties are blended, their composition can contain up to 20 varieties of leaves, some of which are of poor quality.

At the same time, black Indian tea is bright and rich, with a constant aroma, it is easy to brew. Therefore, it is loved by the mass European consumer. Which tea is better to buy from Indian? When choosing, pay attention to the place of packaging of tea - it is best if it is packed in foil or film right at the place of production, in India. When packing Indian raw materials in other countries, tea leaves lose some of their aroma, absorb foreign odors, which negatively affects their quality.

Beneficial features

Indian black tea contains vitamins and minerals, amino acids and essential oils. It normalizes the work of the heart system, dilates blood vessels and relieves spasms. Raises low blood pressure. Normalizes digestion, strong infusion has a fixing and disinfecting effect. Due to its antibacterial action, it neutralizes skin, eye and intestinal pathogenic bacteria.

How to brew

Various recipes for brewing tea leaves are known. In addition to traditional European and Chinese methods, you can make Indian tea with milk and spices.

• European style: take 1 tsp. tea leaves and fill with a glass of water at a temperature of 95 degrees. The drink is kept for 3-4 minutes, drunk with milk and sugar.
• In Chinese: pour a small amount of tea leaves with 100 ml of water at a temperature of 80 degrees. Insist 1-1.5 minutes. This method is commonly used to prepare the Darjeeling variety.
• Indian tea with milk and spices: known as masala. To make this recipe, you will need black tea leaves, milk, sweetener and a spice mix - most often it contains ginger, cardamom, allspice and nutmeg. Indian tea with milk and spices tastes hot and spicy, it deeply warms and tones.

Tea is the drink that is loved and drunk in every country. Some people prefer herbal, others like black or green. Oddly enough, tea with lemon is called Russian, and tea with milk is called English. What kind of tea do they like in India? If there is Indian tea, it is fair to assume that in this country tea drinking was brought into a cult by analogy with the Chinese tea ceremony.

Interesting fact. Hindi tea is consonant with the Russian word - chai (चाय). But tea with milk is traditional for this country, for which water and milk are taken in equal shares, or even brewed without water, that is, just in milk. And then it turns out to be very nutritious. India is a large country and in each of its regions they prefer a special kind of tea, adding ingredients that are characteristic of a particular province.

Indian teas

Tea is a tree or a tall bush. It is clear that it comes in several varieties. The saturation of color, aroma, aftertaste, color of tea leaves depends on this and on the time of harvest.

Traditional Indian tea

Tea grown in India can be divided into 2 categories based on where it is grown:

• north Indian;
• South Indian.

In northern India, tea is grown and harvested in the states of Assam or Bengal. The second place is considered the birthplace of the best Indian Darjeeling tea.

In the south of India, tea is grown in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. And the drink brewed on these leaves turns out to be dark, with a harsh aftertaste. It is often diluted with milk or brewed on it.

Green tea

Green tea lovers will be surprised, but this tea is not very popular in India. Therefore, his plantations are small. It is grown in some states:

• Garhwal, Kumaon, Almora, Dehradun.The tea leaf is hard and when brewed, the drink turns out to be light.
• Kangra. These leaves are reminiscent of Chinese drinks in taste and color.
• Assam. The brewed tea is slightly sweet.
• Ranchi. It specializes in the cultivation of Chinese teas.
• Darjeeling. This state was again distinguished by the high quality of its shrubs. But tea from the states described above is sent for export, since it did not suit the taste of the Indians.

Assam

The classic tea from India is the Assam variety. The brewed drink has a rich brownish-red color and a tart taste with a spicy, malty or honey aftertaste. They just drink it, diluting it with milk.

Masala

If one of the varieties of tea is drunk everywhere in India, then it is masala. In translation, it means "tea with spices". And during brewing, various spices are really added to it. And this is in addition to the essential ingredients: milk, tea, sugar or sweetener. Moreover, the varieties of shrubs from which the leaves were collected may be different.

Added spices:

• cardamom;
• cinnamon;
• liquorice root;
• black pepper;
• saffron;
• Carnation;
• almond;
• nutmeg;
• ginger;
• anise;
• fennel;
• rose petals.

The selection of spices is varied and each of them gives a special touch to this magical drink. There is an opportunity to surprise yourself every day and drink tea with a new aroma and aftertaste.

Darjeeling

High quality black tea, appreciated even by the fastidious Englishmen. Due to the fact that its plantations are located in the Himalayas, 700-2000 meters above sea level, tea ripens in a humid and not hot environment, and its leaves are saturated with color, aroma and taste.

Darjeeling has a thick taste, nutmeg notes are guessed, there is a honey aftertaste. The aroma is velvety and slightly floral. And he waved flowers-melliferous plants.

If other varieties of the drink are usually drunk in India with milk, then Darjeeling is the variety that is drunk in its pure form.

Frozen tea

This is not a sort, but a kind of drink. Due to the hot climate in India, iced tea with the addition of ice, lemon, and a sweetener is popular.

Where is tea served in India?

India has places for natives and for tourists. This often applies to food items. These distinctions are made solely for the convenience of the latter, since not every tourist will like real Indian food or drinks.

So, in India, tea is drunk in dhabahs (coffee shops, eateries, canteens) - strong brewed drinks similar to chifir. All the varieties listed earlier can be tasted there, of course.

In institutions for tourists, adapted drinks are served:

• Black tea - black tea. And no milk or spices will be added to it.
• Lemon tea - tea not with lemon, but with a local fruit similar in size to a halo plum नींबू. This is citrus, it is sour and aromatic.
• Cardamon tea - tea with cardamom. Please note that according to the recipe, it must be cooked in milk.
• Tulsi tea or basil tea with the addition of ginger or mint. It is considered a healthy and life-prolonging drink.
• Lemon Ginger tea. Tea with ginger and lemon. Depending on the use of fresh or powdered ginger, the drink turns out to be clear or cloudy.

Tea brewing methods

In India, tea is brewed in various variations using tea leaves, water, spices, milk.

• Chinese tea. 2 tablespoons of tea leaves for a quarter liter of boiling water. First, the leaf is thrown into a heated kettle, and then water is poured. You can brew up to 5 times, increasing the duration of infusion.
• Tea in English. It is brewed for longer (3 to 5 minutes) than the Chinese method. 1 teaspoon for each guest + 1 teapot. Pour boiling water over.
• Masala tea. Mix 350 grams of hot milk and boiling water (so much water that the total volume is 1 liter). Throw in tea, sugar, a little salt. Boil. Add ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon. You can drink after 10 minutes. Cooking variations and ingredients may vary.
• Granulated tea.It is tart, strong, with a rich shade. Granules are poured at the rate of 0.5 tablespoons per 1 guest. Add water so that it covers the granules. After 3 minutes, add water and insist warm.
• Salted tea. Salt reveals the taste and aroma of the drink. It also contains milk and all spices used in India, with the exception of sugar.
• Buffalo milk. In this case, tea is first boiled in water, then milk and sugar are added. At the end, filter.
• Marathi. The recipe is similar to the previous one, but no water is used.
• Iced tea. Ice cubes (up to 2/3) are poured into a glass and chilled tea is poured. Lemon, sugar to taste.

There are so many varieties of Indian tea, cooking recipes, that among them you can choose the one that suits your taste and will become the hallmark of your cafe or home.

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