Category Archives: General Tea Background

Teas of Nilgiri, India

Map of India with Nilgiri Tea Region highlighted.

Nilgiri Tea Producing Region of India (Highlighted) based on India Map by Umesh NiRai, CC BY 2.5

The best known tea regions in India are certainly Assam and Darjeeling in the northeast of the country. However, these are certainly not the only tea growing regions. The next well known region for tea production in India is the Nilgiri Hills region of southeast India. Nilgiri teas feature a strong, bold, taste which makes them ideal for blending with other teas.

In the Nilgiri growing region, most manufacturing facilities are located within the grounds of the tea plantations meaning the fresh leaves don’t have to travel very far before processing. This helps ensure high quality, fresh tea, due to the quick processing and manufacturing.

Nilgiri Tea History

Tea has been grown in the Nilgiri region for centuries with some estimates going back as far as 800 years when the Nilgiri Hills were seized by Hoysala King Vishnu Vardhana. More recently the East India Company held the land for tea production beginning in 1799 and lasting through to 1947 when the region won independence from Britain. Today the regions plantations and growers are represented by the Nilgiri Planters’ Association covering the areas of Ooty, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Kundah (The Nilgiri Panters’ Association, 2014).

Nilgiri Tahr by Anish live, CC-BY-SA-3.0

Unique Nilgiri Region

The Niligiri Geographical Indication (GI) region is part of the Ghat mountain range and is home to the Nilgiri Tahr, or ibex, an endangered sheep of the region. The mountains feature heights up to 6500 ft above sea level. Like the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia, which are also called the Blue Ridge Mountains because of the bluish tint they have from a distance, the name Nilgiri means Blue Mountains, and is named for the blue haze that often settles over the range. Unlike some other tea regions of the world, the Nilgiri region receives regular amounts of rain throughout the year allowing nearly year round tea production.

Nilgiri Tea Production and Use

Nilgiri Tea produced by estates in the Nilgiri region include both CTC and Orthodox teas for markets around the world including Russia and the Middle East but also Europe and the United States. Like teas from Argentina, Nilgiri tea tends to be quite clear when iced, a trait which makes these teas a popular base for iced tea blends. These teas also are considered to be very fragrant with a brisk yet creamy mouth feel and full body. While tea is produced year round in the Nilgiri Hills, it is the frost tea, produced from December through February which is one of the more notable, due to the slow growth of the leaves, concentrating the aromatic compounds in the leaves. While black tea is the primary product of the region it also produces some green and white teas.

Nilgiri Tea – Dry Leaf and Liquor

Like many other teas from India and Kenya, Nilgiri tea forms the base for a broad swath of flavored and blended teas. However, it is an excellent tea in its own right which is why it was one of the teas we selected for Dominion Tea and experimented with in making home-made ice cream. Enjoy!

A Toast to Protecting Darjeeling Tea

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Darjeeling Tea is grown in the Darjeeling regin of India

Darjeeling tea is grown in the Northeast of India surrounded by Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh (Public Domain)

Darjeeling was the first tea in India to be protected under Geographic Identification (GI), which didn’t happen until 2011. This protection allows India the right to force other governments to protect the Darjeeling name and product within their borders, which is quite difficult without the GI. It is estimated that just before awarding the GI, there was almost 3 times more Darjeeling tea on the market than is actually produced in Darjeeling each year. As a big fan of Darjeeling tea, this is both troubling and not surprising (it is a really good tea). This tea fetches a price per pound almost fifty percent higher than Assam and Nilgiri and can rival the price per pound of some well-known Chinese teas.

What GI Means to Darjeeling Tea

By protecting Darjeeling tea, the Indian government not only ensures that the quality of the tea locally grown meets the definition of a Darjeeling but that it can stop tea being grown and manufactured outside of this area from being marketed as Darjeeling. As an American, it is oddly ironic to learn that most of the counterfeit Darjeeling was being produced in China, which is often cited as the counterfeit capital for knock-offs of American movies, music, and high-end clothing lines.

In order to get the Geographic Identification, the India Tea Board had to develop a definition of what makes a Darjeeling tea. It is defined as “Tea either currently being or having been cultivated, grown or produced in one of the 87 tea gardens in the defined geographic area of Darjeeling as determined by the India Tea Board, as well as processed and manufactured in a factory located in the defined geographic area. When tested by expert tea tasters, it is determined to have the distinctive and naturally occurring organoleptic characteristics of taste, aroma, and mouth feel, typical of tea cultivated, grown and produced in the region of Darjeeling, India.”

Darjeeling, India, By SebaDella, CC BY 2.0 Generic

By creating the definition, the India Tea Board can license and monitor all stages of Darjeeling tea production to ensure quality and compliance with their certification. As a consumer of the tea, it makes it simple to know if I am getting an authentic Darjeeling through the logo that is put on every pound of Darjeeling leaving the area for consumption. The Tea Board is currently working with outside firms to automate as much of the oversight as possible, and through doing so, making it easier for the Tea Board to pursue counterfeiters and get their products off the market or labeled more clearly. This ultimate helps to protect the growers and producers of Darjeeling by allowing the tea price to keep increasing as demand outstrips supply. If you have never had a second flush Darjeeling, you should. It is a truly complex tea that has a medium to full-bodied feel with floral, fresh grass, muscatel flavors and a lingering finish. The terroir of the West Bengal region India is credited for creating this complex tea given that it is a very high elevation area residing at the base of the Himalayas, home to the three highest mountain peaks on the planet. It is the one place in India where Camellia Sinensis Sinensis is grown instead of Camellia Sinensis Assamica.

Mountainous Darjeeling tea plantation, India

Darjeeling Tea Plantation, By Shankar S., CC by 2.0 generic

Darjeeling Tea: First Flush or Second?

If you are wondering why the second flush instead of the first? The first flush is delicate, much more like a white tea and while still a wonderful tea, the second flush is where the flavor comes out in this tea. The manufacturing process for Darjeeling is also unique because while it is marketed as a black tea its oxidation levels reside in the oolong range, which helps to draw out the flavors in this tea. So, I lift my tea cup to the India Tea Board and wish them luck in protecting this wonderful drink. May all their hard work reap many rewards for the farmers and manufacturers of Darjeeling in the years to come.

Specialty Tea is Not a Commodity

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There are a number of definitions for commodity but one we like states that “a commodity is any homogeneous good traded in bulk on an exchange.” (InvestingAnswers, 2014) This definition goes on to say that for an item to be considered a commodity it must meet three conditions.

It must be standardized (for agricultural and industrial commodities it must be in a “raw” state).
It must be usable (i.e., have a shelf life) upon delivery.
Its price must vary enough to justify creating a market for the item.

Wheat is a Commodity Like Oil and Gold

This works well for things like oil, gold, wheat and other products which can be produced in bulk, measured against well-known and agreed upon standards, and are usable for long periods of time. Even though there are some differences in grades for each of these examples, they are by and large, equal to each other no matter where they come from and meet a standard definition of quality. They are fungible. You can generally intermingle all of them together and the buyer doesn’t know or care what the initial source of the product was.

Specialty Tea or Commodity Tea?

So how about tea? I’ll go out on a limb (admittedly not very far) and suggest that there are really two major kinds of tea; commodity tea and specialty tea. Commodity tea is produced in bulk by one of a half dozen or fewer global corporations. Their aim is to sell a consistent product in massive quantities as inexpensively as possible. The commodity definition breaks down a bit with tea, in that the product really isn’t raw at this point, as the raw leaves have been oxidized and macerated into fine pieces. Even if it were sold raw, it wouldn’t be fungible since different cultivars and terroir produce significantly different taste. It’s at this point where the tea markets like the one in Mumbai, India and Mombasa, Kenya play a role in getting teas of various taste to the small number of global players. It has been standardized in terms of the leaf size (or particle size if you prefer) and buyers are looking for specific taste profiles to be blended to produce that consistent taste they are going for. This blended tea is ultimately packed into sacks for global transport, and sold in massive quantities. Finally commodity tea is used in applications where consistent taste and low cost is the primary driver; mass produced tea bags, many ready to drink products, and health and beauty products.

Specialty Tea Features Variety in Shape, Aroma, and Liquor Color

Where commodity tea defines quality in terms of consistent taste profile and particle size, specialty tea defines quality in terms of aroma, shape of rolled leaf, liquor taste, and sheer variety. Specialty tea does not seek to maintain the same taste profile year over year. Instead, specialty tea takes advantage of the uniqueness of its manufacturing process and variety in terroir. It celebrates the differences between teas from different regions, countries, and elevations. Consistent taste and lowest price are not the for specialty tea. Instead the drivers for specialty tea are the story behind the tea, the desire for variety in flavor and aroma, and the degree to which one can appreciate where it comes from. While this makes a clear definition of “quality” somewhat elusive, it encourages curiosity, learning, and experimentation, all key ingredients to a better tea experience.

Works Cited

InvestingAnswers. (2014, April 30). Commodity Definition & Example. Retrieved from Investing Answers: http://www.investinganswers.com/financial-dictionary/commodities-precious-metals/commodity-1035

Welcome Zen Tara Tea Fans

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Photo of Guy and Methee of Zen Tara Tea and David & Hillary of Dominion Tea

Methee & Guy of Zen Tara Tea and David & Hillary of Dominion Tea

After seven years Zen Tara Tea has closed its doors as of March 31, 2014. The website, and in principle Zen Tara Tea, are closing so that Guy and Methee can pursue other opportunities that have come to them in working with projects in Thailand and potentially in other tea growing countries. There will be extensive travel beginning the end of April to begin some of the work and the amount of time they will be spending outside the country makes maintaining Zen Tara Tea in the U.S. impractical at this time.

While Guy and Methee are moving on to a new chapter, Dominion Tea is about ready to open its virtual doors. Through chance timing and a shared vision for great tea, we expects to start offering many of the great teas you have come to expect from Zen Tara Tea over the years. Beginning in May 2014, we will be offering customers great teas on our website, www.DominionTea.com.

Over the next month we would like to encourage you to sign up for the Dominion Tea newsletter and get a better sense of who we are through this blog.

American Tea Culture

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Golden Dragon Tea

Recently Hillary and I spent a couple weeks in Florida visiting family and having our son spend some time with his grandparents. As usual we brought our own tea. During a break we visited a well-known tea house which featured a wide selection of over sixty teas as well as serving salads and sandwiches. Hillary selected an Earl Grey and Jasmine blend while I selected an oolong described, in part, as rare. The tea itself tasted great but I felt the tea house left us short. Specifically, the tea infuser was removed from the pot before it was brought to the table. We had no option to examine the tea leaves nor have a second steeping. So is it that odd to expect an institution serving premium tea to provide access to the infused leaves? And this begs a larger question. How does one define “American Tea Culture”?

Culture can be defined as “the sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another.” (Dictionary.Com, 2014) We are dominated by a coffee culture in this country now, but that hasn’t always been the case. Early in our history we were primarily tea drinkers, dating back to the early days of the nation and beginning the transition to coffee with the Boston Tea Party at which point it became unpopular to drink tea, lest you be seen as supporting the British. Over time came wars involving Asia, further eroding the tea as a part of the American way of life.However, tea didn’t fully fade away, and throughout our history we have opened our doors to large numbers of immigrants, a number of which were displaced from their homelands during political upheaval. For example we helped relocated nearly a million people from Vietnam in the 1970’s after the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War. Immigrants from Vietnam moved primarily to Southern California but also Houston, TX, the Washington DC suburbs and a variety of other cities. The Vietnamese brought with them their language, beliefs, and consumption of hot and iced tea. (Peter Cody Hunt, 2002)

Today the American Tea Culture is hard to pin down, involving a variety of different things. On the one hand we have tea in a restaurant atmosphere. We have a growing number of tea houses with fancy tea pots and cups as well as light fare or coffee & tea establishments offering a trendy atmosphere where you can get coffee, tea, bagels, and other food from a counter to sit in or take out.

Sun Tea by flickr user SanFranAnnie, CC BY SA 2.0

There is sweet tea, iced tea, and sun tea. As far as tea in the United States goes it is overwhelmingly iced. Iced tea is featured nearly everywhere in the south and served up for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In some parts it is sweet tea with a good helping of sugar or sweetener added, while in other areas its straight black. For Hillary, growing up in Arizona only a few miles from Mexico, her favorite was sun tea made simply by adding a few teabags to a jar of cold water and setting outside in the Arizona sun. A few hours later simply pour over ice and enjoy!

Bubble Tea by flickr user ohallmann, CC BY 2.0

An alternative for many in this country is tea as occasional “get well” drink, often from grocery store teabags, including tea, lemon, and honey to relieve a sore throat, or herbal remedies purported to help overcome sickness. In fact America, being the melting pot that it is, sees different uses based on different cultural backgrounds. For many Hispanics “traditional practices include using home remedies (e.g., drinking herbal or spiced teas) and seeking care from relatives, neighbors, community members, or traditional health care providers.” (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012) Haitians “drink lots of water and homemade fruit juices, coffee in the morning, and tea only when sick.” (Jessie M. Colin) And there is a significant Asian population in Southern California with shopping catering to the population and bubble tea shops for younger generations. (Medina, 2013)

We have portions of the population who seek benefits from green tea in the form of food ingredients, dietary supplements, facial masks, and a whole host of other uses.

Lastly, there are those of us who enjoy loose leaf tea, the myriad varieties, the historical significance, different brewing methods, blends, scenting, baking, and more. We can get our fix from specialty tea shops sprinkled throughout the country, online, and regional festivals ranging from the Pacific Northwest and Los Angeles International Tea Festivals to the NYC and Philly Coffee and Tea Festivals.

In the end I’m not sure one can really pin down “American Tea Culture”. Like America there are options for everyone and plenty of room to explore, no matter what your preference. Is one aspect wrong and another right? Is one a more worthwhile aspect of tea on which to focus? What is your preference? Did we leave out your favorite aspect of American Tea Culture?

Tell us what you think and share this blog with another tea lover…

– David at Dominion Tea

Works Cited

Dictionary.Com. (2014, 01 22). Culture | What is the dfinition? Retrieved from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture?s=t

Jessie M. Colin, P. R. (n.d.). Cultural and Clinical Care for Haitians. Betty Hastings, LCDR US Public Health Service, Indian Health Services.

Medina, J. (2013, April 28). The New York Times. Retrieved from New Suburban Dream Born of Asia and Southern California: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/us/asians-now-largest-immigrant-group-in-southern-california.html?_r=0

Peter Cody Hunt, M. (2002). An Introduction to Vietnamese Culture For Rehabilitation Service Providers in the U.S.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Building Our Understanding: Cultural Insights – Communicating with Hispanic/Latinos.