ASSAM TEA
The history of Assam Tea dates back to 1837, when the first tea garden was established by the British East India Company at Chabua in Upper Assam. In 1840 , the Assam Tea Company began its commercial tea production. Presently there are around 765 tea estates and about 1,00,000 smaller gardens. Assam produces around 570 million kilos of tea annually . Over 2,16,2000 hectares of land are in tea cultivation.
Assam Tea is specifically manufactured from the plant Camellia SinensisAssamica. Assam Tea is basically grown in a comparatively low land with heavy rainfall . Whereas Darjeeling Tea is mostly cultivated in the hills.
Assam and Darjeeling are the major contributors of tea in India. Although 52% of the total production comes from Assam alone.
The taste of Assam Tea is malty in flavor with a strong bright colour. It tastes best with milk, although it is consumed as black,green,purple or white tea.
PLUCKING SEASON
From March to September Assam comes under heavy rainfall with humid summers but such tropical weather is perfect for the tea bushes grown in this region. Assam’s tea producing and plucking season starts from March and lasts till October.
THE FIRST FLUSH
The spring season or the first flush (commonly known in tea) starts from Mid March to May. The teas during this time are clear , light and aromatic. The tea leaves that are plucked in this time of the year are the youngest and most tender and it gives purest and freshest cup of tea. The First Flush Tea usually contains more nutrients, antioxidants and caffeine. This is considered the best flush of the growing season , bringing in high prices from tea connoisseurs. The leaves are picked when they are quite tender along with the new shoots on the tea bushes.
The shelf life of this particular tea isn’t long. First Tea Flush is described as a light infusion with delicate tasting , having a pale color with light yellow to red cup color, giving out a flowery aroma. It could be made into black tea , white or even greenish and peachy tea.
As soon as the flush ends, the rains pour in , letting the plants soak up the water and enter a brief dormant stage before the next cycle begin.
SECOND FLUSH
After the brief dormancy period between May and June , the leaves are plucked and these leaves are more mature , less acidic or bitter in taste than the First Flush ones. Some of the most exotic teas are produced during this season . For example the Manohari Gold Tea which was sold at a price of INR 50,000/- per kilogram in the auction 2019,is plucked during this season. The leaves of these particular tea are plucked in the morning between 4 am & 6 am, to prevent the sunlight from altering its distinct aroma and flavour. The leaves of this tea variety is gold in colour unlike black for other varieties.
MONSOON FLUSH
Monsoon Flush Teas are those that are collected just after the rains, i.e , by the month of September . The leaves are more matured and strong bodied. The flushes are all dependent on the weather condition of the state or region and also on the specific location of the tea estate. Monsoon Flush Teas are mostly processed through CTC method and used in blends
AUTUMN FLUSH
This flush marks the final harvest of the year , around late October , early November. These teas possess a strong aromatic profile , notable floral notes and full rich body.
IN WHICH FLUSH TEA IS ABUNDANT IN ASSAM
Harvested from late May to June, the second flush tea is most abundant in Assam. Also known as the summer flush teas, the temperature during this time of the year in Assam remains from 20-30°C.
More aboout Tea
Here is a list of few tea estates that are famous for their unique tea quality , vastness in area and hospitality for tourists and tea connoisseur from across the globe. These tea estates with their beautiful landscape attract photographers and birding enthusiasts.
Manohari Tea Estate: Founded in 1897,this tea estate takes the pride of producing the most expensive tea in India. Manohari Gold Speciality Tea , which was auctioned at the Guwahati Tea Auction Center fetched highest auction sale of INR 39001/- PER KG in 2018 and INR 50000/- PER KG in 2019, thus creating a record for being the most expensive tea in India. They also produce other varieties such as black tea, CTC , Orthodox , Yellow tea , Flavoured Tea , White Tea , Green Tea , Oolong Tea etc. If you like a hearty cup of Black Tea, Manohari Estate Assam is perfect for you. It is brisk , malty and full bodied , with a light citrus note.
Location : Dibrugarh ,Assam
AssamicaAgro Organic Farm : Here at AssamicaAgro 100% of the product is organic and handcrafted to create high quality tea. They have 2 farms KANOKA and PRITHVI. The farms are an association of small farmers with an aim to boost the overall economy and benefit from its group effort. The First Flush of Tea is used to make Green tea , which is sold domestically (20%) and the rest are used for producing black tea which are exported to UK,USA, AUSTRALIA and RUSSIA. The production here is a bit challenging because its totally organic and no chemical is used to boost its scale. Rolling and selection are totally hand crafted by the workers. Fermentation of the green teas are stopped by using boiling water and the only machine used here is a dryer. The farm produces around 1.5 tonne of tea annually . Location :Sonitpur, Assam
Hatikhuli Tea Estate : The estate is situated on NH-37 , adjoining the Kaziranga National Park which is a world heritage site. It produces organic green tea,orthodoxtea,CTC Tea besides black pepper and inorganic fish spawns. The Company decided in 2007 to convert the plantation to organic, which they achieved completion by 2011. This move led to the increase of soil quality. Hatikhuli is also host to many wild animals and birds which visit the estate every now and then.
Tata Tea : Tata Tea is the largest tea brand in India. Tata Group initially catered India Tea Market as Tata Finlay brand in association with James Finlay, a renowned Tea Brand globally. In the year 1976, Tata takes over the entire production and marketing of James Finlay. Tata Tea owns 21 estates in Assam in the name of Amalgamated Plantations . The various other brands are Tata Tea Gold, Tata Tea Premium , Tata Tea Veda , Tata Tea Chakra Gold , Tata Tea Kanan Devan, Tata Tea Gemini , Tata Tea Agni .
Taj Mahal : This tea brand was introduced in the year 1966. It is a very famous tea known for its unique taste. “Wah Taj” is the famous tagline used in the commercial advertisement. There are many variants of this brand such as Taj Mahal Gold, Taj Mahal Classic , Taj Mahal Darjeeling , Taj Mahal Nilgiris , Earl Grey Green Tea , Taj Ginger Flavoured Tea Bags, Taj Mahal Breakfast , Honey Lemon Green Tea etc . This brand is loved by the Indian families because of its taste and quality . The brand is owned by the Hindustan Unilever Group.