I am looking to buy some slightly higher grade tea than what I'm used to and I was looking on Upton's website at their selection of Indian Black teas. I was amazed at the price disparity between their Darjeelings and their Nilgiris or Assams. Maybe I'm being naive, but is that difference really representative of quality? Or is this just Darjeeling name value?
If I was just going by prices, I'd think that Darjeelings must be so much better than Assam and Nilgiri that I shouldn't bother with the latter two. That's a fallacy, right?
The undisputed fact is that Darjeelings taste different from the Assam teas. The cost difference is probably dictated by the fact that smaller amounts of Darjeelings are produced every year.
Try a sampler of each type to figure out which tea you like better.
They are definitely different teas. Quality is quality. A Darjeeling is neither an Assam or a Nilgiri. They taste differently. They look and smell differently. Considering them all in the same ballpark is comparing apples and oranges. It all depends on what you're looking for in a tea. Shen
I don't think of darjeelings as black teas at all. They taste closer to greens to me. I do like them better than assams and Nilgiri teas although some assams are also very good (but also very expensive).
It depends on your taste. You should try some fairly expensive Darj and some expensive Assam and see which you like better. I think almost all if not all Nilgiri teas are cheap. I only bought one and it wasn't bad at all for the price.
Price difference does not necessarily mean that one tea will be better than the other, but some very expensive teas are really tasty and I haven't been able to find equally good but cheap teas so far. I think a truly amazing tea at cheap price would be a great find and probably won't last for long because everybody will flock and buy it out.
It's not crazy that some tea may cost very much more than another. But whether you'll like it is another thing entirely.
There's not that much real Darjeeling produced each year, and of that only a small percentage is high-quality, single-estate tea. For those of us who esteem it it's worth the price. As others have suggested, you'll have to try it and judge for yourself.
Keep in mind, though, that Darjeeling can be cranky to brew properly; it's easy to brew it improperly and then assume it's muck. Brew it as you would a high grade oolong, and a premium Darjeeling can be a very rewarding experience.
Much of it is name value, and much of it is the fact that most of the darjeelings are a very different style.
Well, they are a totally different style tea these days. If you like the Darjeeling but don't want to pay as much, consider some of the Sikkim teas that are less oxidized. They have much of the Darjeeling character for less.
Curiously, once upon a time, Darjeelings were produced much darker than they are now, or so they say. The greener style is a rather modern development since so many people in North America and Europe want them that way. I'd say they are more analogous to Oolongs since they are subjected to a certain amount of oxidation. But, they are so distinct that they deserve a category of their own. That's my opinion. I'm told that 10 times more "Darjeeling" is sold than produced. Most likely true. The customer will always be supplied.
Michael Plant wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.east.earthlink.net:
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If memory serves, the Darjeelings sold in NYC's Little India were more definitely black teas in 1979, when I first was taught to make masala chai. Of course, what you say about the 90% ratio of false D.'s was probably true then too (perhaps with a lower percentage because there was less of a demand in the Eurocentric market back then?), so I don't absolutely know if the stuff I bought as "Lopchu Estate" off the shelves in the Pleistocene was real to begin with...
N. Oxidation is limited by using a very hard wither (dries the leaves out). Biological systems need water in which to react - low water little oxidation. Very hard wither can be done at high elevation and low humidity (thus early season flushes and tops of mountains are conducive). Cannot be achieved in wet - hence "Rains Darjeelings" and "Autumnal Darjeelings" have the black tea character that they used to have before hard withering became the norm (in the 1950's).
M > I'm told that 10 times more "Darjeeling" is sold than produced. Most likely true.
N. Most likely untrue. Unfortunately the comprehensive International Tea Committee "Green Book" of tea statistics does not show Darjeeling as a separate producing area and neither does next best source F O Licht's "World Tea Markets Monthly" (curious - but the Indians have always been coy about Darjeeling production) however it is generally agreed that current production is between 10,000 and 11,500 tonnes annually. Ten times this amount means selling at least 100,000 tonnes of "faux Darjeeling" - around 7% of all the tea exported for world trade whereas Darjeeling is virtually absent from sale in the really big tea drinking countries. In the days when tea statistics were my job it was reckoned that the dilution was around 2 to 3x at most.
M > The customer will always be supplied.
N. Correct. Darjeeling is mostly cut/diluted/blended with the very similar orthodox teas from Nepal - grown on the other side of the same mountains, and made by tea makers trained in Darjeeling. Nepali orthodoxes can be very good but "the customer" in his ignorance prefers an expensive bad Darjeeling to a good inexpensive Nepali - as ever brand loyalty overcomes sensory discrimination. Hence the use of the Nepal grown teas (just a mule trek away) for cutting the Darjeelings. To be fair to the Darjeeling producers I should point out that most of this adulteration occurs in Calcutta rather than in Darjeeling itself.
It is worth noting that Darjeeling tea marks 'Darjeeling' and 'Darjeeling logo' are now legally protected for Geographical Identity. In order to protect as GI, the Tea Board of India registered the marks in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Egypt, and the United Kingdom and some other European countries, as a trade mark/CTM. UK Trade Registry granted registration of the word 'Darjeeling' as of 30 March 1998 under the UK Trade Marks Act 1994. The United States has also accepted the application of the Tea Board for the registration of 'Darjeeling' as a CTM in October 2002. Misuse is monitored by Compumark and policed by Tea Board of India.
it feels really good when people are looking for quality indian teas. i pesonally get a feeling that indian teas are being recognised and that makes me jump my seat.
tradional darjeelings will be black in appearance or rather brown black, the infusion will be coppery, the cup will be dark brown or reddish and you can see till the bottom very clearly. go for a pure second flush muscatel 2007 from a reputed single estate like margarets hope, caselton , jungpana, goomtee , makaibari... you will be able to find out why exactly darjeeling teas are sold ten times more than what is the actual produce.
according to me
formatting link
is one of the sources that carries tradional darjeelings rather than the fancy new type greenish, less oxidized darjeelings. give it a try - its worth it!
there is a vast diffrence between darjeeling, assam and nilgiri. the first point being their growing conditions, secondly the altitude, thirdly the soil... makes it all very diffrent.
Interesting point Lew and subject for a history lesson: in the 1950's nobody really craved the First Flush. Germany was in disarray. The UK market for Darjeelings was dominated by J Lyons & Co and I quote Michael Adams (Tea International Journal Vol 3 (2) #9, of 1995) "in those days J Lyons & Co were the major buyers of second flush tea and their choice had an influence on the method of manufacture followed by the planters. Their preference was for well fermented teas which made full and mellow liquors, whereas under-fermented teas are thinner and greenish". Lyons blended their "black" Second Flush with Assams. Brews were strong in the Corner Houses - nearly 6 grams in a half pint tea pot - dispensed volumetrically into the pot before it was filled by the Lyons Nippy - the famous waitresses in black dresses and white caps and pinnies.
In 1967 Lyons' Catering Department had a change in market strategy and discontinued the Maison blend which used the ever more expensive Darjeelings; Germany with post war wealth had begun to re-enter the market for greenish hard withered Darjeelings it had pioneered before WWII, and Russia began barter dealing arms for the black Darjeelings Lyons had been buying, but the Russians could afford inflated prices.
Even in 1995 when Tea International Journal organized a tasting they found that out of 11 retail packed samples available only 3 had "a recognisably fine Darjeeling flavor".
Blacker tea is easier to make - softer wither, deeper spread on teh troughs, less airflow, same time
I spoke figuratively, thus sloppily. More correct to say that far more teas are sold under the name "Darjeeling" than are grown in Darjeeling itself, as Nigel kindly explained.
I should say that I have enjoyed Temi very much. Unfortunately I haven't tried a true Nepali tea, but see no reason why it can't be excellent. I don't *think* I'm guilty of preferring the expensive bad to the less expensive good, at least in this case.
My question: Would all the formality of registered marks in Western Europe and in North America be taken as seriously in India proper? Also, from what you write, I gather that putting in some non-Darjeeling to "cut" the Darjeeling and thus the cost is the rule; selling whole batches under the name Darjeeling that were not in fact grown in Darjeeling is far rarer. Is that it?
Thanks Ankit, once again for enlightening all about Darjeeling Teas. If I may, I would like to add another angle to your observation. The topography of Tea growing Districts in India vary most widely in Darjeeling and Cachar. More so in Darjeeling, where the variables range from Depth of Soil, North / South face of the field, Altitude in general, Variety of Planting Material, Shade Cover to Manufacturing practices in general. The Quality differs widely within the same estate depending upon the sections harvested on a particular day. There are estates in Darjeeling ranging in altitude from 4000 ft to 7000 ft. Harvest from both these extremes just can not be the same, and Quality comes from the field, like we all know. Each estate tries to make a balance in its harvest mix and manufacturing practices, thereby giving some sort of a consistency to their end product. This also reflect and registers itself onto the palate of a Taster as Character, which is unique to each Estate, and becomes its USP. Those who understand and appreciate this uniqueness would never settle for anything less, and would also accept seasonal variations in the same stride. But the rest of them who simply appreciate but do not understand would demand a similar Tea every time from his vendor. And lo! He cant help but Blend. Toning Up and sometimes toning Down the Tea. In doing so one may end up blending some Assam Orthodox or Nepal Orthodox with Darjeeling, and no respectful Tea Drinker should raise an eyebrow, so long as it is not sold as "Pure Darjeeling".
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