A journey through Darjeeling and its world-class tea gardens

Another knock-on effect of Darjeeling’s climate is how the tea is processed. To make black tea, the leaves are oxidised – once they’re picked, wilted and rolled, they begin to react with the oxygen in the air and darken (a bit like an apple turning brown once you bite into it). This has a huge impact on the flavour of the tea, and black teas are left to oxidise the longest. In Darjeeling, however, the cooler, drier weather means oxidisation doesn’t happen in quite the same way as other tea-producing regions. Darjeeling tea never achieves full oxidisation, resulting in a lighter, more floral and delicate flavour than typical black teas.

Of course, even the finest crop of tea leaves would be worthless without a team of skilled artisans processing them correctly. In Darjeeling, the tea masters know exactly how to change and adapt their tea-making methods depending on variables such as weather, temperature, humidity and the time of year, giving them the ability to make small tweaks and changes daily to ensure the very best flavour. Everyone works to ensure what they’re producing is of the highest quality; without them, Darjeeling certainly wouldn’t be as known for its tea as it is today.

All of these factors come together to make Darjeeling responsible for producing one of the most incredible examples of black tea in the world. The sweet and honeyed flavour along with its bright, intensely floral aromas and a stunning light gold colour makes good-quality Darjeeling a favourite among tea-lovers. That, combined with the fact that there are only eighty-seven tea gardens in Darjeeling that qualify for the Geographical Origin status (which preserves and protects the origin of the region’s tea leaves), makes Darjeeling tea incredibly sought after.

To help boost awareness of this incredible region and celebrate the people who work so hard, JING has launched the inaugural Tea Excellence at Origin Awards – a competition to find the very best Darjeeling first flush tea for 2019. The winning tea will be available to buy from JING, and a true example of why Darjeeling is so special. JING hopes that by offering a truly exceptional example of the quality of tea that’s grown there, people will start to understand and appreciate the region for what it is: an exceptional place full of highly skilled and passionate people.

We’ll be announcing the winner in the coming months, so if you really want to experience Darjeeling tea at its very best and begin your tea adventure in one of the most iconic and unique regions of the world, keep your eyes peeled for details.