Darjeeling, in the north of India, produces tea like nowhere else. The high altitude, cooler climate and skill of the people who grow and process the tea plants results in a tea that’s lighter, more floral and delicate in flavour compared to other black teas. There are several harvests each year, the most exciting of which is the first flush, which takes place in late March.
Despite being an incredible tea-producing region, Darjeeling hasn't quite got the recognition it deserves, which is one of the reasons why JING founder Ed Eisler launched the Tea Excellence at Origin Competition – to celebrate the quality of tea in Darjeeling, promote the authentic tea craftsmanship and encourage the retention of skills needed to protect the heritage of tea-making in the region. ‘We’ve been thinking about launching a competition like this for about a year, and we hope that by launching it we can give the producers a chance to show the world their skills and the unique qualities Darjeeling tea contains,’ said Ed. ‘We want to get as many people as possible to taste the winning tea and realise just how special Darjeeling is.’