indian tea

For India Week, we will be trying a different blend of Indian Tea every day of the week and giving our own opinions of it, as well as a little of the history. Today's tea is Ceylon.

"And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain..." We've reached the final day of India Week and the final taste of a new Indian tea. Still, we're ending with a bang, with possibly our favourite tea of the week- Ceylon.

Ceylon is simply the old name for Sri Lanka, so it comes as no surprise that this tea is made from a blend of black teas from that very country. The strength of flavour falls right in the middle of all the other teas we have tried this week. Not as delicate a flavour as Darjeeling, but not as strong as Assam, and certainly not as distinctly flavoured as the Bombay Chai or Mango.

For India Week, we will be trying a different blend of Indian Tea every day of the week and giving our own opinions of it, as well as a little of the history. Today's tea is Mango.

We've gone a little off-piste for Day Four of our tea-tasting week. For we've gone for a fruit tea (gasp)! To be more precise we're having mango tea, which is basically a blend of black teas from India and Sri Lanka which is then flavoured with natural mango oil.

For India Week, we will be trying a different blend of Indian Tea every day of the week and giving our own opinions of it, as well as a little of the history. Today's tea is Bombay Chai.

Day Three of our little journey through Indian teas has brought us to Bombay Chai. Bombay Chai is a little more complicated than the Darjeeling and Assam of the first two days of the week. Instead of coming from just a single type of tea plant, it is a blend of black teas (yesterday's Assam included), which is then infused with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger and black pepper. All of which gives it far stronger and spicier flavour than any normal tea.

Generally drank with milk and sugar, the strong flavours of the spices are softened and made gentler by the milk. Equally, the sugar adds a further flavour into the already complicated mix with its sweetness, but its all works well together.  

For India Week, we will be trying a different blend of Indian Tea every day of the week and giving our own opinions of it, as well as a little of the history. Today's tea is Assam.

We are on to Day 2 of our journey through the teas of India and on to Assam. Often used within the blend of English Breakfast teas, it is a stronger, fuller flavour than the Darjeeling we had yesterday. Whether you prefer that or not is just a matter of taste- it has split the office in half. Unlike with the more subtle Darjeeling, the stronger flavour allows you to add milk and sugar to the Assam without loosing its distinctive taste.

Surprisingly, just like Darjeeling tea is grown in the Darjeeling area, so the Assam plants are grown in the Assam area- the world's largest tea-growing region. To get its distinctive taste, the tea plants need very hot daytime temperatures, matched with a lot of rain- something the lowland areas of Assam are perfect for. 

As everyone knows, us Brits love our Tea! But it is the Indians who are second to China in terms of production and consumption. Approximately 4% of India's national income is derived from its Tea Estates.

In India, tea is very popular with a lot of milk and together with or without spices (If you've yet to try one, ask for a ‘Masala Chai' the next time you are in your local Indian restaurant).

For India Week, we will be trying a different blend of Indian Tea every day of the week. First up, is Darjeeling.

Darjeeling: The Champagne of Teas

Now, first things first: we are not tea experts or connoisseurs. So if you are expecting nuanced descriptions of the intricate flavours, then chances are you'll be disappointed. However, if you want an overview of the general flavour as well as a little bit of information about Indian teas then you're in the right place. Right, that out of the way, let's get on with it.

On the packet it claims that Darjeeling is the champagne of teas. There is no justification for this claim, but the light, delicate yet distinctive flavour makes you understand why (kind of). You can get black, white and oolong (a different type with a unique drying process) Darjeeling, but we opted for the black variety.