Darjeeling House Blend - First Flush Teabag Envelopes

While Darjeeling is technically a black tea, it is processed more like green tea, where the leaves are given minimal oxidation before being rolled to preserve their natural flavours. Darjeeling is much lighter and sweeter than most black and green teas but has all the benefits of black tea. Among other things, it's high in antioxidants and associated with helping lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

What makes Darjeeling special

The name Darjeeling comes from the Tibetan for 'Land of the Thunderbolt', a reference to the region's monsoonal climate that's prone to frequent thunderstorms. Tea gardens here are laid out across the steep sub-Himalayan foothills at elevations of 90-1,750m, which are exposed to plentiful rain and sporadic bouts of sunshine. This weather, along with Darjeeling's steep terrain and varied, rocky soils, come together in a magical combination to create nuanced teas that can be as individual as the farmers who grow them.

Unlike most Indian teas, which are derived from the large-leaved assamica variety of tea bush, Darjeeling teas come from the small-leaved Camellia sinensis plant commonly grown in China.

This is down to a British civil servant called Dr Archibald Campbell, who was appointed Darjeeling regional superintendent for the East India Company in 1839. In 1841, Campbell started to experiment with planting seeds of the Chinese tea plant, Camellia sinensis, brought from Kumaon in Nepal. The plants took root, tea nurseries were established and by the 1850s commercial development of the industry was well underway.

As tea farmers adapted their tea-growing practices to the district's unique agro-climatic conditions, they passed down their knowledge through the generations. Darjeeling became established as one of the world's finest teas. In 2011, Darjeeling's special qualities and unique character were recognised internationally with the awarding of Geographical Indication status, which protects the style and means only Darjeeling grown in Darjeeling can be marketed as such. Given its light character and revered status, it's little wonder that Darjeeling is often described as the 'Champagne of teas'!

Alternatives to this unique black tea blend

For an exceptional example of a spring flush Darjeeling, try our evocatively named Snowview First Flush. The addition of bergamot pieces makes Darjeeling Earl Grey a lovely full bodied or citrusy option or, for a floral loose leaf tea with plenty of those Darjeeling muscatel flavours, check out our Margaret's Hope First Flush.

For tea brewed in a flash, try our biodegradable Darjeeling tea bags. You can find out more about Darjeeling and what makes its flushes so special in our Tea Journal.

On a clear day, the city offers unparalleled views of Kanchenjunga (the world’s third highest mountain), and Mount Everest can also be seen from nearby Tiger Hill, which itself sits at 2,590m above sea level. The highest peaks in the district are part of the Singalila Ridge and reach 3,600m. Depending on the elevation, the climate is either Humid Subtropical (CFA) in the lower areas, or Subtropical Highland (Cwb) on the higher hills, with a Tundra climate (ET) on the higher mountains, and numerous microclimates along the steep relief.

The city itself enjoys a mild and temperate climate (Cwb), with average lows of 10°C in the winter, and average highs of 21°C in the summer. The summers are wet and overcast with high precipitation from May until September; and the winters are mild and clear. Winds are generally low throughout the year. The land between 1,000m and 2,000m is mostly used for cultivation: principally tea, but also rice, corn, wheat and cardamom. The slopes above 2,000m are covered in forests, with a mixture of semi-evergreen, temperate and alpine trees. The forest around the city of Darjeeling is home to rare, protected orchids.

The reserve forests are also home to small Indian civets, mongooses, badgers, as well as a conservation centre for the elusive and endangered red pandas. Teas from such altitudes are considered high-grown. Considering that Darjeeling is only 280 miles from Assam, it is remarkable that the two regions produce vastly different teas.

As well as climatic and topographic differences, soil quality varies. Whilst Assam is considered very fertile, Darjeeling soil is loose and poorly consolidated, with risks of landslides. But the steep slopes ensure efficient drainage, and the misty, wet summers with limited direct sunlight are ideal for the cultivation of the Camellia sinensis sinensis. The mild, dry winters also encourage a period of dormancy, so the new Spring leaves can burst with flavours (First Flush harvest).