DARJEELING—THE JEWEL OF THE HIMALAYAS

If a tea travels 500 km and climbs up to 2,800 meters in elevation before it’s allowed to be loaded onto the ship’s deck, then it’s a Darjeeling. Only two roads and a steam train dating back to the colonial era provide access to an area home to some 200 tea gardens.

India’s most famous tea plantations are located around the city of Darjeeling, at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 2,800 meters. Because this region lies so close to the foothills of the Himalayas, it is also called the “Place of Thunder.” These varieties are known as the “kings of teas” not only because the Queen has her daily five o’clock tea served as a top second flush, but also because of their unique aroma.

In March and April, the first harvest begins in the Darjeeling region, kicking off the race among tea merchants for the best and freshest First Flush Darjeeling of the year. To prevent the tea leaves from continuing to mature during their long journey around the world, the first harvests are transported by plane—these are known as “air-freighted teas.” The Darjeeling region is characterized by its high altitude, soil conditions, and regional weather patterns (monsoon), which are particularly favorable for tea cultivation. It is only the tea harvests in the hilly mountain region that pose challenges for the pickers, as tea in Darjeeling is still mostly picked by hand.

An excerpt from the book *The Miracle of Darjeeling* describes the conditions and problems faced by plantation owners and tea pickers as follows:

When the tea seedlings are planted in the empty spaces between the tea bushes, their shoots are in their most active phase. Swaraj Kumar was very pleased with the progress at Makaibari. Through the second half of March 1978, the plantation had enjoyed optimal weather conditions. He had never before seen the new first flush grow in such abundance. They were sure to break the harvest record this year, and everyone would benefit from it. Elated, Swaraj Kumar mounted his horse after his tour of the plantation. As he rode home, feeling so content, he suddenly saw black clouds in the sky. Soon, the most devastating hailstorm he had ever witnessed began. Even before the hail began to fall, the storm had stripped the trees of their leaves and many of their branches within a matter of minutes. People ran for their lives, scrambling to find a safe shelter in time. And then hailstones as big as tennis balls pelted down from the sky without mercy. Swaraj Kumar barely managed to find his way home through the mud and ice. Nature always manages to create a remarkable balance. Overnight, all of Swaraj Kumar’s dreams were shattered. For several months, tea picking would no longer be possible. All the work of the past three years had been in vain, and the newly planted tea bushes were irretrievably lost. Fortunately, miraculously, everyone had survived the hailstorm.

"The Miracle of Darjeeling" by Ananja Balkumari, pp. 38 and 40

Every year, our top Darjeelings still arrive in Basel via Hamburg in wooden crates. Based on last year's top First Flush, we can see what information is typically noted on these wooden crates.

In the image, we can see the most important information at a glance.

• Risheehat is the name of the tea garden.
• DJ 6 Refers to harvest plot 6 of the Risheehat plantation. (DJ numbers between 1 and approximately 30 refer to First Flush Darjeeling—though this may vary depending on the size of the garden.)
• 2020 refers to the harvest year.
• SFTGFOP 1 Flowery represents the highest quality available on the market and stands for: Special Flowery Tippy Golden Orange Pekoe(very beautiful, coarse leaves with plenty of tips).
• This wooden crate is No. 8 of 55 from the First Flush harvest.

On the next page, we see the numerous labels for the 2020 Darjeeling Risheehat. The best-known of these are Rainforest, Fairtrade, and the “Non-EU Agricultural Certificate.” These labels ensure not only the working conditions, wages, and rights of the tea pickers but also the purity of the product and the absence of pesticides and other chemicals.

 You can find our Darjeeling selection here.