Black Tea: The Classics from India
"The one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once by even a glimpse would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the world combined" wrote Mark Twain about the Tea Gardens in Darjeeling region.
India is one of the world's leading countries in tea production and it grows some of the very best. Though it produces all varieties of tea, it is best known for its black teas, including Assam and Darjeeling. The geography of India allows for many different climatic conditions, and the resulting teas can be distinctive from each other. In general, the black teas of India are known to be strong, but some have delicate flavours.
Assam tea comes from the northeastern section of the country. Darjeeling, instead, is from the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains at altitudes of 600 to 2,000 meters. The tea is exquisite and delicately flavored and considered to be one of the finest teas in the world.