By Isla Quinn
Cold air. Steep slopes. A small train that has been climbing since 1881.
Where it is
Wikipedia places Darjeeling in the northernmost part of West Bengal, in the Eastern Himalayas, at an average elevation of 2,045 metres. It says Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain at 8,598 metres, rises to the north. The 2011 census recorded 118,805 residents, it says, and the population is predominantly Nepali-speaking Indian Gorkha.
How it became a hill station
Wikipedia says the British East India Company leased the area in 1835 from the Chogyal of Sikkim and annexed it in 1849. Darjeeling became a municipality on 1 July 1850, serving as a summer retreat. It says the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway opened in July 1881, runs 88 kilometres from Siliguri, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1999.
How tea arrived
Wikipedia’s article on Darjeeling tea says Archibald Campbell planted the first tea seeds in 1841. It says commercial gardens were established by 1856, that there were 39 by 1866 and 100 by 1885. We are reporting the dates as the article gives them, and we have not found a second source.
The railway in detail
Wikipedia’s article on the railway gives its length as 83.9 kilometres, which is not the same as the 88 kilometres in the article on the town. We are not choosing. It says the line runs on a 610-millimetre, or two-foot, gauge and climbs from about 100 metres above sea level at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 metres at Darjeeling. It says Ghum station, at 2,258 metres, is India’s highest railway station, and that the route uses six zig-zags and three loops to manage the slope. It says construction began in 1879, the stretch from Siliguri to Kurseong opened on 23 August 1880 and the full line on 4 July 1881. It adds that B-class steam engines built between 1889 and 1925 still run, that diesel locomotives from 1997 handle scheduled service, and that there are 17 stations. We have not checked current timetables.
The tea area
The same article says Darjeeling tea grows in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, between 600 and 2,000 metres, and that the Tea Board of India recognises 87 estates covering 17,500 hectares. The Tea Board’s own page also gives 87 gardens and 17,500 hectares. It says the Board administers tea production in Darjeeling under the Tea Act, 1953, and that authentic Darjeeling tea must be cultivated, grown or produced in one of those 87 gardens and processed in facilities within the defined area.
How much is made?
The two sources differ on volume. Wikipedia says production reached 7,010,000 kilograms in 2021, about 0.5 percent of India’s total. The Tea Board page says approximately 10 million kilograms are produced annually. They may be describing different years, and we have not reconciled them.
The four seasons of picking
Wikipedia says harvesting runs from March to November. It describes a first flush in March to May with light, floral, tender leaves, a second flush in May and June with a distinctive muscatel flavour, a monsoon flush from July to September with larger, less flavourful leaves, and an autumn flush in October and November that is herbaceous with softer muscatel notes. These are encyclopedia descriptions of flavour, and tasting is subjective.
The name is protected
Wikipedia’s article on Darjeeling tea says it was India’s first product to receive legal geographical indication protection, in 2004 under the WTO’s TRIPS framework, and that the EU granted protected status in 2011. Wikipedia’s article on the town of Darjeeling puts the GI in 2005, and its article on GIs in India says 2004 to 2005. The year differs by source, and we are not choosing.
What to ask before you buy
We have not profiled any estate or shop in Darjeeling, and we will not name one we cannot source. The Tea Board’s page says only 100 percent Darjeeling tea may carry the official logo, and that buyers should check the Board’s certification and licence number. Ask which estate and which flush. Ask whether the tea is a blend and what is in it. Ask for the licence number. We are not recommending any producer.
Roam first. Shop later.
Makers and growers in the Darjeeling hills can find out what’s involved at /sell-with-sephari/