History of Darjeeling tea !!Tea planting in the Indian district of Darjeeling began in 1841 by Dr. Campbell,[8] a civil surgeon of the Indian Medical Service. Campbell was transferred to Darjeeling in 1839 from Kathmandu, Nepal and used seeds stolen from China (Camellia Sinensis) to begin experimental tea planting, a practice he and others continued during the 1840s. The British government also established tea nurseries during that period (1847). Commercial development began during the 1850s.[9] During 1860-64, the Darjeeling Company was established with 4 gardens.[10]. It is a tea from the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India. It is available in black, green, white and oolong. When properly brewed, it yields a thin-bodied, light-colored infusion with a floral aroma. The flavor can include a tinge of astringent tannic characteristics, and a musky spiciness sometimes described as "muscatel".[3] Although Darjeeling teas are marketed commercially as "black teas", almost all of them have incomplete oxidation (<90%),[4] so they are technically more oolong than black.
Unlike most Indian teas, Darjeeling tea is normally made from the small-leaved Chinese variety of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, rather than the large-leaved Assam plant (C. sinensis var. assamica). Traditionally, Darjeeling tea is made as black tea; however, Darjeeling oolong and green[5] teas are becoming more commonly produced and easier to find, and a growing number of estates are also producing white teas.[6] After the enactment of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection Act, 1999) in 2003, Darjeeling tea became the first Indian product to receive a GI tag, in 2004-05 through the Indian Patent Office.[7]
