$11.00
Taste: Toasted rice & roasted butternut squash
Origin: Darjeeling, Northeastern Indian Himalayas
Tea Maker: Makaibari Estate
Infusion Suggestions:
Steep 1 1 Tbsp /2.5 g | 8 oz | 180° F | 2.5 min (short leaf is 1/2 tbsp / 2.5 g)
Steep 2 8 oz | 185° F | 3 min
Certifications: USDA Organic
Contains Caffeine
Darjeeling Green: An unusually smooth and elegant green tea created at one of Darjeeling's most renowned tea estates. It has comforting notes of toasted grain and ripe butternut squash.
Tasting Notes: Unlike many green teas, Darjeeling Green does not have the typical astringency often associated with stronger green teas like Sencha. The smoothness comes, in part, from the long leaves, which release their layers of flavor slowly over time. It has a full, body with smokey grain flavors similar to toasted rice, which are rounded off with a sweet, vegetal finish of roasted butternut squash. Lovers of Jasmine Green Pearl will likely enjoy this tea.
Production: Darjeeling Green is harvested just prior to and during the summer monsoons. The leaf is hand-plucked, hit with a dry heat to stop any oxidization from occurring, rolled to break the cell walls and coat the tea leaf in its essential oils, and then dried again. Once dried, the teas are hand-sorted before making their way to our collection.
Region: Running along Nepal’s eastern border, the mountainous area of Darjeeling is a confluence of varied ecologies and cultures. The region’s sharp ascent from the plains of West Bengal into the towering Himalayas creates the ideal conditions for tea to flourish. As rain clouds heavy with water from the Bay of Bengal collide into the mountains, the tea bushes receive intense bursts of rainfall followed by strong, unfiltered sunlight. These heavy rains are actually what gives the region its name; “Darjeeling” means “Land of the Rolling Thunder” in Tibetan. Recognizing the potential for high elevation specialty teas, Darjeeling tea makers have focused on quality since they began crafting teas there in the 1850s and have built a tea tradition that fetches some of the highest prices in the world. Darjeeling is also a melting pot of South Asian ethnicities, home to Tibetans, Nepali, and Indians. Under colonialism, the mild mountain temperatures made Darjeeling a perfect retreat for British soldiers, which is why the town was originally built. Today, in the shadows of Mt. Everest and Mt. Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak, Darjeeling remains a destination for tea lovers and trekkers alike. Read our blog about this region here.
Tea Makers: The Makaibari Estate has led the way in progressive ecological and social practices for decades. Under the leadership of Rajah Banerjee, Makaibari evolved from a famed tea garden into a center for agricultural innovation; in his tenure, the garden became the world’s first certified organic, first certified biodynamic, and first certified fair trade tea estate. The communities that live in the garden even own a small share of Makaibari. One such community member is Maya Devi, Darjeeling’s first female supervisor of tea pluckers. From her kitchen table, she proudly tells the story of her shattering through the glass ceiling. You can eat at her home as part of Darjeeling’s first homestay program where guests can stay with families of tea pluckers.
Impact: Through biodynamic and permaculture farming practices, the ecological diversity of Makaibari makes it one of the healthiest and most resilient tea gardens in Darjeeling. The abundance of plant and animal species create healthy soils, disease resistance in plants, and a stratified root structure that retains water and minimizes landslides. Makaibari has raised the sustainability bar for many other tea estates in Darjeeling and beyond.
Packaging: Our teas come in resealable standup pouches with strong moisture and oxygen barriers. All our pouches are made with at least 20% post-consumer recycled milk jugs and water bottles. They are infinitely reusable although not recyclable. They are essentially high-end resealable bags. After you have finished your tea, wash and reuse them to store your car snacks, carry your favorite trail-mix on a hike, or even store odds and ends such as art and craft supplies, batteries and toiletries.
