Darjeeling ; Champagne Of Tea

Darjeeling is renowned for its high-quality tea, with the altitude, rainfall, and climate of the region contributing to the exceptional taste. Situated in the Himalayan range, Darjeeling possesses all the necessary factors for producing premium tea.

During our tenure as Station Commander in Kurseong, West Bengal, we visited Makaibari Tea Estates as part of an adventure camp organized for children under the Eastern Air Command (EAC). The tour provided us with valuable insights into the traditional 'Orthodox' processing of Darjeeling tea leaves.

Tea Leaves

Tea plucking

The tea leaves are carefully plucked by local women using bamboo baskets known as "Doko" and then weighed at the factory. The process of 'Orthodox Production' begins with withering, where moisture is slowly removed from the leaves over a period of 14-16 hours.

Following withering, the leaves undergo rolling to maintain their style and prevent overheating. Fermentation then takes place to develop the unique flavor and aroma of Darjeeling tea. The final step involves drying the leaves to produce black tea, which is then sorted, graded, and packed for sale.

Stages of Manufacture:

Withering: During this process, the green leaves are evenly spread on troughs, through which hot & cold air are blown in a regulated manner. This withering trough is normally 4 to 5 feet wide and 50 to 70 feet long. The object is to remove moisture in the leaf slowly over a period of 14 - 16 hours and in this process approximately 65% of the moisture is removed from the green leaf.

Withering Process

Rolling: The withered leaves are loaded into rollers where they are twisted by a mechanical action. The process is carefully monitored so that the style of the leaf is maintained and overheating does not occur as the delicate leaves will loose its aroma and taste. In this process the green colour of the leaf is replaced by brown coppery colour as the process of rolling under pressure twists the leaf, ruptures the cells and releases the natural juices, promoting oxidation and acceleration of pigmentation.

Fermentation: After Rolling, the leaf is spread in a cool and humid room in very thin layers. The process lasts between 2- 4 hours, depending on the temperature, humidity and leaf quality. During this process the tea develops a unique flavour and aroma. The flavour of the tea can be affected by a minutes delay in adjusting the correct fermenting period. In this stage the flavanols combine with oxygen in the air, which develops the unique flavour of Darjeeling Tea.

Drying ( Firing):The fermented leaf is taken to a dryer, where it is subjected to regulated varying temperature of 200 to 240 c for a period of 20 - 30 min. The result is the black tea whose moisture is now completely lost.

Sorting & Packing:This is the final stage, where the tea is graded according to the size of the tea granules and is packed in specially designed foil lined packages for sale.


A short note about Makaibari Tea Estates

Visit To Makaibari Tea Estates

Makaibari Tea Estates, established in 1859, is the world's first tea factory and follows sustainable practices such as permaculture. The estate retains 70% of its area under forest cover, creating a biotope for various animal species to thrive. Makaibari is known for producing the most expensive tea brand, Silver Tips Imperial, which is plucked under the full moon and highlights the essence of Darjeeling terroir.

Coorg, Karnataka

View Of Coorg

Coorg lies on the SouthWestern end of Karnataka, set amidst valleys, imposing mountains and teak wood forests. This is one of the most beautiful hill stations one can probabaly visit. Coorg is also known as the 'Scotland of India' and it offers a captivating natural beauty, great cuisine and an aroma of the coffee, oranges and honey. A holiday on a coffee plantation can provide the tourist a heady first-hand  experience of the entire process of coffee production from harvest to shop shelf. This district is one of the largest producers of pepper, cardamom and honey in the world.

Places To See In and Around Coorg

Bhagamandala

One of the seven major rivers of India, Cauvery,the 'Dakshina Ganga' or ' Ganga of the south' is situated here. Bhagamandala and Talacauvery are the two pilgrimage centers of Coorg. Bhagamandala is a place, where Kannika and Sujyothi, the two tributaries to Cauvery join to form the "Triveni Sangam". Near to this sangam, there are four temples, for Eshwara, Subramanya, Vishnu and Ganapathi which is also known as "Bhagundeshwara Kshetra".

Talacauvery

Talakaveri / Talacauvery- River Cauvery which is one of the 7 sacred rivers of Sapta Sindhus of the Hindu scriptures, originates at this place and is called Talakaveri (head of Cauvery) . It is situated in the Brahmagiri hills, at about 4,500 ft above sea level. This place is marked by a tirtha kundike or Brahma kundike (small spring/pond) from where the river emerges as a small perennial spring, but this spring flows underground again and emerges a short distance away. This place is situated about 48 kms from Madikeri.
There is a shrine near the kundike and a big tank in front of it where devotees baths before offering prayers. There are 2 temples, a Shiva temple with a rare and ancient Shiva Linga, and another temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. This temple has a holy Ashwantha tree where, according to legend, the Trimurtis - Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh gave darshan to sage Agastya.

Legends also say that every year on Tulasankramana day (approximately on 17 October) Goddess Parvati appears in the Kundike as the sacred teerthodbhava. This occasion is marked by the sudden unsurge of water in the kundike and is considered very auspicious

The steps to Brahmagiri Peak

From Talakaveri, steps lead up to the nearby Brahmagri peak, where the 7 great sages called the Sapta Maharishis had performed a special yagna. From the peak, as well as on the drive to Talakaveri, tourists can enjoy a picturesque view of the misty blue Brahmagiri hills.

Abbey Falls is also called Abbi Falls lies in Kodagu. It is located 10 km from the Madikeri town . The streams formed during the monsoons plunges down the mountain slopes at great speed and forms a water fall at this place. A misty cloud always hangs over this falls and the water from here flows into the River Kaveri. This falls is located between private coffee plantations and spice estates where trees entwine themselves with pepper vines all around this place. A narrow path leads us to this scenic falls which appear suddenly with the water cascading over rocks and into a calm pool.

Abbey Falls

Raja's Seat- According to legend, the kings of Kodagu spent their evenings here. But what's unforgettable about Raja's seat is the spectacular sunset that one can enjoy from here.

Nisargadhama

Nisargadhama

Cauvery Nisargadhama is situated about 36 kms from Madikeri. This is an ideal picnic spot. It is an island in the middle of the river connected by a rope bridge. One can go boating or go for an elephant ride here. The elephant training camp run by the Forest Department at Dubare is 8 kms further from here.

Nisargadhamam

Dubare - This is mainly an elephant capturing and training camp of the Forest Department, at the edge of Dubare forest, on the bank of river Kaveri, on the Kushalnagar - Siddapur road.
The tamed elephants attend to various jobs during the day and in the evenings they come down to the river to bathe and be scrubbed clean by their mahouts.

Nagarhole National Park also known as 'Rajiv Gandhi National Park,' is located 94 km from Mysore. It is spread between Kodagu and Mysore districts. Located to the northwest of Bandipur National Park, Kabini reservoir separates the two. They were the exclusive hunting reserve for the former rulers of Mysore. The park has rich forest cover, small streams, valleys, and waterfalls and is  stretched over an area of 575 km².