Margarets Hope Darjeeling

The Darjeeling tea growing region of India is one of the most spectacular tea provinces in the world. Set in the foothills of the Himalayas, on a clear day one can see Mount Everest off in the distance and the magnificent Himalaya mountain range stretching out before you. Altitudes at which the teas are grown can reach 6,000 feet above sea level allow for perfect conditions for the champagne of teas to be grown and cultivated in this 50,000 acre province.

Most of the tea bushes grown in Darjeeling, India are from a Chinese seed, China hybrid or Assam hybrid varieties. Generally the Chinese varietals are found at the highest altitudes, where its more hardy nature and tolerance of cold conditions allows the tea bushes to flourish. Lower elevations of sub 6,000 feet are where the Assam varietals are grown, because Assam tea bushes prefer more plentiful rainfall and warmer temperatures. These tea varieties can be found spread amongst Darjeeling's 102 gardens, which produce up to 16,000 tons of tea per annum.

The weather conditions found at high altitude Darjeeling tea gardens do no permit all year round cultivation of tea. The teas are usually picked between April and October, where towards the end of October, winter dormancy in the bushes begins and the tea bush stops growing. The acclaimed first flush Darjeeling teas are picked once new growth begins in March after the first light rain showers arrive. The season for second flush picking occurs in May and June, just before the monsoon season arrives towards the end of June. During this time, rainfall can exceed 9 feet and by the end of September 16 feet of rain can be expected during the month. Tea picking during this time can be perilous on steep mountain slope which may have angle of 45 degrees. The later flushes that happen in September are usually considered to be of only standard quality, so if you're after the best Darjeeling teas, try and look for premium first flushes, such as the acclaimed Margaret's Hope Darjeeling.

Darjeeling teas are more often than not, processed by the orthodox methods of tea manufacturing with the resulting leave looking brownish black in appearance. These orthodox methods mean that the leaves are hand rolled and seem twisted when inspected. It's the twisting that shows the golden like tips that best quality first flush Darjeeling teas have.

First flush Darjeeling teas are picked when the first new shoots appear in the spring. These are the most sought after teas in the world and can fetch premium prices on the world tea markets. So prized are these teas, that a good number of them are marked in the way that fine French wines is. The Margaret's Hope Darjeeling tea that we stock is a premium first flush tea, one that certainly deserves attention.