Many folks (I was one of them), believe that China and Japan are, overall, the world's largest suppliers of tea. But neither of them are...India takes first place.
Indian black tea is the most consumed type of tea in the world! This is because Assam tea, grown in the Assam region of India, accumulates to hundreds of thousand of tons of tea each year! No other tea outfit in the world can compete with this amount.
The high temperatures, humidity, and frequent rainfall make the perfect conditions for growing Assam tea.
This black tea has two flushes a year, the first as the higher quality, and the second as a more commercial grade. Did you ever brew Tetley tea bags? If so, you had a blended variety of Assam black tea. "Orange Pekoe", which you may have read on the box is only the grade of tea used, and is not a variety.
Assam tea is shipped to, and enjoyed in many countries, making it the most consumed type of black tea in the world!
Another common type of Indian tea is Darjeeling tea. This black tea is grown at high altitudes in the Himalayas, and is considered by many as the "Champagne of tea".
Although Darjeeling tea is not nearly produced as much as its lower elevation cousin Assam, it holds a special place in tea connoisseurs' tea cups, and demands a special certification and seal in order to be realized as the 'real deal', since many teas sell under the name "Darjeeling", yet are not.
However, an experienced loose leaf tea drinker will notice a fake right away. True Darjeeling black tea has a distinct sweet-spicy aroma and taste that is hardly mistaken.
Black tea is not the only type of Indian tea that is processed. White and green teas are made here as well. Darjeeling white tea, we'll use for an example, is a variety of white tea that has more of a spicy kick to it, and jumps out at the taste buds more than its Chinese relatives.
It also brews a darker color, and can be infused twice for a second yet slightly weaker serving.
So the next time you have a morning cup of black tea, there is a good chance that it was brewed using either a variety or blended-in variety of Indian tea.
