| The bizarre story of Darjeeling and the birth of tea cultivation in India. |
| Nestled in the mist-shrouded mountains of North East India, Darjeeling- a name derived from the Tibetian words ‘darje’ (lightening) and ‘ling’ (land) – is often referred to as the “Land of the Lightening Strike”. This mystical region boarders the semi-autonomous region of Sikkim, Nepal, and Bhutan. Its peaks soar up to 7,000 feet above sea level creating an other-worldly and breathtaking landscape where the temperature drops to a pleasant 20°C, and the lush greenery of the tea estates unfurls beneath the clear, crisp skies. Here, among the cool mountain breezes, the unique essence of Darjeeling tea is born. It was in this serene and temperate paradise that Scottish folk, seeking respite from the sweltering heat of the Indian plains, found their retreat during the British Empire. The Scots left their mark on Darjeeling, not just in the place names and the Presbyterian church but most significantly in the cultivation of tea—a legacy that continues to flourish today. In the early 1840s, Robert Fortune, a determined botanist from the Scottish Borders, set out on a mission that reads like the plot of a thrilling spy novel. With the backing of the British East India Company, Fortune ventured into China, mastering Mandarin and infiltrating the closely guarded secrets of tea cultivation. His exploits led to the successful transfer of tea seeds and knowledge from the famed tea gardens of Fujian to the rolling hills of Darjeeling. By 1843, under the guidance of Dr. Archibald Campbell, another Scotsman from the Isle of Islay, the first Camellia sinensis bushes were planted in the Darjeeling Botanic Gardens. The cool, mist-laden slopes proved ideal for tea cultivation, and by the mid-1850s, commercial production began in earnest. One of the earliest estates was Phoobsering, remarkably led by Phurpu Tshering, a local entrepreneur at a time when British interests dominated the region. Darjeeling First Flush – Phoobsering SFTGFOP – https://tchaiovna.com/shop/product/darjeeling-first-flush-phoobsering-stgfop/ |