What is special about Nilgiri tea?
Due to its climatic growing conditions, Nilgiri tea is renowned for its briskness, which refers to its lively, fragrant flavours. Nilgiri tea has been variously described as being light but full-bodied or having a well-rounded flavour with fruity, floral, and citrus notes. Its traditional tea is contrasted with Ceylon teas from the same region, which also experience two monsoon seasons. It can be found in brands of bagged tea and is blended with Assam tea in masala chai because of its light but fragrant liquor. Nilgiri tea has lower tannin levels and a higher concentration of quinic acid than other black teas.
What does Nilgiri tea taste like?
Nilgiri tea is known for its briskness, which means it has lively, fragrant flavours. This is because of the weather conditions in which it grows. People say that the flavour of Nilgiri tea is light but full-bodied or well-rounded, and that it has notes of fruit, like citrus, and flowers. Its orthodox tea is similar to Ceylon teas, which grow in conditions like two monsoons.
THE BLUE MOUNTAIN TEAS, NILGIRIS
The Western Ghats include the Nilgiris, also referred to as the Blue Mountains. Its name, blue mountain, derives from the saxe-blue kurinji (Strobilanthes) flowers that bloom every 12 years. The Nilgiri district is renowned for its tea, a close relative of Assam and Darjeeling teas, in addition to its natural beauty. The Nilgiris black tea is a favourite of North Americans who adore it for its ideal balance of colour, strength, and astringency. The tea that is produced by Nilgiri tea estates has been getting better over time.
THE HISTORY OF TEA IN THE NILGIRIS
Following the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo Indian War in 1799, tea was introduced to the Nigiris through the British East India Company. But John Sullivan didn't start petitioning for the establishment of a sanatorium here until 1819.
Dr. Christie, an assistant surgeon from Madras, requested that the tea seed be planted on the hills in the year 1833. Before the tea planted here was sent to London's Mincing Lane to be auctioned, it underwent a great deal of trials, experimentation, and innovation.
THE NILGIRIS' TEA
The Nilgiris produces hand-sorted, whole-leaf tea grades like orange pekoe (OP) and pekoe cut black tea and has a climate similar to Darjeeling. The pekoe is a finer grade tea made up of young tea leaves and buds, while the orange pekoe black tea is a basic, medium-grade tea made up of many whole tea leaves of a particular size. Lower tea grades like Broken Orange Pekoe and CTC are also produced here.
The most expensive tea made here is Nilgiri frost tea. Its delicious flavour can really please the palate. The Nilgiri green tea, fine whites, and oolong teas are among the additional teas produced here.