Tea FAQs
What is FTGFOP -1S?
FTGFOP-1S is the grade of the Tea. FTGFOP - 1S
stands for Fancy [or Fine] Tippy Golden Flowery
Orange Pekoe. 'Fancy' is a term also used
in the grading of oolongs.
What is Darjeeling Tea?
According to the Tea Board Of India -
"Darjeeling Tea" means tea which has
been cultivated, grown, produced, manufactured and
processed in tea gardens in the hilly areas of
Sadar Sub-Division, only hilly areas of Kalimpong
Sub-Division comprising of Samabeong Tea Estate,
Ambiok Tea Estate, Mission Hill Tea Estate and
Kumai Tea Estate and Kurseong Sub-Division
excluding the areas in jurisdiction list
20,21,23,24,29,31 and 33 comprising Subtiguri
Sub-Division of New Chumta Tea Estate, Simulbari
and Marionbari Tea Estate of Kurseong Police
Station in Kurseong Sub-Division of the District
of Darjeeling in the State of West Bengal, India.
Darjeeling Tea, when brewed, has a distinctive,
naturally occurring aroma and taste with light tea
liquour and the infused leaf of which has a
distinctive fragrance.
Craft House is a registered member with
Darjeeling Tea Board
What makes Darjeeling Tea so
Exclusive?
Darjeeling Tea is widely and universally
acknowledged to be the finest tea, because its
flavour is so unique that it cannot be replicated
anywhere else in the world. It has no equal. Grown
in the romantic and mystical mountainous region of
Darjeeling at an elevation of 750 - 2000 metre,
the tea is imbued with an incomparable charisma
and quality.
Even the tea pluckers, well aware of the status
their produce enjoys throughout the world, pick
only the finest two leaf and the bud to enhance
the unique flavour which has been described as
“Muscatel”. Gifted with these natural
elements, the simple fact that only 10 million Kg.
of Darjeeling Tea is produced annually by the
Darjeeling district, has made it all more
exclusive and desirable. Adherance to this high
quality profile, results in extremely low yields.
It would not be an overstatement to say that
Darjeeling Tea is by far the finest and most
sought after Tea in the world.
What are the Different Flavours
associated with Darjeeling Tea?
The Flavours of Darjeeling Tea differs from
Season to Season. According to the plucking
period, the seasons can be categorised as under
:
Easter Flush (March - April), Spring Flush (May -
June), Summer Flush (July - September), Autumn
Flush (October - November).
What is the importance of the Darjeeling
logo?
The Darjeeling Logo is a property of The Tea
Board of India. It was launched in 1983. It is a
symbol that verifies that the packet / caddy etc
contains 100 % pure Darjeeling, unblended with
teas from any other growth. There are certian
procedures prescribed by the Tea Board of India to
be complied with to get permission for the
printing of the logo on a product.
What should be checked before buying a
packet of Darjeeling Tea?
The Packet must have a Darjeeling Tea Logo.
"Darjeeling” or “Pure
Darjeeling” or “100% Darjeeling”
- must be mentioned.
What does Organic tea
means?
Tea qualifies as ‘organic’ only when
active use of environment friendly techniques are
employed and the system is approved by inspecting
authority to be truly ‘organically
farmed’.
What does leaf grade tell about a
tea?
Tea has many secrets but none you can discover
with a few helpful tips.
In traditional tea production there are 4 main
groups of leaf grades.
Leaf - the tea leaves remain unbroken
Broken - the leaves are broken in coarse pieces.
Somewhat stronger at the same weight than leaf
tea.
Fannings - thick broken but still with small leaf
substance (used in high quality tea bags)
Dust - the smallest siftings (tea bag
quality)
One quality characteristic distinctive of the
northern Indian tea gardens is the times of the
particular harvests.
What does ‘Flush’ mean, when
referring to Darjeeling tea?
In tea, the tender apical portions of shoots
comprising the terminal bud, the internodes and
two or three expanding leaves immediately below
it, which together constitute the crop, the
‘flush’. Flush refers to the four
separate plucking seasons throughout the year,
each known for it’s distinctive flavor.
First Flush (March - April), Second Flush (May -
June), Monsoon Flush (July - September) and
Autumnal Flush (October - November) are the
traditional names.
Do you supply tea bags
also?
Yes we supply tea bags (masala, earl grey,
orange, kasmiri kahwa, and darjeeling) also in
individual sachet of 2 gms each.
What are the health benefits of
tea?
Many studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer
properties of tea. They can stop the damage that
free radicals do to cells, neutralize enzymes
essential for tumor growth, and deactivate cancer
promoters. Their effect on heart disease is less
well understood. Some laboratory studies have
found that tea helps prevent blood clotting and
lower cholesterol levels. The leap to preventing
heart attacks, however, has not yet been
made.
Tea also has fluoride for strong teeth, virtually
no calories, and half the amount of caffeine found
in an equally-sized cup of coffee.
How do I brew a cup of
tea?
Put loose tea either directly into the teapot, or
into an infuser, tea ball or filter. A general
rule is to use 1 rounded teaspoon per cup of tea.
Adjust according to tea type and taste.
Boil the Water.Once the water is heated, pour
just a small amount into the teapot, swirl to
cover bottom & sides, and then discard. This
will create a warming effect, to help tea stay
warm longer.
While boiled water is perfect for many tea types
(black & oolong), other tea types such as
green tea and some white teas are best with hot,
but not boiling water (remove prior to reaching
boiling).
Pour the hot water into the teapot, recap &
let brew for 3 to 5 minutes, or an appropriate
time best for the individual tea type. Leaving an
infuser, teaball or filter in longer may result in
a stronger and perhaps bitter tasting tea.