Sip on Darjeeling—the champagne of black teas!
In the shadows of Kangchenjunga (the third-highest mountain in the world) grows Darjeeling tea. This tea is one of the world’s finest and most popular black leaf varieties. Its history goes back to the early nineteenth century when colonial powers began dotting tea plantations across the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India.
Innovative black tea hybrids and fermentation techniques soon followed. As a result, Darjeeling soon became internationally recognised and beloved the world over! Explore our single-origin Darjeeling tea and breakfast blend range below.
Assam Tea
Assam Tea
Darjeeling Tea
Free shipping is available for all orders over $70. Alternatively, pop into one of The Tea Centre's ten tea shops located in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT.
The Tea Centre’s collection of Darjeeling tea
There are many reasons why Darjeeling is considered the hot beverage equivalent of champagne by the world’s tea connoisseurs. Aside from its delicate muscatel taste and hints of aromatic almond notes, this tea grown at the base of the Himalayan alps is made special by its exclusivity.
Unlike other full-bodied Indian black teas like Assam, Darjeeling is not as widely available. For example, while Assam tea makes up approximately 53% of Indian’s total tea production, Darjeeling in comparison only contributes around 1%! The Tea Centre’s curated collection of Darjeeling teas builds on this exclusivity by offering a number of single-origin loose leaves sourced from orthodox tea estates.
Darjeeling teas like our Goomtee Premium and Makaibari boast higher price points as they were 100% cultivated by hand and only plucked within their harvest season. Experience this elusive tea for yourself by exploring our range of Darjeeling above!
The history of Darjeeling tea
The first commercial tea gardens in Darjeeling were established by British colonial administrators in the mid-nineteenth century. The first man to plant commercial Darjeeling tea in the shadows of Kangchenjunga was a colonial civil surgeon named Dr Campbell in 1847. Fast-forward a hundred and fifty years, and Darjeeling tea (70% of which is certified organic!) is abundantly grown and harvested four times a year. The first two crops—known as First Flush and Second Flush Darjeeling—can be purchased from our online and physical stores. You can also learn more about what a Darjeeling flush is here.
What are the health benefits of Darjeeling tea?
Darjeeling is a cultivar of black tea, and therefore shares similar health benefits of this tea family. Being one of the most consumed beverages in the world, it should come as no surprise that a number of clinical reviews have been conducted on the health benefits of drinking black tea. For example, one 2017 Sri Lankan study on black tea broke down the composition of the leaves and how these components have positive bioactive impacts on the body. Just some of the good things that black tea contains are: catechins, theaflavins, simple polyphenols/other polyphenols, theanine, amino acids, peptides/proteins, potassium, and caffeine.
Containing less caffeine than your average coffee, this component works well with theanine to bring the sipper some focus and mental stimulation (Kahathuduwa et al., 2016). Catechins boast the double impact of not only blessing tea with a tannic taste (bold biting flavour) but also thought to encourage antioxidant activity. Lastly, "tea polyphenols are also known for their antibacterial activity." (Kodagoda & Wickramasinghe, 2017). However, it should be note that antibacterial activity decreases when the extent of tea fermentation is increased, implying stronger activity in green tea than black tea.
This tea’s golden brew and nutty aromas also make every sip a relaxing experience. Consider pouring a cup of Darjeeling tea the next time you want to unwind during some well-deserved “me” time. Making a mug of tea is also a great gesture of hospitality and a wonderful way to welcome someone into your home.
Buy Darjeeling tea online or in-store at The Tea Centre tea shops
Here at The Tea Centre, we pride ourselves on the elite quality of our tea and work hard to make them luxurious and thoroughly enjoyable. You will notice that our Darjeeling teas are beautifully fragrant and enticing, with elements of musk, fruit, and floral notes in different teas across our range. It’s all part of our plan to provide you with the finest tea possible.
Making a pot or a cup of Darjeeling tea with loose leaves is not as hard as it sounds, with easy-to-use infusers and strainers available. However, if you are looking for a quicker alternative, we do also offer a range of teas in pyramid tea bags, including black tea bags, green tea bags, and herbal tea bags.
Interested in other teas? Look through our selections of black teas, green teas, and herbal teas to find the ones that are right for you.