Assam is probably the most famous black tea-producing region in the world. It is the single largest black tea-producing region in the world. The story goes that the British discovered wild tea plants growing in Assam, which came to be identified as a new species. The differences go beyond just that, to the flavors each produces. Assam teas are malty with a distinctive aroma. And Maharani Chai has been known for taking the robustness of Assam tea to a few notches higher. In this blog, we will expound in detail on the art of selecting the best tea in India – Maharani High CTC Assam tea.
Born and Raised in Assam
Assam is an Indian state in the northeastern part of India. Bordered by the rest of the far eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and West Bengal, Assam also shares a border with the countries of Bhutan and Bangladesh. The Brahmaputra flows from Tibet into Arunachal Pradesh and further down through the breadth of Assam, creating a very fertile valley. Today, the Assam tea has dodged state borders and has rafted across brooks to reach our kitchen shelves. As a result, Assam Tea in Panipat has also emerged as a popular tea variety in Haryana.
The Flush Festival
In Assam, tea is harvested from March to November. The same goes for the Darjeeling Special tea. Four distinct harvest seasons, made up of growth periods called a “flush”, with resting/dormant periods between flushes, called the “bhanji”. In winter, December to February, the tea gardens are closed for pruning and maintenance. While every season presents its unique teas, the most famous are the ones produced in spring called the “second flush”. In late autumn, we get another quality period. These two flushes display the characteristic flavors of Assam’s black teas at their best.
- First Flush: The first flush in Assam is a relatively short season that starts with a few showers, usually in early March. With changing environmental factors, in the last decade and a half, this season has not been significant in production and ends in an intermediate dormancy period that we call bhanji. The first flush tea is bolder, showing more body but lacks the quality we see in the second flush. If you like your morning cup to be bold and robust, then the top chai brand in Haryana is bringing first-flush teas just for you!
- Second Flush: The second flush is our spring harvest and takes place just before the monsoons arrive in Assam. The unique quality characteristics of Assam tea, i.e., the maltiness, briskness, seasonal flowery, sweet, and fruity flavors are the attributes of the tea bush coming out with vigor after the long dormancy rest. This can be found in the best Darjeeling black tea as well.
How to Pick the Right Assam Black Tea?
India brims with umpteen flavors of Assam teas – all being profound yet tender at the core. However, the flavourful aroma and taste of Maharani High CTC Assam tea remains unrivaled and undisputable, thanks to our tea sommeliers. Careful plucking of the tips or unopened shoots/buds and withering thereof are essential. The tips contain the highest proportion of the compounds that bring flavor to a cup. And this is one of the hallmark traits of Maharani Chai, the best tea in India.