INDIA TEAS

India's Tea Regions

India's tea comes from a country of extraordinary contrasts. Assam and Darjeeling are the most famous names, but the growing regions stretch from the Brahmaputra valley in the north-east to the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu in the south, each producing teas shaped by its own altitude, climate and tradition. No other single country offers such a breadth of tea styles, which is what makes an India collection so rewarding to explore.

Flavour and Character

The three teas here each represent a distinct side of Indian tea. India Breakfast Blend draws on the best of the country's major growing regions, producing a full-bodied, flavourful cup with the strength and warmth to carry a good splash of milk — a natural choice for a proper morning brew. Nilgiri "Blue Mountain" SFTGFOP1 comes from the high-grown hills of Tamil Nadu and shows an entirely different character: mellow, clean and gently fruity, with a lively finish that makes it a pleasure to drink black. Traditional Indian Spiced Chai is another expression altogether — a classic recipe of pepper, cinnamon and cardamom built on a black tea base, producing a bright, aromatic cup that transforms with milk.

Brewing India Teas

The breakfast blend suits a full rolling boil and can be enjoyed black or with milk depending on preference. The Nilgiri rewards a slightly shorter steep — three minutes is usually enough to bring out its clean, fruity character without bitterness. For the chai, milk is the natural companion: brewed in the traditional style with equal parts water and milk, or steeped in water and finished with warmed milk to taste.

These three teas make a good starting point for anyone who wants to understand why Indian tea is so celebrated. The difference in character between a breakfast blend, a high-grown Nilgiri and a spiced chai is striking — and together they hint at how much more there is to discover across the country.