Darjeeling Tea is generally available in single estate or blended form. The search for a genuine Darjeeling must begin with finding a reliable and resourceful vendor. One must ask if the tea is genuine Darjeeling. I.e. grown in the Darjeeling hills of India. This has become very important as more than half of the tea sold as Darjeeling is not really so.

While purchasing packaged Darjeeling Tea, look for this logo which authenticates its origin, and denotes that it contains 100% Darjeeling. If you wish to enjoy a “single estate” tea, one should note the garden’s name and ask for the “flush” and year of manufacture. Gradually one’s preferences will become settled and one will have a reliable guideline for future purchases. For a connoisseur, each invoice produced in the spring and summer has a separate and memorable personality. Many of the leading vendors are now identifying the offerings by garden name, flush of manufacture and even the invoice number of the produce.

Among Darjeeling Tea lovers there are perfectionists who deem it sacrilege to add anything to the fragrant, steaming cup. Connoisseurs debate over the exact temperature of the water, the quantity of leaf per cup (and for the pot), and how long the infusion should brew.

A word about international tea prices and the cost per cup. Historically, due to continuous devaluation of producing country currencies, tea has been one of the cheapest commodities in terms of the sterling or the dollar.

Darjeeling Tea is excellent value for money. Buy the best.