| Sikkim tea | |
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| Origin | Sikkim, India |
 | This article contains close paraphrasing of non-free copyrighted sources.(May 2020) |
Sikkim tea is a variety of tea grown in the state of Sikkim, India. Sikkim tea is not as widespread in use as the neighboring Darjeeling tea, however it has recently gained more popularity due to the increasing demand for organic products. [1] The tea is mostly sold under the marketing name 'Temi tea'. Unlike Darjeeling tea, Sikkim tea has yet to receive a GI tag. [2] [1]
Tea farming in Sikkim is primarily dominated by the Temi Tea Garden (owned by the Sikkim state government) and various other small tea growers. [3] [2] The first and still the largest tea garden in Sikkim, the Temi Tea Garden was established by the erstwhile king Palden Thondup Namgyal as a source of employment for the large number of Tibetan refugees living in the region. [4]
The first flush of Sikkim tea is harvested during springtime and has a unique taste and aroma. The tea is golden in color and has a light floral finish. It has a slightly sweet taste. Sikkim tea has a toasty and strong flavour. The third flush (also called Monsoon Flush) is full-bodied and has a mellow taste. The final flush (or Autumn Flush) of the Sikkim tea has a well-rounded taste and the slight hint of warm spices. [3]
The temperate weather and altitude of the state favor tea cultivation and the tea is known for its distinct flavor and aroma. Sikkim produces two varieties of tea, a China variety and a clone variety. The clone variety is a newy introduced cultivar with the China variety being grown traditionally. Sikkim, with its only garden and few other small growers, produces an estimated 0.5 million kg of tea annually. [5] [2] The usual produce is Black Tea, while a delicate white tea manufactured from the buds and unfurled new leaves is also grown to order. A green tea, known for its flowery flavor; and the Oolong tea are also produced. [3]
Approximately 75 per cent of tea produced in Sikkim is sold via the Kolkata auction center while the remaining is packaged for local sale. [6] The tea is popular in the international market due to being completely organic. Major importers are Germany, United States, France, Canada, and Japan. [6] The first flush of the season 2023 Temi tea was sold for a price of Rs 10,250 per kg to buyers in Italy and Korea. The organic status of tea produced in the state has been certified by the Institute for Market Ecology (IMO), a member group of IMO Switzerland. [6]
The The 100% organic teagarden was certified and recognized by the IMO control board of India in the year 2017.
Significant inhibitory activity, caused by hot water extract of black tea of Sikkim variety, has been observed against carrageenin, histamine, serotonin, and prostaglandin-induced pedal inflammation. The extract also inhibited exudative inflammation, cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation and adjuvant-induced polyarthritis. The extract has also shown significant inhibition against glucose oxidase-mediated inflammation. The observations have established the efficacy of this particular variety of black tea in the chronic phase of inflammation. [10]
Nepali tea is a beverage made from the leaves of tea plants grown in Nepal. They are distinctive in appearance, aroma and taste, but are similar in many ways to tea produced in Darjeeling tea, perhaps because the eastern zones of Nepal have geography and topography similar to Darjeeling. Its relatively smaller production quantities mean that teas from Nepal are less well known than those from Darjeeling.
Darjeeling tea is a tea made from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis that is grown and processed in Darjeeling district or Kalimpong district in West Bengal, India. Since 2004, the term Darjeeling tea has been a registered geographical indication referring to products produced on certain estates within Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The tea leaves are processed as black tea, though some estates have expanded their product offerings to include leaves suitable for making green, white, and oolong teas.
India is one of the largest tea producers in the world, although over 70 percent of its tea is consumed within India itself. A number of renowned teas, such as Assam and Darjeeling, also grow exclusively in India. The Indian tea industry has grown to own many global tea brands and has evolved into one of the most technologically equipped tea industries in the world. Tea production, certification, exportation and all facets of the tea trade in India are controlled by the Tea Board of India.
Matigara is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Siliguri subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Arya Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India
The Temi Tea Garden in Temi, established in 1969 by the Government of Sikkim, is located in Namchi in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. It is the only tea garden in Sikkim and is considered one of the best in India and the world. Top quality tea is produced, which is in demand in the international market. The garden is laid over a gradually sloping hill. The tea produced in this garden is also partly marketed under the trade name "Temi Tea".
Darjeeling Pulbazar is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Rangli Rangliot is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Kalimpong I is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Kalimpong II was a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Kalimpong subdivision of the Kalimpong district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Mirik is a community development block that forms an administrative division in the Mirik subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Kangra tea is a tea from the Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, India. Both black tea and green tea have been produced in the Kangra Valley since the mid-19th century. Kangra tea was given the Geographical Indication status in 2005.
Makaibari Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Okayti Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Mirik CD block in the Mirik subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Sungma Tea Garden is spread over two villages - Sangmaru Tea Garden (Sungma) and Tarzun Tea Garden in the Jorebunglow Sukhiapokhri CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Rishihat Tea Garden is a village in the Darjeeling Pulbazar CD block in the Darjeeling Sadar subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Singbulli Tea Garden is a village in the Mirik CD block in the Mirik subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal, India.
Phuguri Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Mirik CD block in the Mirik subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Balasun Tea Estate is a tea garden in the Kurseong CD block in the Kurseong subdivision of the Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Rajah Banerjee, or Swaraj Kumar Banerjee, is a tea planter, environmentalist and a writer, best known for his stewardship of his ancestral Makaibari Tea Estate in Darjeeling. His family was the proprietor of Makaibari Tea Estate from 1859 to 2017, and he was the fourth generation manager of Makaibari. He is a pioneer of the organic movement in Darjeeling. Under his guardianship, Makaibari was made organic and bio - dynamic. He is famous for his unique Silver Needle Moonlight Plucked Teas, which is only plucked at midnight on a full moon's night during the spring season, in Darjeeling.
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