Where to buy Darjeeling tea online?
The best Darjeeling Tea for sale online at Terza Luna
Our passion for tea has led us over time to get to know better and better the teas from the Darjeeling region. In years of research, we have met traditional Darjeeling tea farms and plantations. Thanks to this work, today we can offer dozens of varieties within our online Darjeeling tea shop.
Our passion has always been guided by the desire to meet the needs of the most experienced tea lovers and those new to tea. For this reason, every Darjeeling loose leaf tea for sale at Terza Luna has been carefully chosen with care and attention.
We are one of the most well-stocked tea online shops in Italy with over 600 different products.
Buying Darjeeling Tea online at Terza Luna is easy, indeed very simple. Just add to the cart the products you like the most, enter the shipping details, and choose your preferred payment method. Your order will be shipped within 48 hours.
Black Darjeeling Tea
The Darjeeling tea (pronunciation: dahr-jee-ling), is a tea produced in the Indian region of Darjeeling, more precisely in West Bengal. Darjeeling tea is also called 'the Champagne of teas' and considered by many as the most precious of black teas, especially in Great Britain and in countries of the former British Empire.
The infusion of a high-quality Darjeeling tea produces a clear tea, slightly astringent in taste with musky notes, compared to those of muscatel. It presents floral or even fruity notes, depending on the harvest, with an aftertaste reminiscent of almond and chestnut.
Preparation of Darjeeling Tea and infusion times
Just like all teas, Darjeeling Teas each have their own ideal infusion time and specific precautions for their preparation. Generally, the infusion times for Darjeeling teas range from 2 to 4 minutes maximum, but each type and each harvest are different. You can find more information directly in the product sheets on this page. As a basic rule for preparing Darjeeling tea, you can follow the proportions:
- 2/3 grams of Darjeeling Tea
- One cup of water at 90°C
- Infusion Time: 3 minutes
Pairings
Due to its sweet, aromatic, and floral notes, Darjeeling tea is very suitable for afternoon tea, to accompany sandwiches, biscuits, and scones. Due to its aftertaste, it pairs very well with sweets and is therefore a tea particularly suitable for breakfast. Darjeeling teas are perfect for making a great chai tea.
History and Classification of Darjeeling Tea
The cultivation of tea in the Indian region of Darjeeling began in 1841 by Dr. Campbell, a surgeon of the Indian Medical Service, who had been transferred there in 1839 to oversee that vast territory. The seeds came from China, sent by the British botanist Robert Fortune. The first pilot plantations were born in the 1840s, and the government created the first nurseries as early as 1847. Commercial exploitation would have to wait about ten years.
The Darjeeling Tea Brand
Darjeeling tea is, as mentioned, considered the most precious black tea in the world, and not by chance nicknamed the 'champagne of teas'. This makes it subject to adulteration and counterfeiting, which have led to the assignment of the designation of origin to this extraordinary product, managed by the Tea Board of India. Every year, in fact, tons of Darjeeling tea are sold beyond the declared cultivation. An original Darjeeling tea is therefore recognized based on a specific classification, based on the area in which it was produced, the so-called 'tea gardens' and the harvest period. According to the Tea Board of India, therefore, only those teas cultivated, produced, and harvested in the tea gardens of specific mountainous areas of the region are considered Darjeeling. The most famous tea gardens are Arya, Chamong, Lingia, Castleton, Jungpana, Makaibari, Margaret's Hope, and the teas produced in them are very recognizable for their taste and precise aromatic notes.
On Terza Luna, you will find for sale only first-choice Darjeeling tea, original and directly from India, such as the Darjeeling First Flush (FTGFOP 1) ORGANIC: it is harvested from mid-March until the first week of April, after the spring rains. It has a very light color, a delicate aroma, and is slightly astringent.
Tea Gardens and Darjeeling varieties: from First Flush to Autumnal Flush
Black teas from Darjeeling are commonly identified as the best black teas in the world. In fact, this variety can only be cultivated exclusively in certain areas of the Darjeeling region, in what are the most famous and visited tea gardens.
There are several varieties of black tea from Darjeeling:
- First Flush: normally harvested in mid-March just after the end of the spring rains. The infusion color is delicate and the aroma slightly astringent and tannic.
- Second Flush: the second harvest of Darjeeling takes place in June. The aroma differs from that of the first harvest, and connoisseurs recognize hints of muscat grapes.
- Monsoon or Rains: this variety is more economical than the previous ones and is harvested during the rainy season and monsoons, as the name suggests.
- Autumnal Flush: This is the least prized variety, characterized by a dark infusion color and a less intense flavor.
Darjeeling Tea Nomenclature
If you are passionate about Darjeeling Tea, you have surely come across some acronyms or letter sequences like SFTGFOP or FTGFOP, or OP. Many ask us what the Darjeeling acronyms mean. It is a nomenclature aimed at classifying Darjeeling teas based on the type of harvest and tea leaf processing.
Let's see what the letters preceding our Darjeeling teas mean and learn to read and understand their significance.
- SFTGFOP: Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
- FTGFOP: Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
- TGFOP: Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
- GFOP: Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
- FOP: Flowery Orange Pekoe
- OP: Orange Pekoe
Still confused? Let's explain the different acronyms better:
- F, 'flowery' indicates the presence of buds in the leaves
- G, 'golden', indicates the quality of the buds
- T, 'tippy', indicates the presence of leaves with light tips
- P, 'pekoe', indicates the second leaves under the bud
- OP, 'orange pekoe', indicates the first leaves under the bud
Is it Green Darjeeling? Let's Clarify
Darjeeling tea is a high-quality Indian black tea, considered by many to be the best black tea available. However, you can also find varieties of green Darjeeling tea on the market: it is important to specify that the difference between green tea and black tea lies in the processing, particularly in the oxidation of the tea leaves. Most Darjeeling tea leaves become black tea, but semi-oxidized teas, the famous Oolong tea and even green Darjeeling teas are also produced. It should also be noted that even the leaves of Darjeeling black tea are not completely oxidized, technically making this tea an Oolong. Many Darjeeling teas are blends with leaves at different oxidation levels, therefore a mix of green, black, and oolong teas.
The Darjeeling: Properties and Benefits
Darjeeling tea has truly interesting properties and benefits. In addition to sharing the classic properties of black teas (such as being one of the most important antioxidants and rich in free radicals; and the ability to improve concentration levels and attention thanks to the high amount of theine), among the properties of Darjeeling tea and its benefits, we can list some unique characteristics. Darjeeling tea is known for:
- benefits for the cardiovascular system,
- benefits for the skeletal system
- teeth whitening capabilities
If you are a lover of Darjeeling Tea, here are other teas that may interest you
It is not easy to compare with Darjeeling teas - they are indeed called the champagne of teas - but there are equally high-quality varieties and regions in the world where prized black teas are produced just like Darjeeling. Here are some.
Let's start with Assam teas, another type of tea from the Assam region in India. In our shop, you can find an excellent Assam Tonganagaon BIO Tea. An excellent alternative, without leaving India, is Nilgiri tea, from the eponymous region, bordering Assam. We recommend trying our Nilgiri Thiasola BIO. Another alternative is Ceylon teas, a region in Sri Lanka of exceptional quality. These are also prized black teas; be sure to try our Ceylon Greenfield BIO Tea.
Finally, there are those who - despite the significant difference in quality - in addition to being passionate about teas from the Darjeeling region, also love Earl Grey. One of the must-try options from our shop is the Earl Grey BIO.
Buy Darjeeling Tea online at Terza Luna
Now that you know where to buy the best quality Darjeeling tea, browse the pages of the dedicated category on our online shop and choose the product that intrigues you the most.
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