Nilgiri Tea

Travel to India > Coornoor > Nilgiri Tea

The Nilgiri Mountains or the Blue Mountains are situated in the Southern India. These hills are a picturesque ranges and Tea is grown here in abundance. The climate here on the hills gives the tea a unique flavor which cannot be found anywhere in the world.

Nilgiri tea powder is black in color. When the tea is poured Nilgiri tea has a dark amber color. It is grown in the area since the late 18th century. The Nilgiri tea is grown at an elevation of 1000 to 2500 meters above sea level. The temperatures, humidity, soil and rainfall are very congenial for the growth of excellent tea. All this gives the Nilgiri tea a distinct and brisk flavor. Nilgiri tea is smooth and versatile and can be used for a variety of mixtures. Some of the varieties of tea grown here have some taste of the reminiscent of lemons.

Nilgiri tea can be had with or without sugar or milk. It makes excellent iced tea. It is also used as a part of mixture to make strong tea as the strong taste compliments subtle spices.

Nilgiri Tea Plantations

The United Nilgiri Planters Association of South India, UPASI, represents the Nilgiri tea plantations. Plantations account for only 30% of tea production in Nilgiri District. The small growers undertake the vast majority of the tea production. These small tea growers own less than one hectare of land. These are Badagas people who are a local community of agriculturists. The tea plantations in Nilgiri district own their own processing factories. The small tea growers sell their as green leaves which is the raw material to the large processing factories. The processed tea is sold at scheduled auctions in the region. The tea is auctioned in Coonoor, Coimbatore and Kochi. Oolang and black tea is produced here in large quantities. Most of the tea produced here is used for domestic consumption. Some of the very high-grade tea and green tea is exported. The expensive hand sorted and full leaf versions of the tea like the Orange Pekoe are the most sought after in the international market.

Production Of Nilgiri Tea

Most of the Nilgiri tea plantations get two monsoons. This helps the tea to flush all round the year. Hence, the cropping season in the Nilgiri hills continues all the year round.

Nilgiri tea is processed in a peculiar way. The tea is processed by using the crush, tear and curl method. If the leaves are processed using the CTC method are not rolled, but are placed in the cylindrical rollers with small teeth. The rollers then crush, tear and tear the tealeaves. The CTC method increases the weight of the tea. The tea can then be packed in bags or sacs. As the tea bags became more popular, this tea became more popular among the tea bag users. This tea tends to brew faster and yields more cups of tea per kilogram. The brewed tea has red color and is liked by many.