STEAMED DARJEELING

Green tea is made by manually picking fresh leaves and transporting them to the facility, where they are withered to minimise their moisture content. Thereafter, they are heated to eliminate even more water, and finally, they are rolled to get their final look.

There is a tea plantation called Nagri Farm in the Darjeeling area. Nagri Farm was a fortified (fort) area where a regional army was stationed prior to the 1800s because of its strategic importance and commanding view of the surrounding plains. Tribal inhabitants in the area occasionally clashed with “outsiders” from Nepal, Tibet, and feuding Maharajahs. The fort’s original structures were repurposed into a dairy farm. The farm’s purpose shifted in the 1880s, when tea was first cultivated there, and the name was altered to reflect this new industry.

The property has been subdivided into 34 separate lots. The first five parts have shrubs established before 1883, while sections 6-12 were replanted that year. Throughout the next years, Sections 13–34 were cultivated. These elderly shrubs are interesting because they have a form reminiscent to bonsai. Although these bushes are quite resilient, their output is minimal.