Indian black teas are as delicious with milk as they are without it, and contain more caffeine than other black teas, making them the best breakfast teas to begin a busy day. But why is Indian black tea so good?

History of Indian black tea

Black tea is made from the leaves of the tea plant, ‘Camellia Sinensis’, also used to make white, green, and oolong teas.

Camillia Sinensis comes in two main varieties; ‘sinensis’ and ‘assamica,’ which are used to make most black teas and grow plentifully in India due to its suitable weather.

India is the world’s fourth largest tea export and is second only to China as the world’s top tea producer, accounting for 19 percent of global tea consumption even though 75 percent of India’s tea is consumed within its borders.

Most Indian black teas are made from the assamica variety, which grows naturally in India. Darjeeling is the exception as it’s made from the sinensis strain, which originated in China where the British Victorians used to import their tea from.

Tea was cultivated on a small scale in India for hundreds of years before the East India Company arrived during British Colonial rule and began mass producing it there.

When the East India Company was seen as having become too powerful, the British Government banned their monopoly over trade with China, leaving a need to import tea from elsewhere.

The company employed Scottish botanist and adventurer, Robert Fortune, to smuggle seeds of the sinensis variety from China to India, where they established tea gardens to produce and import tea from there instead.
Tea growing regions in India

Indian black teas are named after the regions in which their leaves are grown, and most black teas are blends of leaves from different places, along with herbs and extracts.

For example, any Earl Grey is likely to be a mixture of Indian black teas blended with bergamot oil, while English Breakfast is usually a union of Indian black teas with teas from other countries.

The Indian Tea Board regulates the country’s production so that only teas grown in the region to which they owe their name may be sold under that name; for instance, only tea grown in Darjeeling may be sold as Darjeeling tea.

Because the climactic conditions in which the leaves are grown alter their flavours, without restrictions teas end up being sold under names of varietals they don’t even resemble.
The top tea growing regions in India (Assam, Darjeeling and the Nilgiris)

Darjeeling tea region

Darjeeling is a small north-eastern region spread across the Himalayan foothills. Here, tea is processed in the traditional ‘orthodox’ way, where leaves are cultivated by hand.

Darjeeling tea leaves are seasonal; March harvests follow the mid-month rainfall and produce leaves with silvery tips for a light coloured tea with a gentle aroma and a mild astringency.

The leaves harvested in June are darker and produce deep honey-toned, full-bodied cups of tea; the sun’s intensity increases during this time, as does the flavour of the leaves.

Darjeeling tea is grown at high elevations where temperatures are varied, meaning that plants are exposed to constantly changing levels of Oxygen and Ultraviolet rays.

These conditions produce leaves of the distinct flavour that Darjeeling tea is known for, of muscatel grape, also used for making champagne, which is why Darjeeling is known as ‘the champagne of teas.’

The musky, fruity taste is created by sap-sucking insects that thrive in Darjeeling’s weather and slightly damage the leaves, which produce increased levels of terpene to repel them, creating the unique muscatel flavour.

Assam tea region

Assam, in the North East, is the world’s largest tea-growing region, contributing to 50 percent of India’s tea production.

Assam tea grows in the lowlands, in the valley of the Brahmaputra River running through the region, and is produced using the orthodox method.

The floodplains’ loamy soils are nutritionally rich, and the varied climate ranges from a cool winter to a tropical summer with plentiful rain, providing ideal growing conditions.

Assam means ‘one without equal’ reflecting the quality of the tea grown there, which is famous for its smooth malty flavour and mellow amber colour.

Assam has two main harvests: the first occurs in late march, while the summertime flush yields higher quality leaves, producing what’s known as ‘tippy tea,’ for its golden tipped leaves and sweeter, fuller flavour.

Aside from Southern China, Assam is the only location in the world where the Camellia Sinensis plant grows naturally, and is the only place where the assamica variant can grow without human industry.

The Nilgiris tea region

The Nilgiris district of Southern India is contained mainly within the Nilgiri Mountain range, known also as the ‘blue mountains’ because of the blueish tinge lining its peaks, which are revered locally as abodes of the Gods.

The elevated land provides adequate drainage and a cool, wet climate that remains mostly unvaried throughout the year, with temperatures ranging no higher than 25 to no lower than 0 degrees Celsius.

Rainforest soils here contain iron and aluminium, and there’s regular Monsoon rainfall, while alteration periods of fog to direct sunlight and humidity allow plants to prosper.

Following a dormancy period of growth in December and January comes the first harvest, which produces the most flavourful tea, known as ‘frost tea,’ as it’s collected during the slightly colder weather.

This region uses both orthodox and machine based production methods to produce a brisk, full bodied tea that’s light yet well rounded with fruity and floral notes.

Nilgiri tea made using the orthodox method is gentle yet fragrant, making it perfect for blending with other teas and herbs; for example, Nilgiri tea is often blended with Assam in the making of Masala Chai.

Nilgiri tea is often used in tea bag blends and also iced tea, as it retains its clarity as it cools unlike other teas which turn cloudy in cold water.
The health benefits of Indian black tea

Indian black teas are as delicious with milk as they are without it, and contain more caffeine than other black teas, making them the best breakfast teas to begin a busy day.

Responsible caffeine consumption can decrease fatigue, improve memory and speed up the metabolism. Studies also suggest that caffeine can help prevent skin damage from ultraviolet light.

Harvested tea leaves are left to react with oxygen; this is called oxidation. Leaves used to make black teas are left to oxidise completely, giving them the strongest flavours and the highest antioxidant levels of all other teas.

During oxidation, restorative antioxidants called polyphenols develop in the leaves which can defend against radiation and pathogens that cause ageing and disease.

Polyphenols found in black tea can improve circulation, protect the skin, reduce blood pressure, provide anti-inflammatory support and improve bone density.
Newby teas preservation centre in India

Newby’s leaves come from the first flushes of growth and are hand-picked during prime harvests to bring you the highest quality teas, with flavours that are authentic to their production regions.

Our preservation centre is situated near India’s most prosperous tea growing regions to ensure that the fragile, young leaves are not damaged or contaminated on their journey.

At the centre, leaves are blended and packaged in an environment where temperature and humidity levels are controlled by unique mechanisms to produce the finest teas.
3 Newby teas from India

Try our Rare Assam for a glowing cup of malty, full bodied tea featuring hints of honey and made from the youngest, healthiest leaves the region has to offer.

Indulge in our Darjeeling: this pale amber cup is gently floral with a muscatel aftertaste that’ll transport you to the rejuvenating altitudes of the Himalayas, the source of our plush little leaves.

Treat yourself to our Masala Chai, an infusion of delicate Assam leaves with cinnamon, black pepper, clove, aniseed, cardamom, clove and ginger; this warming blend is sweet and spiced.