2.11.2008 : Tea of the Month for February – Darjeeling TGBOP
Without question, the world's finest black teas
are grown in the hauntingly beautiful mountains of
Darjeeling India, nestled in the arms of the
Himalayan Mountains. Surrounded by the three
forbidden Kingdoms of Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan,
the nearly inaccessible area of Darjeeling
consistently produces small amounts of the world's
most cherished black teas. Our
Xanadu® Darjeeling
TGBOP is a perfect example of the art of
fine tea craft, brewing a classically profiled
Darjeeling cup that is perfectly balanced between
assertiveness and restraint.
Only 70 tea gardens exist within Darjeeling, all precariously perched on the 60° slopes of an outlying arm of snow-clad Mt. Kanchenjung – which at 28,000 feet in elevation is one of the world's highest mountains. The elevation of the Darjeeling tea gardens is nearly 6,000 feet, so high that the only tea grown here is of Chinese descent – not the Indian tea jat that is intolerant of the cold.
Pure Xanadu Darjeeling TGBOP is a true rarity in the world of teas. Only 1% of all tea grown in India is actually from Darjeeling; most "Darjeeling" teas being sold are actually blends of less expensive common teas. In fact, it is estimated that five times as much "Darjeeling" tea is sold worldwide than is actually grown there. (A similar situation exists with the fabled Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.)
"TGBOP" is this rare tea's grade, standing for "Tippy" (the presence of the rare and flavorful terminal bud) "Golden" (a distinct bright color on the edges of the most succulent young leaves) "Broken Orange Pekoe" (the leaf size grade). Interestingly, the grade's name has nothing to do with the flavor of oranges, instead are Anglicized words taken from 17th century Chinese, referring to the tea's desirable larger leaf size.
