Himachal Pradesh Kangra Black Tea

Kangra tea grows in the foothills of the Dhauladhar range in Himachal Pradesh, where tea has been planted since 1849. The black tea is light and fruity, with a sweet, lingering aftertaste. Brewed in a small teapot at 94°C.

Origin & Story

Kangra tea grows in the valley below the Dhauladhar range in Himachal Pradesh, around Palampur, Dharamshala and Baijnath. It began in 1849, when William Jameson, who ran the botanical garden at Saharanpur, planted Chinese tea bushes at three places in the valley, and a commercial garden followed at Holta, near Palampur, in 1852.

An 1882 district gazetteer rated Kangra tea above tea from anywhere else in India, and by the late 1800s it was winning gold and silver medals in London and Amsterdam. Then, in 1905, a major earthquake wrecked the factories, and many British planters sold or abandoned their plantations.

Kangra tea has held India's geographical indication since 2005. About 2,300 hectares are planted today, in small gardens as well as a few estates, and the valley makes roughly 900,000 to 1,000,000 kilograms a year, mostly orthodox black tea with green tea as the rest.

Kangra black tea is light: the liquor is pale, with a subtle aroma, a fruity flavor and a sweet, lingering aftertaste, and old Chinese-type bushes still dominate the plantings. Use water at about 94°C and 3 g of leaf for 240 ml, steep for three to four minutes in a small teapot, and taste it plain.

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