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The 2021 harvest season - similar to the previous year - was characterised by difficult conditions. As we could see in every news broadcast for weeks, the pandemic situation in India was dramatic. Far away from the metropolises, however, the overall impact was less severe, including in „our“ tea regions Darjeeling and Assam. In the Tonganagaon and Chardwar plantations, from which we obtain our Assam tea, only very few and isolated cases of COVID were recorded. In the tea gardens in Darjeeling the direct consequences of the pandemic were also minor. Moreover, many workers have already been vaccinated. Unlike the previous year, there was no complete lockdown in this second wave of infection, but rather different protective regulations depending on the sector, region and incidence. For the tea gardens this meant that the harvest and operations could be maintained, even if only with 50 percent of the workforce.

Another factor was the climate. The unusual severe drought in the first quarter of 2021 affected the First Flush crop in particular. Trend: increasing. It is already apparent that Darjeeling's tea gardens further south are suffering greatly from the effects of climate change: long periods of drought followed by torrential rains, instead of normal rainfall in monsoon seasons. The more northern regions of Darjeeling, where we source most of our tea, have also been affected, although not as severely as the south. The consequences for the tea harvests are visible: Darjeeling has not been able to reach earlier production levels of 10,000 tonnes for a long time, for 2021 a harvest of 6,900 tonnes is expected. Therefore, we are again unable to offer First Flush Garden Tea this year. We expect to be able to offer the First Flush Blends and all other Darjeeling teas in our range to the usual extent.
Assam, one of the regions with the highest rainfall on earth, also suffered from unusual drought this spring. Instead of the usual six working days, tea could only be picked three days a week because the tea bushes did not have enough new shoots.

Let's take another look at the logistics: The deliveries from India will reach us - and thus our customers - later than usual. The shipping industry in particular was massively affected by the corona waves in Asia. The corona-related closure of the Chinese port of Yantian in June alone, which handles three times the amount of containers per year as the port of Hamburg, had a similarly serious impact as the blockade of the Suez Canal after an accident in March. According to current knowledge, it will take weeks before all the stowed and diverted containers reach their destination.

Tea is a natural product and as such is exposed to wind and weather. The frequency and amount of precipitation, hours of sunshine and temperatures influence the growth, taste and aroma of the tea leaves. In the tea factory, the weather is taken into account and the duration of withering, rolling and fermenting is adjusted accordingly in order to achieve the best possible result. A First Flush always tastes like a First Flush, but still differs from year to year. As with wine, there are also vintages of tea that are more likely to be considered a good average and others that are remembered as outstanding. This year the weather conditions for the First Flush harvest were perfect, it rained when rainfall was needed and there was enough sunshine to encourage the leaves to sprout. The spring harvest takes place over a longer period of time, which extends from the end of February to the end of April. In the lower altitudes, the harvest starts earlier and in the higher gardens, where the leaves grow more slowly due to the cooler temperatures, it starts a little later. Unfortunately, at this perfect moment, there was a lockdown and many of these early First Flush teas, which produce a particularly light cup, could therefore not be harvested and produced in the tea gardens high up. For this reason, there is a loss of 15 percent for the total amount of First Flush this year. The First Flush 2020 tastes like a First Flush should taste, namely light and flowery with the typical "bite" - a slightly astringent note - but in the cup it looks darker than the First Flush of the two previous years.
 

Due to a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 infections, lockdowns will be reintroduced daily for the Indian state of West Bengal, which also includes the Darjeeling region, until the end of August, with which public life comes to a standstill with a few exceptions. However, work in the tea gardens may continue during this time, taking into account the distance and hygiene rules. Heavy rains caused landslides in Darjeeling and interrupted the main road between Kursong and the city of Darjeeling, luckily no harm was done to people. Incidents like this once again demonstrate the importance of trees and plants in order to reduce soil erosion. In Assam, the rainfall during the monsoon season is particularly heavy this year and there have been numerous floods. Almost 50,000 people have had to leave their homes and are currently living in emergency shelters. A challenge that will be exacerbated by the requirements of the corona pandemic.
 

Since May 11, 50% of the workforce has been allowed to work in the tea gardens in West Bengal (Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai). The first tea samples from Darjeeling have arrived in Kolkata and one of our tea testers there has quickly transformed his living room into a tea tasting room. We expect the first tea samples to reach us in the last week of May.

Even though coronavirus lockdown in West Bengal has been extended until May 17, courier services are allowed to resume operations a few days a week. Since Darjeeling and Kolkata are located in the same state, this means that the first samples from Darjeeling reach Kolkata to be tasted by tea testers.

Coronavirus lockdown in India was extended until May 3. After that it is up to the respective states how strictly they handle the lockdown. West Bengal will continue to face restrictions until May 21. Each district is classified as a green, yellow or red zone. The red zone has the most corona cases and the green one, the yellow zone, is used for grading in between. The lockdown will remain for red zones, while goods will be allowed to move freely in green zones, which are mainly found in rural areas. Kolkata is declared a red zone due to the dense population. The Darjeeling district includes both the mountainous region with the tea gardens and a valley floor around the city of Siliguri. There was no documented Corona case in the mountainous area, and there were three cases in Siliguri before April 16. A heated discussion broke out about how strict or easy the lockdown should be kept in Darjeeling. Both the ultra-Hindu BJP, which controls the central government of India, and the West Bengal TMC, which is closely linked to the district administration of the GTA, are trying to keep the political tide. In Assam, the guidelines of the central government are being followed and the existing restrictions are expected to remain until May 21. In Darjeeling as well as in Assam, tea is harvested and produced with the requirements regarding the number of workers, hygiene and distance. Since courier services are in part again in use, we assume that we will probably receive the first tea samples in May.
 

Coronavirus lockdown in India has been extended until May 3rd. However, the government is considering allowing easing in some areas from April 20. For the farmers, the harvest is imminent and it must be ensured that the harvest can be brought in and trucks can bring the products to markets. By maintaining distance, mouth protection and observing hygiene regulations, 25% of the workforce in Darjeeling can currently be used for harvesting and tea production. In Assam, only small tea gardens are allowed to continue operating with a maximum of 50% of their workforce.
 

All tea estates in Darjeeling are currently closed. The Indian government allows the work in farms to continue. For this reason, it should be decided within the next few days whether the plantations may continue to work before April 14th. We keep you informed in our blog. Fortunately, wages are currently still being paid.

For the first time you can put together a gift set with 2x 250g tea according to your wishes. Whether mild or strong, whether black tea or green tea, whether from Darjeeling or Assam - choose your favourite teas from various 250g packs. There are a total of 21 possible variations! We are pretty sure that we will also meet your taste or that of your loved ones.
You can configure your gift set in our webshop.

Did you know that many fine teas lend themselves excellently to brewing with cold water?

Especially green teas are suitable for cold brewing. Heat brings out the tannic, bitter flavours in tea. Cold brewing makes the summery drink less bitter and smoother.

The method is very simple: just combine loose-leaf tea in a pitcher and let the tea infuse the cold water for about 30 minutes.
Optional add-ins: sliced lemon, sweetener of choice, fresh mint leaves or lavender flowers.