West Gulch Gazette Travel Sunday, May 8, 2011

TeaBy IRVING NERN gardenold—the Happy Valley standard headline“I order it from Upton Staff Writer “tea garden”, as the plan- Tea Company, in the Unit- tations are sometimes ed States,” I responded. veryone knows tea called, dates from the He was familiar with originally came from 1850s, and the bushes that company. “Well, any China. And that was are between 80 and 120 fan of Glenburn is wel- Eliterally millennia ago— years old. Happy Valley come here,” he said. Chinese tea cultivation brags that they are sup- Sharma explained goes back thousands of pliers of tea to Harrod’s the tea operation. Tea in years. Tea drinking later in London. When a friend Darjeeling is harvested reached Japan, and in the and I visited Darjeeling, I four times a year: around West from the 1600s on. had a chance to see three March, around June, in People in England tea plantations: Happy late summer, and in the particularly liked tea. So Valley, Glenburn and fall. Winter is dormant much that by the early Makaibari. The last one season in Darjeeling, and 1800s it was the principle is most famous as having begins in November. Alas, export of the British East the world’s most expen- I was there on November India Company. That sive tea, called silver tips. 14, two weeks after the company enjoyed a mo- These are supposedly fall plucking season had nopoly on tea importation buds—immature leaves ended. to the West, based on a just opening—plucked The first harvest is production monopoly, that under moonbeams, de- called first flush. Second of China. scribed as “ideally sipped is called second flush. In 1841 a British at bed time to cull one to Third is during the rainy civil servant, Dr. Arthur celestial slumber.” That season, so called mon- Campbell, decided to try said, tea prices are not soon flush. Fourth is some Camillia sinensis like wine; $20 buys 50 autumnal flush. in the hills surrounding grams, enough to make Harvest means that the mountain town of quite a few cups. only the first two leaves Darjeeling. West Ben- A visit to Glenburn and a bud are plucked— gal surrounds some Estate. the word for picking the of the world’s highest Visiting Glenburn tea leaves. “We are a mountains, and was Estate was most difficult. quality tea operation, British colonial territory. It is down a steep single- so our pluckers must be It attracted a summer laned trail studded with careful to pick only those crowd of vacationers. It sharp boulders and ruts. leaves, no other,” said also proved to be a good Only a four-wheel drive Sharma. “This means one place to cultivate tea. In or SUV could negotiate plucker gets about 500 fact, tea from Darjeeling such a rough trail, and grams a day.” That’s a became so successful we bounced more than little over a pound. that it replaced China tea an hour before arriving “First flush” does not in world trade to become (with only one flat tire). necessarily mean finest the world’s highest quality “I have never taken a quality. It simply means black tea. tourist to this estate,” said a tea harvested in the Tea bushes require Dawi, the guide, “Most spring. “It is a delicate tea about three years before drivers wouldn’t go down color, but with a strong they are ready to pluck. this path” I realized I’d be bite,” said Sharma. “But They need to grow in Tea bushes at Glenburn Estate, a high-quality producer of Darjeeling tea. offering up a good tip for many of our clients, par- Agricultural Zone Eight, having requested Glen- ticularly in Japan, prefer and like acid soil, with at business cards were in exotic location. “This is “This is Sanjay Sharma, burn. second flush. That’s a least 50 inches of rainfall India.) They disappeared, Glenburn autumnal,” said tea planter,” said the The staff at Glenburn darker, stronger tea.” a year. Most high-quality returned, invited me to the manager, pouring the innkeeper. seemed really puzzled at Also generally the most teas are grown at an the estate’s house for—a tea. “Someone who plants our visit. The guide said, expensive. elevation of up to 5,000 cup of tea. “I’ll have a bit of milk tea?” I asked. in English, “He’s a favorite In fact, it is also true feet. The tea of Darjeel- I sat with the inn- in mine,” said the British “No. The tea planter buyer of Glenburn tea,” in the United States that ing actually are not grown keeper, a matronly lady writer. The staff loitering is the manager of the although I told him earlier most quality Darjeeling in that city, as at 6,710 of a certain age, and two around stiffened. “We estate.” They had brought that while I’d heard of it, sold is second flush. First feet, it’s too high. Most of British women who hap- don’t serve milk,” whis- the boss to meet the tour- I wasn’t actually certain flush is certainly easily it is grown downhill from pened to be visiting there. pered the innkeeper. ist from half way around I had ever bought that available—but not locally. Darjeeling, closer to the One rented a guest room Darjeeling tea is not like the world. tea. In any case, playing Catalog or online is the city of Ghum (or Ghoom). to work on her book. your basic Lipton’s, and Sharma was clearly in along, I added, “Yes, I’ve way to get quality single- So really we should call it Another taught at a needs no milk to mask a hurry, but still gracious come half way around the estate Darjeeling. I do Ghum tea! school nearby during her the bitterness. Milk in tea enough to answer a few world to see this estate!” order from Upton Tea—so Today the area around “gap year,” a year Brit- is sacrilege in Darjeeling. of my questions—after I The staff asked me to I wasn’t lying to the Glen- Ghum and Darjeeling is ish students take out of Presently an agile man had passed his lie detec- produce a business card, burn people! carpeted with tea bushes. the country to see the of about 40 appeared, tor test. How, he asked, which I did, from East The monsoon flush is Some of these are very world and volunteer at and staff became quiet. did I know about Glen- Gulch State University. (I some underprivileged and Clearly, this was the boss. burn tea? Darjeeling to page 2. was surprised how useful

Clever Cambridge “Thestandard Other Place” of its headline thirty-one oldest col- vide placed specialized lectures hererounded by depictions is famous in America, leges on a single street and to regulate tripos— of roosters, symbol of its thanks in part to Presi- near the Cam river. Cambridge terminology founder), some gaudy dent Bill Clinton’s stay Difficult for traffic, for degree course exams (Queens’ College din- there. But it was known but so much better for taken after one or two ing hall, dated 1450, before that, based on to strollers. In fact, the city years of study. was painted wild red Cecil Rhodes’ scholar- of Cambridge is a gem Prestigious patrons and green by Victorians ship for Americans. for tourists on foot, of- endowed colleges for who thought it matched The Other Place is fering stylish boutiques, prestige and academic medieval decorating what Cambridge Univer- antiquarian bookshops, advancement, and tour- schemes). sity students in England a year-round open air ists can see the result You can also visit Trin- call Oxford University. market, and some of the in seven centuries of ity College (of “Chariots And vice versa. But in world’s finest architecture architecture. of Fire” movie fame) to Britain the two univer- all within a half mile. Most breathtaking is see the bust of its illustri- sities are considered To understand Cam- King’s College chapel, a ous fellows (faculty) and equivalent. Both are bridge University, like soaring thicket of spires graduates, including Isaac among Europe’s half Oxford, is to learn about begun by Henry VI in the Newton. Tour guides will dosen oldest. Architectur- medieval education. At mid-1400s, and finished point out the window to ally, while both are jewels least two centuries before by Henry VIII a century Prince Charles’ old room. of Renaissance brilliance, Columbus, scholars later. Most of us know You may walk the back American tourists seem established tutorials in King’s by its boys’ choir streets on late afternoons to prefer Oxford. the two cities, both about broadcast on Christmas and catch a glimpse This ironically may be 50 miles from London. Eve, and you can hear of Stephen Hawking, a relief to many Can- Oxford came first, by a the boys daily in the cha- discoverer of black holes, tabridgians who must few decades. Colleges pel during term time. The a man proclaimed to be deal with narrow streets were set up by royalty, chapel is a fan-vaulted the world’s greatest living already choked with traf- wealthy patrons and re- Renaissance master- physicist, and a fellow of fic, much of it speeding ligious orders to house piece, encrusted with the Gonville and Caius Col- bicycles. and instruct students in ever-modest Henry VIII’s lege. Oxford is three times theology, canon law and initials. All of this is an easy as large as Cambridge, medicine. Cambridge King’s is the first stop walk, after an hour-long industrialized, and colleges developed in a visit to many walled train trip from London. If sprawling. The colleges closer associations as colleges, some brilliant your staying longer than constituting the university the centuries passed and (St. John’s bridge recalls a day, it’s worth renting a Visitors may need to pack an umbrella for the city’s fre- are somewhat spread new colleges were built. the Bridge of Sighs in bicycle to get around like quent drizzles, but the many of the best sights require out. Cambridge, on the They agreed together to Venice), some quirky a local. only a short walk. other hand, crams a third award degrees, to pro- (Jesus College is sur- Darjeeling from page 1 darker and more earthy, Kolkata—Calcutta, south slightly astringent, but not that—why not plant cof- and autumnal is dark- of Darjeeling. There the bitter, and offers a slightly fee? It’s pretty much the est and most full bodied. price is set, and it is floral taste. same growing conditions, They are stronger in shipped around the world. Most tea grown outside after all. “We do grow, in flavor and so considered No tea outside of this of Darjeeling is sold in the south,” the innkeeper of lower quality, and less geographical area can the West as blends, and answered. “Actually, we popular than first and sec- sell as Darjeeling—just as the cheaper Darjeeling could grow coffee right ond flush. Monsoon tea no wine outside of Bur- also often is a blend. This here, instead of tea! But usually stays in India and gundy in France can sell doesn’t necessarily mean why have one harvest per is sold for the sweet spicy as Burgundy. Of course, low quality, although in year when you can have drink called masali chai. it’s hard to police such a my experience the Dar- four?” It’s in the cup you usually guarantee outside India, jeeling blends I’ve tried The manager returned get free for haggling at a and tea sold as “Darjeel- just haven’t measured up to usher me to the waiting carpet or jewelry dealer in ing” often isn’t. to the single-estate teas. Tata 4X4. “Well, thanks Mumbai. “Chai” is just the The process of har- Teabag tea infuses for coming, he said. “We word for “tea” in Hindi and vesting by machine pro- fast—one minute may be do have a web site. You many other languages. duces a broken CTC leaf, too long. Whole leaf Dar- can buy directly from us. Most Darjeeling tea is that is, “Crush-Tear-Curl.” jeeling, on the other hand, Our prices are not set black tea. This means it’s Machine harvest is rare usually needs about three here. They are set by the “fermented.” Not exact- in Darjeeling, Sharma to four minutes. Water tea auction in Calcutta. ly—more like it’s oxidized. said, but more common in just off the boil should We have your card. We’ll The tea leaves are first Assam teas, in East India. cover about one rounded send you an email with dried on long wire racks The Assam harvester also teaspoon of tea per cup. the address.” overnight, with blowers, will often pluck more than Just place the leaves in The Glenburn visit took cool in the daytime, warm just two leaves and the the teapot. Strain with a about two hours. I had at night. They are then bud. These processes tea filter to drink. Black the distinct impression scooped up and curled— Second-flush Darjeeling tea leaves ready for produce more tea, but tea keeps a long time—2 Glenburn Tea Estate had usually by machine. This brewing. a stronger, more bitter years is not unreason- never before seen a lone product considered of able, except for first flush, bruises the leaves. The the process and preserve machine to grade. Tea is tourist intrepid enough lower quality. Assam teas which should be used curling machine in the the tea leaves from spoil- graded by size. Large leaf to hire a vehicle, hire a are consequently cheaper more quickly. Happy Valley plantation age. is generally higher quality. guide, and find the opera- than Darjeeling teas, and Tea is supposedly dated from the 1850s, Green tea, on the other The dust, or fannings, are tion on his own, and so look like small pellets of- healthy, based on its from London. The fer- hand, is not oxidized at sold for teabags. As I was did not know quite what ten used in teabags. The polyphenols in the tan- mentation is actually a all. Oolong tea is oxidized walking around in stock- to do with me. On the fannings and CTC tea nins. But the research second drying process. a bit, about 10 percent. ing feet—no one wears way back up the road, certainly represent what on health benefits of tea, The curled leaf produces Sharma said most Dar- shows in the plants—the Dawi the guide mused, most people expect when green or black, is still moisture that oxidizes. jeeling tea gardens pro- fannings collected in a “I’ve never had a tourist they think of “tea,” and so inconclusive. Tea does How long to ferment is duce black tea because it five-foot high pile in the so interested in tea.” But it’s not surprising in Brit- contain more caffeine by dependent on the nose commands higher prices corner. No one had much he didn’t realize that, for ain that the usual method weight than coffee, but and judgment of the tea at auction. respect for fannings. someone from Fargo, this of preparation is to add because it’s so light, you planter. Black tea is 90 After fermentation and Graded tea is poured really was a once-in-a- milk to tame the strong use less in a cup. percent oxidized, after drying, the now black into sacks, and shipped lifetime trip. bitter flavor. Good Dar- I asked the Glenburn which it is dried to stop tea is worked through a to the tea auction in jeeling properly steeped is tea garden staff about

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