Darjeeling tea is the tea known as “the champagne of teas,” grown in India’s Darjeeling region.
Its distinctive character comes from the high-altitude tea gardens of the eastern Himalayas, where cool temperatures, mist, steep terrain and seasonal changes shape the leaves. The tea industry developed during British rule in the 19th century, and the region now includes gardens in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal.
Darjeeling tea is usually made from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, often with relatively delicate leaves and a famously fragrant, muscat-like character. It may be sold as black, green, white or oolong-style tea, depending on processing. “First flush” and “second flush” refer to important harvest periods, with the latter often producing a fuller, more muscatel-rich cup.
The nickname is a marketing description, not a formal classification. Darjeeling tea is also commonly confused with Assam tea: both come from India, but Assam is generally grown at lower elevations and has a stronger, maltier profile. Tea labeled Darjeeling can also be blended or mislabeled, which is why geographic certification matters.