Tea has become a favorite drink for many; tea not only rejuvenates the senses but also makes one feel the passion for life. There are various types of tea that are available to tea drinkers and the choice depends on each one�s own preferences. It has now been found that the health benefits of tea have been realized by people all over the world and it is also served in various varieties like as a welcome drink and as iced lemon tea.
It is significant to understand that tea produced in India has been favored for its great taste by people from all over the world; it is grown in tea plantations in the eastern parts of India in places like Darjeeling and Assam. Both Assam as well as Darjeeling teas is just black teas that are grown in Darjeeling and Assam. Both these teas are grown from the same tea bush, Camellia sinensis and contain caffeine. However there are a lot of differences in both the types of tea; one significant difference being that the leaves of Darjeelingtea are smaller than that of Assamtea. In addition the leaves of Darjeeling tea have fine hairs in the underside and these hairs are lost during drying.
It is important to note that the tea produced at Darjeeling in West Bengal is grown at an altitude of about 750 to 2000 meters; the quantity of tea produced in this region is low, with the total produce being only 10 million kg per year. In contrast the tea produced in Assam is much more; tea of this region is grown on the banks of the river Brahmaputra that receives ample rains of about 10 to 12 cm. So it is significant to note that Assamtea is much cheaper as compared to Darjeelingtea; this is true because Darjeelingtea that is grown in terrains involves difficult cultivation.
Discussing further of the color and tastes of both the teas it is significant to note that Darjeelingtea that was initially marketed as black tea has a pale gold color; Assam tea sold mostly as English breakfasttea and the Scottish breakfast tea has a redder and darker hue as compared to Darjeelingtea. It is still more significant to note that the color of Assamtea changes after brewing, but this is not the case with tea from Darjeeling. It is also more important to note tea produced in Assam has a higher strength than tea produced in Darjeeling; also tea of Darjeeling has a lighter muscatel taste owing to its spiciness and one experiences a cool sensation in the mouth. This is not the case with Assamtea that produces a malty taste.
To conclude tea from Darjeeling is high in flavor, quality, aroma and taste, though it is more expensive than Assamtea. The question of choice depends on these two factors and on each person�s unique tastes. Probably the best choice would be to drink Assam tea and splurge on Darjeelingtea once in a while.
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