Tag: darjeeling

Brewing with glass

Tea is delicious, aromatic, and beautiful. Preparing teas in glass pots lets you see the range of character of the leaves as they open up. Pour into a second pot and see the depth of color and texture of the brew. Natural light illuminates the entire process.

All types of tea can be prepared in glassware.

Benoy Thapa of Thunderbolt Tea, Darjeeling.

ThunderboltTea.com is the best place online to buy the best teas from Darjeeling.  I had a chance to meet him and talk tea when I was visiting India in May 2013.

Benoy visits estates in Darjeeling throughout the tea seasons (spring, summer, fall) to sample the latest products. He selects a relatively small selection of Darjeelings to sell and they’re all incredible. Anything you purchase is going to be great.

And if you order something from Thunderbolt Tea you receive a package wrapped with a canvas bag, sewn shut and sealed with a bit of wax. Quite exotic to receive a package that looks like it came from the past.

Code of Conduct for The Tourists Traveling to Sikkim

While at Makaibari I took a look at the official guide to visiting Sikkim, that special state just north of Darjeeling.

Highlights of their rules:

  • Do not embarrass others by relieving yourself in public; use toilets
  • Please do not spit; it’s a disgusting habit that spreads diseases
  • Honking is a bad manner; please discourage excessive use of motor horns.
  • Do not pick flowers any uproot plants; they look better where they are.
  • Why don’t you plant a tree before you leave.

Rajah Banerjee, director of the Makaibari estate, doing his morning tasting. Each of these came from different portions of the fields two days prior. He’s sampling each, analyzing flavor and aroma of the liquor and look of the leaves, all knowing the many factors that play part: location of the bush on the estate, weather when plucked, machines used for rolling, and more.