Most people in India begin their day with a cup of tea. Tea is one of the country’s most popular beverages, and many experience headaches if they skip their morning cup. During winter, drinking tea every
few hours becomes a common habit. Have you ever wondered which state is known as the tea capital of India? If not, today we’ll tell you all about it.
If you’ve ever wondered where that perfect cup of morning chai or tea comes from, chances are it’s from Assam. This northeastern state is not only the tea capital of India but also where the story of tea in India begins.
Tea plantations stretch as far as the eye can see, with the scent of freshly picked leaves filling the early morning air. Workers wander through lush green bushes with bamboo baskets. This is Assam, which produces more than half of India’s tea, imparting the exquisite flavour you love in your morning cup.
Beyond statistics and production numbers, Assam’s relationship with tea is cultural, historical, and absolutely fascinating. Let’s explore why this place has earned the title of ‘The Tea Capital of India’ and what makes it a must-see for tea enthusiasts.
Assam produces over 50% of India’s total tea production, with more than 800 tea plantations, many dating back to British colonial times. The Brahmaputra Valley, with its unique climate and soil, creates perfect conditions for tea growing. The abundant rainfall, humid subtropical climate, and fertile alluvial soil combine to produce tea that is bold, rich, and distinctively malty.
The history of tea is a blend of cultures and history, dating back thousands of years to ancient China, where tea leaves were first used. However, tea took a different route to India.
In the early 19th century, the British East India Company was eager to break China’s tea monopoly. They sent botanist Robert Fortune on a secret mission to China to steal the secrets of the tea plant and cultivation. Fortune succeeded, smuggling tea plants and Chinese tea workers into British-ruled India, particularly Darjeeling and Assam. While Fortune’s Chinese tea plants struggled to thrive in Assam’s humid climate, wild tea plants were discovered growing natively in the Assamese mountains. By the 1850s, the British had established large-scale tea plantations in Assam.
