Assam Tea History

Assam tea is named for the area where it is grown: Assam, India. Assam is located on the Brahmaputra River, and borders Burma and Bangladesh. The area gets extremely high precipitation and daytime temperatures of 103 degrees Fahrenheit on average, which creates a tropical greenhouse effect on the teas grown here. This tropical heat and humidity are what give Assam tea its malty taste.

Assam is harvested only from the Camellia sinensis plant, with the specific variety being assamica. The tea is known for a strong and bright color, full body, malty flavor, and briskness. Blends with Assam contained in them are frequently sold as breakfast teas: Irish, English, and Scottish varieties among them.

The Assam area does produce some smaller amounts of green teas and white teas which have different and distinctive characteristics. This area is the second largest tea production region in the world, after southern China, which are also the only two regions which have native tea plants. The tea bushes grow in the lowland region, full of sandy and rich soil because it is a floodplain. Each year, the area yields over 1.5 million pounds of tea.

The tea is harvested twice a year, in what are called the "first flush" and "second flush." The first flush occurs in late March, and the second flush much later. It is the second flush which produces the sweeter and fuller-bodied teas.

The British began cultivating tea in Assam in the early 1800's, after an explorer saw the Indian natives brewing the leaves and sampled it. They originally brought Chinese seeds to the area, believing them better than the local variety. In the end, a version that is a hybrid of the Chinese and Indian tea plants proved most successful in the terrain and climate of the Assam area. Today there are six hundred tea gardens in the region.

Always begin with cold water when brewing Assam tea, and bring it to a boil. While your water is heating, fill your teapot with hot water to warm it. Just as your water begins to boil, remove from the burner, empty the warm water from your teapot, and add 1 teaspoon of Assam tea leaves per cup of water, using a loosely-packed tea ball. Let your tea steep for three to five minutes, strain, and enjoy!