Indian Tea Through Time: Past, Present, and Future

Discover the fascinating journey of Indian tea from its indigenous beginnings to its modern revival. We will explore the precolonial era, when migrating tribes from Yunnan brought tea to Northeast India, crafting wild teas like Khalap or Phalap, which were fermented in bamboo and smoked over hearth fires. With colonization came vast tea estates focused on producing black tea for British tastes, transforming the landscape and labor systems. Post independence, many estates shifted to absentee ownership, leading to mass produced low quality tea and ongoing labor exploitation. Today, a new wave of passionate small scale sustainable tea makers, many farming under five acres, are reclaiming tradition by crafting exquisite whole leaf teas and experimenting with oolongs, yellow teas, and more. Join us as we trace this vibrant evolution and celebrate the future of Indian tea.