Division 5.2 Specificity of the product

Darjeeling tea is a tea of considerable renown, because its flavour is so unique that it cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. Grown in the mountainous region of Darjeeling, for more than 150 years, these tea bushes are nurtured by intermittent rainfall, sunshine and moisture laden mellow mists. The tea pluckers pick only the finest two leaves and the bud to maintain the particular flavour. Gifted with these natural elements, the simple fact that approximately only between 9 to 10 million kg of Darjeeling tea is produced annually by the Darjeeling district, has made it exclusive and desirable. It is a niche luxury product. Adherence to this high quality profile, results in extremely low yields. The Darjeeling producers make every effort to ensure the highest quality standards, in spite of the high costs involved. Tea plucking art of the succession generation of north has an artistic value. Human elements are present in several steps of the production of tea (as explained above).

The Darjeeling tea is processed in the traditional orthodox method only, where human effort and traditional skill/knowledge is involved in every stage.