After receiving an email from the tea dealers Nathmulls in the town of Darjeeling for an offer of the latest summer harvest of F.T.G.F.O.P. Castleton tea, I made a join order of two kilos for my te-addicted colleagues in the maths department in Dauphine, delivery that I found in my office this morning. Truly terrific tea, at about a fifth of the price asked by the major tea chain in Paris!
While in India, I took the opportunity to buy Darjeeling tea in large quantities (15 boxes!) as teas from a wide variety of gardens and types were available, including my favourite, Muscatel. Some of which are for family and friends. We also drove through huge tea gardens on our way back to Bagdogra airport, with new buds already growing on the tea bushes. (The pictures below are taken from the Long View tea estate.)
My student Antoine brought me a bag of Darjeeling Sungma “Muscatel” from Le Palais des Thés and it is beyond any Darjeeling I have drink so far! It is woody, almost smoky, with a very rich round flavour. Superlative!
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