Introduction
Of all the teas grown in India — and India grows thousands — none commands the reverence, the anticipation, or the price of the Darjeeling First Flush. Harvested in the brief, electric weeks of March and April from the misty slopes of West Bengal's Himalayan foothills, first flush Darjeeling is known as the Champagne of Teas. It is the year's first picking, when the tea bush wakes from its winter dormancy and pushes out tender new leaves charged with stored energy, complexity, and a character so distinctive it has no parallel in the tea world.
This is not a recipe for masala chai. There is no milk here, no spices, no sweetener. This is a guide to one of the purest, most refined tea experiences available anywhere — a meditation in a teacup.
The Story
The Darjeeling tea gardens — Makaibari, Castleton, Jungpana, Goomtee, Thurbo, Margaret's Hope — sit at altitudes of 1,200 to over 2,000 metres above sea level in a sliver of West Bengal wedged between Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan. The unique terroir of these hills — volcanic soil, cool mist, dramatic altitude, and the particular character of Chinese-origin tea cultivars (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis) planted by colonial-era planters — creates tea that no other region on earth can replicate.
First flush is the most coveted harvest. The spring picking begins in late February when the first rains break the winter dormancy. Tea buyers from Germany, Japan, France, and the UK send representatives to Darjeeling to bid at auction before the season even fully opens. The best gardens produce only limited quantities, and the finest single-estate lots sell for thousands of rupees per hundred grams.
First flush Darjeeling has a signature character unlike any other tea: a bright, muscatel-edged aroma (named after the Muscat grape, whose fruity-floral scent it uncannily resembles), a clean astringency, a delicate golden-green liquor, and a finish that lingers on the palate with notes of fresh flowers, spring grass, and stone fruit. It is the tea equivalent of the first mango of summer — precise, seasonal, irreplaceable.
How to Make
The water temperature is everything. First flush Darjeeling is a lightly oxidised tea — much more delicate than Assam or second flush Darjeeling. Boiling water (100°C) will scorch it, releasing harsh tannins and destroying the floral aromatics that make it extraordinary. Heat your filtered water to 85–90°C. If you don't have a temperature-controlled kettle, bring water to a boil and then let it sit off the heat for 3–4 minutes.
Step 1 — Warm the vessel. Pour a small amount of hot water into your teapot or brewing vessel and swirl it around to warm the walls. Discard this water. A pre-warmed vessel maintains brewing temperature and produces a more consistent cup.
Step 2 — Measure the tea. Use 2 teaspoons (approximately 3–4 grams) of first flush leaves for 350 ml of water. First flush leaves are delicate and sometimes bulky — they include young leaf tips and buds. Do not compact them. Give them room to unfurl and breathe.
Step 3 — Steep. Pour the 85–90°C water gently over the tea leaves. Use a circular pouring motion to ensure all the leaves are immediately wetted. Steep for exactly 2.5 to 3 minutes. Do not steep longer — even 30 seconds of over-steeping turns first flush bitter and strips its floral delicacy. Set a timer.
Step 4 — Strain and pour. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into warmed cups. The liquor should be a clear golden-green to pale amber — luminous and translucent. If it is dark orange-brown, you have steeped too long.
Step 5 — Drink as is. Take the first sip without any accompaniment. Let the tea fill your mouth entirely. Notice the floral hit on the nose as you raise the cup. Feel the gentle, clean astringency on the mid-palate. Catch the muscatel lingering on the finish. This is Darjeeling speaking its own language — do not interrupt it with milk or sugar.
Tips & Variations
Sourcing matters enormously. Buy from reputable single-estate suppliers who display the garden name, harvest year, and flush on the packaging. Blended "Darjeeling" sold in ordinary tea bags is often not Darjeeling at all — regulations around the designation are incomplete. Seek out: Makaibari, Castleton, Jungpana, Goomtee, or Thurbo estates by name.
Storage: First flush teas are seasonal and oxidise with time. Store in an airtight, opaque container away from light, heat, and strong odours. Consume within 6–8 months of harvest for peak flavour. Unlike aged pu-erh, first flush does not improve with age.
Cold brew first flush: Place 3 teaspoons of first flush leaves in 400 ml of cold filtered water. Refrigerate for 6–8 hours. The resulting cold brew is extraordinarily delicate — almost like a floral tea eau de cologne. Drink it over a single ice cube in a small glass.
Food pairing: First flush Darjeeling pairs beautifully with light, delicate foods: shortbread, sandesh (Bengali milk sweets), cucumber sandwiches, soft goat cheese, or fresh fruit. Avoid pairing with strong, spiced, or oily foods which will overwhelm the tea's subtlety.
On milk: Serious Darjeeling drinkers drink it without milk. But if you must — and many people do — add only a small splash of cold, full-fat milk after pouring. Never let first flush steep in milk as you would Assam. The milk should barely blush the tea, not transform it.