Darjeeling green, white teas get GI backing

Kolkata: Darjeeling green and white teas, whose price varies from Rs 3,000 -Rs 10,000 per kg, have received Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the domestic market, which will put to rest any doubt about their authenticity and quality.

Both these premium teas have been registered as a GI in the country with effect from October 24, 2019, which means that any teas sold as Darjeeling white and green teas in the domestic market without GI will not be considered authentic teas. “Darjeeling black tea is already registered as GI. Since the demand for Darjeeling white and green teas is increasing in the domestic market, we thought that these two varieties also be protected under GI. Accordingly, the Tea Board took steps to register these two varieties under GI,” Kaushik Basu, secretary, Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA), told ET.

The Tea Board is the registered proprietor of GI for Darjeeling tea. Geographical indications mean indications which identify a product as originating from the territory of a member, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

Darjeeling white tea has a unique aroma. While the leaves used for making black tea undergo withering and oxidation, those used for making white tea do not face any withering and oxidation. In other words, white tea undergoes minimum processing and the terminal buds with rich pubescence of tea shoots are merely dried in natural sunlight. This allows the buds to retain the covering of velvety silver colour.

Darjeeling white tea brews have a pale yellow/light translucent colour and has a slightly sweet flavour with no ‘grassy’ undertones sometimes associated with green tea.

Basu said white tea is a preferred choice among tea connoisseurs, both in India and abroad, and that is why these teas fetch premium prices. Darjeeling white tea has good demand in the US and European Union. The annual estimated production of Darjeeling white tea is one lakh kg.

The DTA secretary said that they have also initiated steps to register both Darjeeling white and green teas under Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for the world markets.

He further said that the demand for Darjeeling green tea is increasing because of its health values. “Apparently, Darjeeling green teas taste better than other green teas. Darjeeling green teas are less oxidised teas.”

The annual production of Darjeeling green tea is 1million kg. The 87 tea estates in Darjeeling hills annually produce 8.5 million kg of teas.

Industry observers feel that the GI registration will help to protect the authenticity of Darjeeling white and green teas. “But there needs to be a strong monitoring to see that GI is not misused by unscrupulous traders. Nepal tea has already affected Darjeeling tea trade a lot,” they said.