Rohini (RTE-21) Rare Spring Green – Master Series

This special and rare Darjeeling Green Tea is from the Rohini Tea Estate, one of the youngest tea gardens in Darjeeling. It is made during the spring season from special Japanese bushes that have less tannin content in them. The bushes are covered with thick natural shades which help the leaves retain chlorophyll and give them a unique taste. After careful plucking, the whole tea leaves are allowed to rest so that they develop some flavors. This is followed by steaming, drying and lightly rolling the tea.

The whole tea leaves appear dark green in colour and contain several buds. The tea brews into a bright green cup which is rich and smooth on the palate with no astringency. It has vegetal and umami flavors with a hint of pine and a lingering aftertaste.

For many years there were four basic taste groups i.e. sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. ‘Umami’, or the fifth taste, has been a recent discovery. Umami is a Japanese word that means “pleasant savoury taste”. It is a very common flavor and we’ve all tasted it without really noticing it. Some of our foods that have this umami taste are tomatoes, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce and parmesan cheese.