Cooch Behar – Mohurganj Tea Gardens

We met him ( Aditya Palch) on the flight and were invited to his tea garden for lunch. The lunch a sumptuous affair had us eating like we hadn’t seen food before, licking the bowls and fingers.
We had to catch a flight so we hurried through the Mohurganj tea gardens. 2600 acres and as many workers, with a high school and hospital on the premises. The protonaria legumes with the bright yellow flowers play an important role to shade the baby tea plants and to resurrect nutrients in the ground. The first flush in March to the Autumn flush, the tea leaves are whithered, smothered, cooled, heated, sieved before they are ready to be brewed into that healthy cuppa.
Cut, turn, curl, the blends are unique, flavours depending on the soil etc. The blue chip speciality of this estate are the flower tea, white tea, silver needles which are to be marketed soon. Watch out for this brand which is as real as it comes. Straight from the tea bushes to the tea pot. With no in betweens.
Thanks Mr Gupta for taking us on this learning tasting trip. And of course the estate owner Aditya Pal Chowdhury.
We are going back again for sure. We were told that many interesting bits of the estate we had missed due to lack of time.

PS The Mohurganj authentic teas are soon going to be sold through various outlets in Kolkata. Contact him directly or viavis.The regular CTC and the exotic floweer, silver needles etc. The whole lot