Autumn in India is a short season, the season of retreating monsoon, a pause before winter kicks in. As seasons go, autumn is near perfect with a pleasant nip in the air. Even as the sun gently shines on the Himalayan glaciers, it’s time for the autumn flush, the third harvest season for the year.
Autumnals from Darjeeling, as author Jeff Kohler puts it, have “quite the presence and no impatience”. The teas picked at this time are have a laced woody, almost musky, quality. They carry a subdued and understated refinement. While the world fusses over the spring and summer flushes, the autumn teas command their own following. They lend themselves to quiet reflection, paired perhaps with jazz or classical piano playing in the background, the scent of a well-worn armchair accentuating the mood… a great evening tea, smooth and easy to drink.
Late autumn brings fine selections from the Nilgiris, where the season’s only beginning to peak. The Nilgiris autumn teas with their heady mountain flavors and spicy accents offer a very accurate picture of whats in store when the weather turns the corner.
Illustrations by Handmade by Radhika
