Not everyone's cup of tea

Jungpana is a tea estate in Darjeeling and provides one of the finest flavours of the world for discerning tea drinkers. Considered to be vintage tea, it is drunk by tea connoisseurs and is hardly available in India. Its biggest market is UK and France. It is the favourite tea of Fortnum & Mason, which is known as the Queen's grocer and one of the bestsellers at France's historic gourmet tea brand, Mariage Freres. 

But the good news for us Indians is that this unique but expensive tea might soon be available in India. The best Jungpana will now be sold in India over-the-counter in loose tea form and tea bags, shortly. This tea is sold in Harrod’s at London for Rs.20,000/kg and it is likely that in India, it will be sold for Rs.5000/kg.

The Jungpana tea estate was first planted by a British in 1899,  after which it was taken over by Ranas of Nepal though it was later passed on to the present owners, Kejriwals. And why is it called Jungpana? A delightful story - Legend has it that many years ago a British hunter was roaming the Himalayas with his faithful gurkha Jung Bahadur by his side when they were attacked by a leopard. In trying to save his master Jung Bahadur was severely mauled before his master dispensed with the beast. Jung Bahadur was weak and thirsty and asked his master for ‘pana', or, water. He was carried to a nearby stream and given water to drink but died in his master’s arms soon thereafter. Ever since then, the area is known as Jungpana or where Jung Bahadur has his last drink of water. The tea estate planted there later carries the same name till today.

And to think that we enjoy our cup of cutting chai almost anywhere, with a dash of ginger or cardamom!