Assam
정의
India's largest tea-producing region in the Brahmaputra River valley, known for strong, malty, full-bodied black tea made from the indigenous Camellia sinensis var. assamica. Assam forms the backbone of most breakfast tea blends.
상세 정보
Assam's vast tea belt stretches across 312,000 hectares in India's northeast, making it the world's single largest contiguous tea-growing region. The warm, humid subtropical climate with abundant monsoon rainfall creates ideal conditions for the indigenous large-leaf assamica varietal, which thrives at low elevations (45-120 meters) — unlike the high-grown sinensis varietal of Darjeeling. Assam tea is characterized by its bold, brisk, malty flavor with a deep coppery-red liquor that stands up well to milk and sugar, making it the base of English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, and East Frisian blends. Both orthodox and CTC processing methods are used, with CTC dominating commercial production. The second flush (May-June) produces the highest quality Assam, known as tippy golden Assam. Notable estates include Halmari, Mangalam, and Mokalbari, recognized for their premium orthodox Assam teas.