What is a flush in tea growing?

A seasonal picking of new leaves

What is first flush Darjeeling like?

Light and floral, picked in spring

Which tea plant variety is mostly grown in Darjeeling?

The China variety, Camellia sinensis var. sinensis

Darjeeling Tea Quiz: First Flush, Second Flush and Estates

Tea grows on steep Himalayan slopes in West Bengal, picked in seasonal waves called flushes, and this Darjeeling tea quiz explains why the region is called the champagne of teas. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on first and second flush, muscatel notes, India's first geographical indication, Robert Fortune, the China variety, famous estates and the Toy Train.

Start Darjeeling Tea Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

State
In which Indian state is Darjeeling?
Nickname
What nickname is often given to Darjeeling tea?
Flush
What is a flush in tea growing?
First
What is first flush Darjeeling like?
Second
Which flavor is second flush famous for?
GI
What did Darjeeling tea become in 2004?
Plant
Which tea plant variety is mostly grown in Darjeeling?
Fortune
Which Scottish botanist smuggled tea plants out of China in the 1840s?
Altitude
Roughly at what altitude do Darjeeling gardens grow?
Train
Which UNESCO-listed railway climbs to Darjeeling?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: In which Indian state is Darjeeling?
Answer: West Bengal
It lies in the Himalayan foothills.
Q2: What nickname is often given to Darjeeling tea?
Answer: The champagne of teas
Its delicate flavor commands high prices.
Q3: What is a flush in tea growing?
Answer: A seasonal picking of new leaves
Plants put out fresh growth in waves.
Q4: What is first flush Darjeeling like?
Answer: Light and floral, picked in spring
It is picked around March and April.
Q5: Which flavor is second flush famous for?
Answer: Muscatel, like grapes
It is picked in May and June.
Q6: What did Darjeeling tea become in 2004?
Answer: India's first product with a geographical indication
Only tea from the region can use the name.
Q7: Which tea plant variety is mostly grown in Darjeeling?
Answer: The China variety, Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
It suits the cool, high slopes.
Q8: Which Scottish botanist smuggled tea plants out of China in the 1840s?
Answer: Robert Fortune
His work helped establish tea in British India.
Q9: Roughly at what altitude do Darjeeling gardens grow?
Answer: From about 600 to 2,000 meters
Cool mountain air slows growth and concentrates flavor.
Q10: Which UNESCO-listed railway climbs to Darjeeling?
Answer: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
It is nicknamed the Toy Train.

Darjeeling Tea Quiz – The Champagne of Teas

Darjeeling tea grows on steep slopes in the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal, India, at altitudes from about 600 to 2,000 meters. Most gardens grow the China variety of the tea plant, which British planters introduced in the 1800s, helped by botanist Robert Fortune.

Leaves are picked in seasonal flushes. First flush, picked in spring, is light and floral, while second flush, picked in May and June, is prized for its muscatel flavor. Monsoon and autumn flushes follow.

In 2004 Darjeeling tea became India's first product with a geographical indication. Around 87 estates produce it, and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Toy Train, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What This Quiz Teaches

Tea lovers and travelers will enjoy these questions.

Where Darjeeling tea grows
What flushes are
How flavors differ
How the name is protected
How tea reached the region

Did You Know?

Darjeeling is usually drunk without milk.
Some estates were founded in the 1850s.
Kanchenjunga is visible from Darjeeling on clear days.
Hand-plucking keeps leaf quality high.
Darjeeling tea is often sold by estate and flush.