While it is categorized as "black tea" one of the unique features of Darjeeling is that it actually ranges from green to oolong to black in every batch. During the oxidation process (the level of oxidation tea undergoes is one of the key differences between green, oolong and black teas) Darjeeling tea is infrequently raked or mixed. This means that some parts of the tea are not exposed to as much air as others, leaving these less oxidized parts closer to the green end of the spectrum. Looking at loose Darjeeling, one can see this mix of color shades in the leaves.

The mixed nature of Darjeeling leads to complex nutty and "muscatel" flavors not ordinarily found in black teas. Perhaps one of the reasons that Darjeeling is known as the the "Champagne of teas."

All tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. How the leaves of the plant are processed and their level of contact with oxygen determines the type of tea. The more processing the leaves go through, the darker the leaves become, resulting in a distinctive color and taste characteristic. There are four main varietals of tea: black, green, white, and oolong. Tea contains substances called flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidant polyphenols. Antioxidant polyphenols help protect the body's cells from damage due to harmful molecules called free radicals.  Regardless of the processing method, black, green, white and oolong teas all contain polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables in the ORAC score, a score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods. Black tea is a varietal of tea that has been cultivated for centuries. It is more oxidized than the green, oolong and white varieties. During processing, the leaves are heavily oxidized and fermented Our black tea is made from fresh leaves, hand processed under high humidity to promote carefully crafted oxidation, and then oven-fired which turns the leaves a dark, coppery color to yield a superior complex and authoritative flavor. It has higher caffeine content and is stronger in flavor than the other tea varietals.

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