What is a first flush tea?

First flush tea is one of the most sought-after and expensive teas . It is so exclusive that it is often hailed as the champagne of teas. But what exactly is a first flush tea and what is the reason behind its immense popularity? As one of the reputed green tea suppliers in India, we share with you some useful insights on the first flush tea:

1. What are tea flushes? Teas are often categorised by type, such as white, green or black. Next, many teas are defined by the region where they are grown, such as Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiris. Flush refers to the period when the tea leaves are picked. Each flush has its own taste. There are four flushes:

   • Spring first flush tea

   • Summer Second Flush

   • Monsoon Rain Flush

   • Autumnal Flush

     Here’s a useful guide on types of tea flushes.

2. What is spring first flush tea? First flush is defined as the very first plucking of a tea plant’s harvest season. It is done in the spring season. The first flush leaves are the youngest and tender. These leaves are said to make the freshest cup of tea. Each additional flush yields different flavour and aroma as the growing season for that tea plant progresses. For Darjeeling tea, the first flush season starts as early as February and lasts through April. The first flush for Assam tea starts in early March.

3. How does tea flush affect taste, colour and nutritional value?

   • Light and floral in flavour: As the leaves are tender and delicate, the first flush teas are incredibly rich in flavour. They have floral, fruity, grassy and earthy notes. They even have a slight sweet taste. On the other hand, second flush teas have a strong and full-bodied taste.

   • Golden colour: Tea connoisseurs hail the first flush for its light golden colour.  In contrast, second flush teas have bold amber tones.

   • Nutritional Value: The first flush teas have the highest nutritional value than all other flushes.

4. How to brew first flush tea? First flush teas are less oxidised as compared to other black teas. They should not be brewed in boiling hot water else the tea would be too astringent and bitter. The temperature of water should be less than 180 degree C. For extracting an optimum flavour, do not not soak the leaves for more than two to three minutes or as instructed on the tea packet.

5. Is spring first flush tea best for you? If you love delicate tea without milk, the spring first flush is ideal for you. If you love drinking tea with milk, stronger summer and monsoon flushes are ideal for you. If you prefer western brewing, autumn flushes are perfect for that. As they contain less caffeine, longer brewing will let you extract the best taste.

Buy premium quality spring first flush tea online at best prices

Buy the best quality spring first flush tea online from Jayshree Tea. We have Darjeeling and Assam First Flush. You can also buy summer second flush, monsoon rain flush and autumnal flush.

When you buy from us, you can choose tea on the basis of type, flush and region.