Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
Which do you prefer and why?
Last edited by whiteroses on Nov 25th, '09, 09:23, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
Darjeeling by far. I used to be quite fond of Assam but I rarely drink it now, I really love Darjeeling.
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
Assam by far, can't put my finger on why though. It's a taste thing!
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
You should have made this a poll .
I haven't really ventured from adagio with black teas yet and I've only had 2nd flush darjeelings and assams (really want to try some 1st flushes) but from my experiences I prefer darjeelings. Can't really tell you why except that I like the flavor more. So far my favorite is the darjeeling #2 which is from the Gopaldhara estate.
I haven't really ventured from adagio with black teas yet and I've only had 2nd flush darjeelings and assams (really want to try some 1st flushes) but from my experiences I prefer darjeelings. Can't really tell you why except that I like the flavor more. So far my favorite is the darjeeling #2 which is from the Gopaldhara estate.
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
Thanks, Intuit; I'll take your word for the chemistry, but that's fascinating. In theory I much prefer Darjeeling, but ironically in practice the only south Asian teas I drink these days are Assams. Go figure. I used to drink gallons of Darjeeling, across the range of oxidation levels, but somewhere along the way east Asian greens and oolongs took over almost exclusively. However, the rest of the family prefers heartier stuff, so when I have a breakfast cup with my wife on weekends it's invariably Assam of some sort. Which leaves Darjeeling out of the mix entirely these days. No doubt the wheel will turn again at some point.
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
Both! Assam in the morning when I need something strong and bold to wake up. Darjeeling after dinner when I can relax and enjoy all the complexities.
Nov 25th, '09, 22:59
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
Ask a dozen people, get a dozen answers. This is just my own opinion, totally disregarding chemistry and science, because this question is really all about what we like.
Darjeeling, without a doubt. Why? Because it tastes better. Nothing else really matters, ehh? I say try everything, and then try everything again! Such is the joy of the variety of tea.
Sarah
Darjeeling, without a doubt. Why? Because it tastes better. Nothing else really matters, ehh? I say try everything, and then try everything again! Such is the joy of the variety of tea.
Sarah
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
I liked Assam at first, but in the last few months it has been really bothering my stomach. I can't even drink what used to be my favorite Irish Breakfast. So, I much prefer Darjeelings now if I have to choose between the two. My most favorite blacks are from the Nilgiri region.
Nov 26th, '09, 18:04
Posts: 1483
Joined: Mar 19th, '06, 12:42
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: On the couch
Contact:
Proinsias
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
I prefer Darjeeling but then I've had far more quality Darjeeling than I've had Assam.
With the availability of so much different Darjeeling tea - white, green, oolong etc it more often fits my mood than Assam.
And I've got a pot dedicated to Darjeeling, Assam doesn't have this distinction in my house.
With the availability of so much different Darjeeling tea - white, green, oolong etc it more often fits my mood than Assam.
And I've got a pot dedicated to Darjeeling, Assam doesn't have this distinction in my house.
Nov 27th, '09, 11:05
Posts: 51
Joined: Apr 20th, '09, 17:32
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Contact:
virago_ns
Re: Darjeeling Tea or Assam Tea?
Just based on taste, I'm not sure what I'd prefer, I've had much less experience with Assams and I'm sure some are really great. But the problem with Assams and blacks in general (excluding darjeelings) is that they're more irritating to the stomack in my experience and I'd need to add milk or food to compensate, which is something I often don't want to do ("I'll just take my tea, please!"), other than that, blacks also have a stronger and "jittier" stimulant effect than Darj's.