The Western Ghats advantage
South India's tea country runs along the Western Ghats, a mountain chain older than the Himalayas, where altitude, mist and two monsoons a year create near-ideal growing conditions. Unlike the seasonal gardens of the north, these estates pluck almost year-round, giving buyers a continuity of supply that is rare in tea.
The region's teas are exported under the watch of the Tea Board of India, whose region-wise export statistics track South India as a distinct and growing origin.
Nilgiri — the fragrant one
Nilgiri teas, from the 'Blue Mountains' of Tamil Nadu, are prized for their bright, brisk, intensely fragrant character. The best frost teas, plucked in the cold December–January nights, carry an almost floral sharpness that blenders use to lift a blend's aroma.
Nilgiri is also one of the most flexible origins: it produces orthodox, CTC and green teas, and its teas take flavouring well, which is why so much of the world's flavoured tea starts life here.
Munnar — tea at the clouds' edge
Munnar, in Kerala's Idukki district, grows tea at some of the highest elevations in South India. The gardens produce a full-bodied, golden liquor with a distinctive maltiness, and the region's legacy estates are among the most photographed tea landscapes on earth.
High elevation means slower growth and concentrated flavour — the same logic that makes high-grown Ceylon and Kenyan teas so sought after.
Wayanad — the quiet achiever
Wayanad, further north in Kerala, is a smaller producer but a consistent one, known for sturdy CTC teas that form the base of strong everyday blends. Its estates sit amid some of the richest biodiversity in India, and several have moved early into sustainable certification.
For our catalogue, South India supplies the fragrant high-grown leaf that balances the strength of African CTC — a pairing at the heart of many of our blends.
Sourcing teas from India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Burundi?
Enquire via Gmail