![Tea plants, on the way to Berinag (3979559406)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Tea_plants%2C_on_the_way_to_Berinag_%283979559406%29.jpg)
Berinag Tea was a highly sought-after tea in London tea houses, As documented by
William McKay Aitken and famed
man of taste Laurie Baker
Lawrence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker (2 March 1917 – 1 April 2007) was a British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and designs that maximized space, ventilation and light and mainta ...
. Berinag Tea estate was bought from Kedar Dutt Pant by Thakur
Dan Singh Bist
Thakur Dan Singh Bisht (1906 – 10 September 1964) was a philanthropist from Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India.
At its height, his massive timber depots with attendant offices and bungalows for managers extended across the Himalayas from Lahore to ...
(also spelled "Bisht").
It was distributed by D.S. Bist & Sons, A company owned by
Thakur Dan Singh Bist who is a billionaire philanthropist in India. From the late 1900s till his death in 1964, Thakur
Dan Singh Bisht sought after the tea in China, India and London. However, after his death the tea estate was taken over by settlers and encroaches. The town of
Berinag
Berinag is a hill station, located 124 km from Pithoragarh city in the Pithoragarh district, which is the easternmost Himalayan district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the six Administrative Subdivisions (tehsil) of Pitho ...
became the tea estate. Berinag was home to one of the best tea gardens in the country until the late Thakur brother, Dan Singh Bisht died.
Berinag tea was made from the leaves of a wild plant which grows in many localities in the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
.
It was grown in the most eastern Himalayan district in the state of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
, India, but is now only grown in
Chaukori
Chaukori is a hill station in the Pithoragarh district set among the lofty peaks of the western Himalayan Range in the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand, India. To its north is Tibet and to its south is Terai. The Mahakali River, running along it ...
which is famous for its tea gardens established by the
Britishers
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...
. The trade name Berinag tea originates from a Chinese variety.
Laurie Baker
Lawrence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker (2 March 1917 – 1 April 2007) was a British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and designs that maximized space, ventilation and light and mainta ...
, the connoisseur, loved Berinag tea remembering it throughout his life.
Discovery by Berinag Tea Company
Berinag tea is a well-known brick-tea made of leaves compressed into a solid mass. It is very popular in Tibet, where the Daba Jongpen have a habit of passing it off as the Chinese article.
An expert committee was appointed in 1827 to investigate the possibility of the successful cultivation of tea in
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
. A tea estate was set up there during the 1950s. The manager of the Berinag tea company discovered the secret of manufacturing of Chinese brick tea, and his tea was considered to be far superior to the Chinese variety. In 1907, he disposed of about 54
quintals
The quintal or centner is a historical unit of mass in many countries which is usually defined as 100 base units, such as pounds or kilograms. It is a traditional unit of weight in France, Portugal, and Spain and their former colonies. It is co ...
of it but gradually the business declined, and by 1960 only a small tea garden had survived.
Brewing and serving
Along with the label 'Berinag Tea' on the packaging, there are instructions on how to achieve the best brew: "Allow one tea spoonful to each cup and proportionally to the pot and infuse for eight to ten minutes." Fresh milk can also be added for best results.
Unlike other kinds of tea, Berinag tea is low in color which accounts for the delay in infusion.
Label and packaging
In his book ''Footloose in the Himalaya'',
William McKay Aitken describes the label with an advertisement that states "Berenag Tea Revives You." At the top is the claim "Fresh From Garden" and below, the garden itself is depicted. Beneath tree snow peaks runs the long factory building mat
Chaukori
Chaukori is a hill station in the Pithoragarh district set among the lofty peaks of the western Himalayan Range in the Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand, India. To its north is Tibet and to its south is Terai. The Mahakali River, running along it ...
complete with a red tin roof. Picking the tea bushes are three ladies, all with black bobbed hair. The girl in the foreground looks convent-educated, and carries on her back the long narrow wicker basket peculiar to Kumaun. The girl's dress,
salwar kameez
Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by women, and in some regions by men, in South Asia, and Central Asia.
''Shalwars'' are trousers which are atypically wide at the wa ...
is more of a Chinese than Indian style, and sports a mandarin collar.
Additional information
During the
British rule in India
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
, land re-organization was carried out in 1823 and boundaries of villages were drawn. In those days, the British were not allowed to keep personal properties in
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
. Hence, they raised a demand to let them have private property. In 1827, Dr Royale requested to the government that the vast land of Kumaon, where there is no farming being done, should be given to Europeans for tea gardening. Accordingly, a tea committee was constituted in India in 1834. In 1837, the
British parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremacy ...
passed a bill allowing them to keep private property in India. Lord Baton, commissioner of Kumaon & Garhwal, issued orders that the hilltops with suitable climatic conditions may be given to British free of cost. This would allow them to stay there and carry out tea gardening, as people there found some tea plants growing naturally without any seeding.
Among all the gardens in Kumaon, the Berinag and Chaukori gardens were most popular for the quality and taste of the tea. Chaukori and Berinag gardens were later taken over by Thakur Dan Singh Bist. By chance, the manager of the Berinag Tea Company discovered the secret to manufacturing Chinese Brick Tea. His tea was admitted by unprejudiced Bhotia traders to be far superior to the Chinese article imported into Western Tibet via Lhasa.
Sadly the brand is forgotten except by an older generation. The accidental death of the magnate
Dan Singh Bist
Thakur Dan Singh Bisht (1906 – 10 September 1964) was a philanthropist from Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India.
At its height, his massive timber depots with attendant offices and bungalows for managers extended across the Himalayas from Lahore to ...
in 1964 left the brand without a successor, and seven young girls. As the estate was taken over by encroachment, becoming the town and the newly declared municipality of
Berinag
Berinag is a hill station, located 124 km from Pithoragarh city in the Pithoragarh district, which is the easternmost Himalayan district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the six Administrative Subdivisions (tehsil) of Pitho ...
. As
William McKay Aitken notes, 'Berinag tea was once highly sought after by London tea blenders.'
References
{{Indian beverages
Indian tea
Tea industry in Uttarakhand