The legend suggests that the tea leaves fell into the boiling hot water while the water was about to be served to a Chinese Emperor. The Emperor decided to drink the mix of hot water and leaves, which became world-famous as tea.
By 1606, tea was being shipped from China to Holland and the rest of Europe. Nepal a neighboring country of China did not develop an appetite for tea for a very long time.
Local stories even in the 1960s reveal that Indians who migrated to Kathmandu found tea as a rare commodity while drinking tea was much more common in India.
The history of tea in Nepal is not linked to British interference in South Asia but to the neighborly relationship between Nepal and the Chinese Emperor. The first tea seeds came as a gift from the Chinese Emperor to Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal.
This led to the creation of the Ilam Tea Estate in 1863. It took more than a century to establish a second tea state Soktim Tea Estate in Jhapa. This also reveals that Nepal originally was not much of a tea drinker.
However, as roads started connecting various parts of Nepal and people’s purchasing power as well as commodities such as tea became abundant- Nepal became a country of tea drinkers.
In Nepal, there are 28,700 hectares of land that produce 6,097 tonnes of orthodox tea in the hills as well as 19,108 tonnes of crush-tar-curl (CTC) tea (which is strong and bright) in the lowland of Terai.
Traditionally, due to a lack of government support; Nepali farmers sold tea below the market value and this tea was rebranded as premium Darjeeling tea, a Hilly region of India that has deep historical relations with Nepal.
In September 2020, Nepal got its trademark for tea. Nepal needed 157 years to get the trademark since the first tea plantation was established in Nepal.
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development distributed trademark certificates based on Nepal Orthodox Tea Certification Trademark Directive 2018 to 12 tea factories and cooperatives in Fikkal, Ilam. Trademarks protect the loss of reputation and increase its value.
Nepali Orthodox tea is gaining popularity for its quality, aroma, taste, and aftertaste. 42 factories had applied for trademarks but only 12 qualified and out of these twelve 9 are in Ilam.
There has been a fall in the export of Nepali tea because of the rise in domestic consumption.
Nepal has also started participating in tea auctions. The National Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB) conducted a tasting ceremony in April 2023 and sold tea in an auction, An American bought five kg of orthodox tea for Rs. 50,000 at auction, this was a large sum for Nepali farmers, who weren’t paid fairly.
Tea has also been helping Nepal in its overall development as Nepal, has a high potential for tea tourism. This form of tourism connects all senses of humans. There are serene views, the fresh smell of fresh tea gardens, and the cool breeze of Illam which gets connected with the taste of world-famous tea.
Kanyam Tea Garden is the most visited tea garden in Nepal. As it gives a panoramic view of Mt. Kanchenjunga and the breathtaking landscape of Kanyam. The viewers can enjoy photography, hiking, and horse riding with the stunning view of Mount Kanchenjunga.
Tea tourism has the culture of tea tasting, sightseeing, tea leaf picking, tea shopping, etc. Nepali tea is something international filmmakers can try when they visit Nepal.
Kripendra Amatya
Dana Moyal Kolevzon, Director of International Relations, Nepa~laya Productions
October 4, 2024