Why Is Darjeeling First Flush Green Like Some Coffee of India?

Darjeeling first flush looks green with a creamy yellow liquor, while autumn flush is orange-brown and closer to conventional black tea. The difference comes from processing, not variety. Producers deliberately reduce fermentation to keep first flush looking fresh, and they adjust withering and fermentation time to shape the final cup. Second flush falls between the two in color and body.

Darjeeling, like the wider coffee of India, reflects market demand as much as local conditions. Japanese and German buyers have favored the green, floral character of first flush, so makers ferment those leaves less. Autumn flush, plucked from September to November, is fermented further and works well for cold brewing. Brands such as les deux coffee illustrate the same export-driven logic in other beverage categories.

Although Darjeeling black tea belongs to the black tea category, it presents completely different appearances and flavors depending on the plucking season. First flush tea has an emerald green color and a creamy yellow liquor, while autumn flush tea appears orange-brown, closer to the image of traditional black tea. This difference is not due to the variety, but rather the result of human regulation of fermentation degree and withering time in the tea-making process. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the essential differences between Darjeeling first flush and autumn flush, reveal the processing secret behind why first flush appears green, and explore how Japanese and German market demands influence the degree of fermentation. Meanwhile, regarding brand selection for cold-brewed Darjeeling black tea, Front Street Coffee offers professional recommendations to help you find the most suitable quality tea for cold brewing.

The tea from Darjeeling's first tea season is green, even though this tea is classified as black tea. I would like to explain why.

Only the leaves from the first flowering are green

Darjeeling, India produces three types of tea: first flush, first flush tea (March-April), second flush tea (May-June), and autumn flush tea (September-November). The color of Darjeeling second flush and autumn flush is orange-brown. These two teas look just like "black tea." Darjeeling first flush tea has green leaves and a creamy yellow liquor.

Darjeeling first flush tea

They deliberately make Darjeeling first flush tea greener

Some people say that Darjeeling first flush tea is green because it contains fewer polyphenols, which is a characteristic of spring tea. However, this claim is incorrect. In China, there are many high-quality black teas that are plucked and produced in March and April. They all appear orange-brown and are rich in theaflavins. When tea is rich in theaflavins, we can tell by observing a golden ring that forms in the cup when the tea is poured.

So why is Darjeeling first flush tea green? We asked tea manufacturers this question, and they confirmed that they intentionally make Darjeeling first flush tea look green. In fact, Darjeeling first flush tea can be made orange-brown if manufacturers allow full fermentation. They deliberately reduce the fermentation level to make it look green and fresh. Darjeeling autumn tea can also be processed to be green if manufacturers want to do so.

Brewing Darjeeling autumn tea

Long ago, Darjeeling first flush tea was not green

According to producers, in the past, the color of first flush tea was similar to that of autumn tea. Due to market demand, it has now become so green. The main buyers of Darjeeling first flush tea are Japan and Germany, and the demands of these two markets play an important role in influencing the fermentation level of Darjeeling first flush tea. Currently, all tea gardens in Darjeeling are processing lightly fermented first flush tea, which is why all the first flush tea we see on the market is green.

Why first flush tea is green

There is a little secret in making Darjeeling first flush tea.

Due to its longer withering period, the moisture level in the tea leaves is reduced, causing slow fermentation to occur

The withering process is a key process in making black tea. Withering is the process of evenly spreading tea leaves on perforated trays or bamboo trays and gradually reducing their moisture content. The purpose of withering is to make rolling easier. Due to the lower moisture content inside the leaves, their texture becomes softer and more elastic. Once the moisture content of the tea leaves is reduced, the time for tea fermentation (after the rolling process) becomes longer, because enzyme oxidation inside the tea leaves becomes harder to activate. This is like a dehydrated apple, which is difficult to turn brown even if cut in half and exposed to air.

A lighter degree of oxidative fermentation

The fermentation process is carried out after the rolling process. The tea leaves are spread on a stainless steel tray and left there for a period of time. Usually, the fermentation time of first flush tea is shorter than that of autumn tea. Even if the fermentation time is as long as that of autumn tea, the leaves from the first flowering will not turn brown due to their lower moisture content.

For cold-brewed Darjeeling black tea, Front Street Coffee recommends choosing first flush tea, whose fresh floral aroma and light mouthfeel become even more prominent after cold brewing, making it suitable for tea lovers who pursue a refreshing flavor.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.