Assam tea is basically black in color, which is produced in Assam in the highest quantity as compared to other states of India. The color of this tea is thicker and its fragrance and taste are both wonderful. History of Tea in Assam
Assam is the largest producer of tea in southern Asian countries after China. The scientific name of the plant is ‘Camellia Sinensis’. The world’s first and largest tea research center in Asia (Toklai Tea Research Center) is located in Toklai, Jorhat in Assam.
History of tea in Assam
Tea was discovered in Assam in 1823 by Robert Bruce, a Scottish explorer. He was also assisted by Maniram Dewan (the first tea farmer of Assam) in this work. Thus began the cultivation of tea in Assam under the leadership of Robert Bruce.
Tea cultivation was first introduced in China. After China, tea cultivation began to be introduced gradually in many countries of the world such as India, Sri Lanka, Japan, etc.
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Tea Gardens in Assam
In 1839, the East India Company introduced tea cultivation in Assam for the first time. After this, tea cultivation in other states of India also started slowly. The first tea garden of Assam is the Chabua tea garden. Maniram Devan was the first tea farmer in Assam. He established two tea gardens in Assam in 1853 – the first Chinamara tea garden and the second Cheleng tea garden. Due to both these tea gardens, Maniram Devan is known as a famous tea cultivator.
We have many small and big tea gardens in Assam. As of 2001, we have about two and a half thousand tea gardens in Assam. Most of the tea gardens are located in Upper Assam.
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Benefits of Drinking Tea
Generally people drink tea to bring freshness to the body and mind. Along with this, there are many reasons why people drink tea. According to scientists, drinking tea is less likely to cause lung disease, cancer, cholera, typhoid etc.
Most of the people of India drink tea and it is very much in demand in the world. Countries that do not have tea, they import it from other countries. Assam has the most tea in the world because the soil here is very useful for tea cultivation. Assam tea has a distinct identity in the world market. It is said that it was due to tea that the British arranged to run the train in Assam in 1885 for the first time.
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