DARJINC

Darjinc is a lifestyle brand based in Darjeeling that sources Organic and Hand-made items from in and around Darjeeling like Tea, Classic Foods, Handicrafts, Apparel & Stationery. The company is a multi-field industry: it is not limited to the production of food but also other items like apparel, stationery, and handicrafts. It will consolidate the unique Darjeeling handicrafts artisans and also provide an online platform where these products can be sold thereby ensuring that the place’s unique heritage is not forgotten under growing globalization. Rather, it will participate in this global market, creating a niche for itself.

Understanding Tea: In an effort to understand what goes behind the making of the world famous Darjeeling Tea, I went to visit the tea factory in Tukvar. This one claims to be the very first Tea garden in Darjeeling and also was one of the first bagaans to cross the 10,000 per kilo barrier. Few interesting things learnt: the machines here were brought by the East India Company and the process of tea-making hasn't changed much since it started more than two hundred years ago. The British were clever - they divided the process of tea-making to separate chores and hired people to do only specific jobs, thereby ensuring that no one person has the knowledge of the full process. While at the factory, one of the supervisors - Mr Nayan Gurung - who also happens to be my uncle, showed me the correct way of brewing tea - yes, tea needs to be brewed, not boiled. He also explained to me the different kinds of tea the factory makes and how each process is different and how tea made from...