TEMI

Temi is Sikkim’s oldest tea estate. The credit for it goes to the last prince of Sikkim, Palden Dhondup Namgyal, who decided to plant tea in the kingdom. He sought the assistance of Teddy Young, a British planter who lived and died in Darjeeling. This was in 1969, when Sikkim was still a protected independent kingdom. Teddy, now remembered in Darjeeling as the last of the British sahibs, accepted the assignment and spent nine years planting what is now famous as the Temi estate.

The drive to Temi includes a long stunningly pleasant drive along the Teesta River. There is that inevitable stop for tea at a roadside shack before driving uphill to the gardens. On the journey, the Himalayas loom across the landscape, imposing

and humbling.

Temi has been planted with clonal bushes, known for their exceptional flavours. The gardens are nearly half a century old, and now yielding a tea that’s as good as a Darjeeling.

All tea is produced from the same plant. What sets one apart from the other tells the story of how the tea leaves are treated, the microclimatic conditions – Sikkim and Darjeeling are geographically close and yet their teas are unlikely to taste the same. This summer, we enjoyed a muscatel – which is the Darjeeling summer speciality – produced by Temi, and it was exceptionally good. Temi Summer Muscatel Black Tea costs ` 9,300 for a kilo.