Did you know? Assam Tea

Assam Leaf or Assam Tea, is a black tea named after the region ‘Assam’ which borders between Burma and Bangladesh, in India.
Aside from being the worlds largest tea growing region,
Assam Tea is grown at or near sea level, and yields a full bodied, malty flavor contributed by the the rich clay soil of the area is it known to grow in.

Generally, Assam Tea is used in blends of black tea and is the foundation for most ‘Breakfast’ teas, such as English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey, for an example.

Extracted from Wikipedia:
Assam experiences high precipitation; during the monsoon period, as much as 10 to 12 inches (250-300 mm) of rain per day. The daytime temperature rises to about 103F (40 °C), creating greenhouse-like conditions of extreme humidity and heat. This tropical climate contributes to Assam’s unique malty taste.

Assam tea is generally harvested twice, in a “first flush” and a “second flush.” The first flush is picked during late March. The second flush, harvested later, is the more prized “tippy tea,” named thus for the gold tips that appear on the leaves. This second flush, tippy tea, is sweeter and more full-bodied and is generally considered superior to the first flush tea. The leaves of the Assam tea bush are dark green and glossy and fairly wide compared to those of the Chinese tea plant. The bush produces delicate white blossoms.