Where's The Best Tea In The World?

Best Tea In The World

The tea plant can only be found in a few countries in the world, China, India, Tibet, and Japan. However, it is drunk throughout the world, and it is estimated that every day around 2 billion people drink tea! As you can imagine, there are various annual competitions that try to find the best tea in the world. The Global Tea Championship of 2018 saw a plethora of entries from all over the world. This article discusses three of the winners.

Best Tea In The World

Khongea Assam Silver Needles

The Indian company, Glenburn Tea Direct, received a gold award in the Unique Open Class of the competition for their Khongea Assam Silber Needles tea. Glenburn resides in the Himalayas in northern India and is owned by the Prakash family who has two estates, one for Assam tea, the other for Darjeeling, (or Khongeaand Glenburn). Silver Needles is produced on the Khongea Assam estate.

Khongea Assam Silver Needles

Tea is harvested between March and November and interestingly, depending on the time of year it is picked the taste will be different. It is never the same. Tea can be ordered online, but it is also possible to pick it up yourself by visiting and staying on the other estate, the Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling in one of its bungalows or lodge. Remember if you are visiting India you will need to get an India e-visa, read more about the Procedure for obtaining visa.

Where to Stay

The obvious answer to this is to stay on the Glenburn Tea estate itself. There are a few options. There is the Burra Bungalow which is set in the forest with rivers running close by. The Water Lily Bungalow is on a hill right in front of the Burra Bungalow. The views of Darjeeling from both are stunning and the Kanchenjunga Range can also be seen from the guest rooms.

For an overnight visit, the Glenburn Lodge and campsite are a must. They offer a more rural experience, however, there is no hot water; this is provided on request and arrives in buckets. Dinner can be provided beside the river and it is also possible to take a swim if the visitor is so inclined.

Glenburn will soon be opening a new property in Kolkata called the “The Penthouse” and this will undoubtedly be worth a visit.

Things to Do

On the estate, it is possible to see tea production take place. Guests can take part in the Tea Experience which is made up of a short walk (or drive) of about a mile followed by an audio tour of the history of the estate and about how tea is grown

Hiking and fishing are also possible around the rivers. A large amount of wildlife the visitor will encounter includes beautifully colored butterflies, peacocks, and hornbills.

Fresh Fusion

This is produced by Old Village Puer Pte. Ltd., (OVP), which is based in Singapore. “Fresh Fusion” received a bronze award in the Unique Open Class. It is possible to buy Fresh Fusion and other teas online and the online site boasts that all products are 100% free from pesticides, preservatives, and artificial flavorings. Also, if the tea bag remains unopened, it will not expire. The leaves are 100% natural. The tea bags are biodegradable.

Fresh Fusion

Things to Do

OVP run a workshop, The OVP Tea Appreciation Workshop. OVP is a PuEr tea specialist with expertise in the teas from the famous PuEr mountains. Puer tea is a fermented tea from the Yunnan province in China. In the Elementary Workshop, the OVP Tea Masters show the visitor the different types of tea, how to brew the best cup, its health benefits, and how to judge a good cup. There are also 2 other workshops, an Intermediate and an Advanced. OVP will also organize events for any company aimed at the health of the employee.

Places to Eat and Drink

The Origin Grill is about 4 miles away and has been ranked no 1 out of all restaurants in Singapore by TripAdvisor. Travelers have given it an overall 5.0 mark. The wagyu is apparently fantastic according to some reviews.

For a closer restaurant, The Old Airport Road Food Centre comes in at no 2 in Geylang in TripAdvisor, but 104 out of the whole of Singapore. It has a traveler mark of 4.5. The quality and value for money are cited as some of the reasons for its rating with the prawn noodles and rojak getting good reviews from travelers.

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea Golden Tip

This tea is made by TeaVivre, meaning “Tea for Life”, located in China. This received a silver award in the Yunnan category. The headquarters are in Deyang China.

Things to Do

TeaVivre positively encourages visitors to their Organic Tea Garden in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, in the Tianmu Mountains. The vast area covered with tea plants is a wonder to behold with lush green hills that seem to go on forever. An amazing fact considering this was once forest. The garden has passed organic certifications for EU, USDA, and JAS. It took 3 years to get the organic certifications and is the first area in China to achieve this.

Another interesting trip visitors can take part in is a private tour in Hangzhou, the “Full-Day Tea Culture Tour” which starts from Shanghai. This takes 6 hours and includes a boat trip, a visit to the China National Tea Museum, and then the Imperial Tea Bushes famous for their Longjing tea. There is lunch then a session where the visitor is taught how tea is made. After this, there is time for some shopping.

Places to Eat and Drink

No 1 in TripAdvisor is the Lanting Chinese Restaurant on the Wangjiang East Road, and this has been given a 5.0 rating by travelers. The food is fine dining and the reviews say that it is lovely and beautifully prepared.

Where to Stay

No 1 in TripAdvisor out of the whole area is the Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hangzhou. It has a Certificate of Excellence and A Travellers’ Choice 2018 Winner from TripAdvisor. Close to West Lake and Hangzhou Tower, it is in an ideal location. No 2 is the Banyan Tree Hangzhou which looks incredible from the tourist photos. It is rated at 4.5 with a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.