Assamese soil is rich in nutrients too, feeding golden rice paddies and lush tea gardens alike.
Here, the summers are mild, about 35-38 degrees, but the temperature plummets down to 6-8 degrees in the winter months. As a result, the tea plant goes into dormancy. This lends Assam significant seasonal variation. India categorises its tea according to seasons, or ‘flushes’.
In the UK, we’re probably most familiar with Second Flush Assam. Plucked around June, this flush gives the tea a chance to develop, before the monsoon season comes and washes away some of its beautiful flavours.