Tea in Nepal: Between Everest and Darjeeling

"By focusing on craftsmanship, transparency and small-scale production, Nepal can carve out a place in the specialty tea segment. For consumers who want to know where their tea comes from and who made it, Nepal offers precisely that story."

In eastern Nepal, where the Himalaya dominates the landscape, tea gardens are scattered across steep slopes and green valleys. Here the tea plants find ideal conditions at high altitude (between 1,000 and 2,000 metres): cool nights, regular rainfall and fertile soil. Tea has been produced in Nepal since the second half of the nineteenth century, but only in recent decades has the sector begun to show its own face

A gift from China

The story begins around 1863, when the Chinese Emperor presented tea seeds to Jung Bahadur Rana, Nepal’s then prime minister. Colonel Gajaraj Singh Thapa, Rana’s son-in-law, saw during a trip to Darjeeling how tea brought prosperity to entire communities. Back in Nepal he planted the first tea bushes in Ilam, a district bordering Darjeeling. Thus arose the Ilam and Soktim Tea Estates, each about 52 hectares in size.

The timing was comparable to Darjeeling—both regions began around the same period. But where Darjeeling rapidly grew into a world-famous tea region, Nepal remained behind for more than a hundred years. Political unrest and economic constraints held the sector in a stranglehold. Only after the democratic movement of 1950 did room for development emerge.

Tea zones

In 1966 the government established the Nepal Tea Development Corporation to support the sector. The first processing factory arrived in 1978, in Ilam. Five districts were officially designated as tea zones: Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Dhankuta and Terhathum. They lie almost entirely in the eastern part of Nepal.

Yet production remained relatively small. Nepal today produces approximately 0.4% of global tea production: a fraction compared to neighbours India and China.

Ilam: neighbour to Darjeeling

Ilam is the best-known district. It borders Darjeeling and produces approximately 85% of Nepal’s orthodox tea. The altitude varies between 1,000 and 2,000 metres, the climate strongly resembles that of Darjeeling: misty, cool and humid. The soils are rich and the tea plants relatively young, producing vigorous, aromatic leaves.

Panchthar, Dhankuta and Terhathum are smaller, mountainous districts where orthodox tea grows on steep slopes. Recently Sindhupalchok, Kaski and other areas have also begun tea cultivation, often at high altitudes and with attention to organic production methods.

Bulk volume from Jhapa

Jhapa is a lower-lying area, in the plains of the Terai region. Here mainly CTC tea is produced for the large-scale market. Jhapa supplies approximately 75 to 80% of Nepal’s total tea production, but focuses primarily on volume rather than craftsmanship.

The contrast between the high-altitude orthodox tea gardens and the lowland CTC production creates a division in the sector. One seeks quality and origin, the other efficiency and scale.

Four flushes per year

Nepal has four plucking periods, or flushes, each with its own character and characteristics. The first flush begins in late March and runs until late April. The leaves are young and fragile, the infusion light yellow to green, the flavour delicate and floral. This is the most sought-after and expensive tea, because production is small and demand high.

The second flush runs from mid-May to late July. The leaves gain more strength and develop the full flavour that characterizes Nepalese tea: fruity, lightly malty, with notes of muscatel when conditions are right. The third flush falls in the monsoon season and delivers powerful, robust tea. The fourth flush, in autumn, gives softer, milder flavours.

Two processing methods

Approximately 85% of Nepal’s tea is processed using the CTC method: machines grind the leaves into smaller particles, for use in blends and tea bags. This tea is primarily intended for the domestic market and India.

The remaining 15% is orthodox tea, where the leaves are hand-plucked and rolled. This requires more time, skill and attention, but delivers a more refined and complex flavour profile. Orthodox tea from Nepal is often compared to Darjeeling: floral, fresh, with subtle fruity notes. The difference lies in the younger plants and the terroir, giving Nepalese tea its own character.

The specialty tea movement

In recent years the production of specialty tea has grown. Small producers and cooperatives invest in quality and organic cultivation. They make not only black tea, but also experiment with green, white and oolong varieties.

This movement is still in its infancy, but shows that Nepal wants to be more than the invisible supplier of bulk tea. Craftsmanship and origin are slowly but surely gaining a place in the sector.

Kanchanjangha: first organic garden

One of the most important names in Nepal’s tea history is Kanchanjangha Tea Estate, established in 1984 by Deepak Prakash Baskota. As a teenager he had visited Darjeeling and seen how tea supported entire communities. Back in his village of Phidim, in Panchthar district, he decided to do the same for his own people.

Without prior knowledge of tea cultivation he gathered seeds and advice, and started Nepal’s very first organically certified tea garden. The estate operates according to a cooperative model: farmers are not just workers, but co-owners. More than 70% of the staff are women. Families receive free housing, access to education and healthcare. Today the estate lies at the foot of Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain, at altitudes between 1,300 and 1,800 metres.

Nepal Tea Collective

The biggest problem in Nepal’s tea sector is visibility. More than 80% of production leaves the country without recognition. Foreign traders buy the tea cheaply, process it in their own factories and sell it under their own label—often as Darjeeling. Nepal’s tea thus disappears into anonymous blends or receives a prestigious Indian label, while the Nepalese farmer never sees the true value his product represents on the world market.

To break this cycle, Nishchal Banskota, son of Deepak Prakash, established Nepal Tea Collective in 2016. The mission is simple: bring tea directly from the garden to the consumer. No middlemen, no anonymity. Consumers know exactly where their tea comes from, and farmers receive a fairer share of the proceeds. Nepal Tea Collective now works with seven cooperative tea gardens in eastern Nepal and supports over 700 farmers.

Pressure on the sector

Despite initiatives like Nepal Tea Collective, challenges remain substantial. The sector is fragmented: many small producers struggle to obtain certifications, apply modern processing methods or gain access to international markets. Organic certification is expensive and time-consuming, even though the Nepalese government banned the use of pesticides in tea cultivation in 2005. Many farmers thus work organically, but without the official label.

Workers earn little and young people move away to cities or abroad. Infrastructure is limited and logistics complex. Climate change brings irregular rainfall and temperature fluctuations, affecting harvests. These problems make clear why transparency and direct trade relationships, like those of Nepal Tea Collective, are so important for the sector’s future.

Tea from Nepal in our collection

In the Tea Kulture collection you will find various teas from Nepal that show the character of the Himalaya. Kumari Gold is a black tea from Kanchanjangha Tea Estate, with hand-plucked leaf buds that acquire their characteristic golden colour during processing. The infusion has notes of caramel sugar, honey and cocoa, and won gold at the Toronto Tea Festival.

White Prakash is a white tea with a floral aroma of vanilla and honeysuckle. The gentle rolling technique releases essential oils that provide a delicate, sweet flavour. Ganesha Green is a green tea, named after the Hindu god of wisdom. The infusion has notes of citrus, tropical fruit and a light umami sweetness.

Future

The future of tea in Nepal depends on visibility and appreciation. The quality is already there—comparable to Darjeeling, sometimes even more refined due to the younger plants and pure mountain air. Only recognition is lacking.

Initiatives like Nepal Tea Collective and the growing group of organic, cooperative tea gardens show that change is possible. Nepal will never become a mass producer like India or China, but that is not necessary. By focusing on craftsmanship, transparency and small-scale production, the country can carve out a place in the specialty tea segment. For consumers who want to know where their tea comes from and who made it, Nepal offers precisely that story.