Assam: India's Tea Capital with a Rich British Legacy

• Assam is known as the 'Tea Capital of India', producing over 50% of the country's total tea.
• The state boasts over 800 tea gardens, many established during the British colonial era.
• The Brahmaputra Valley's unique climate and fertile soil are ideal for cultivating strong, malty Assam tea.
• British officers discovered wild tea plants in Assam in the 1820s, transforming the region's economy.
• The British East India Company, after failed attempts with Chinese plants, utilized native Camellia sinensis var. assamica to establish the industry.

Why It Matters: Assam, India's tea capital, owes its world-renowned industry to British discovery and cultivation of native tea plants.