Tea Lore: India and Prince Dharma
India is home to many of our favorite black teas and oolong teas, so we thought you might enjoy this legend of Prince Dharma. Tea legends are multi-faceted and span many countries. The vast country of India gives us the fabled Darjeeling and bold Assam teas, as well as a few tea legends.
An Indian legend tells of how a Buddhist monk Prince Bodhi-Dharma experienced divine grace through tea. He set out on a long journey to share the teachings of Buddha in China, and vowed not to sleep during the nine years of his journey.
Towards the end of the third year of his journey, he became extremely sleepy. He almost fell asleep, but just before he dozed off he picked a few leaves from a wild tea plant and quickly put them in his mouth to keep himself awake. As he chewed, he began to experience the energizing effects of the tea leaves.
Prince Dharma felt much more alert, and thanks to the tea leaves he discovered, he found strength to continue the six remaining years of his journey!
Try these Energizing Indian Black Teas
While we wouldn’t recommend you try to stay awake for nine years, you will certainly feel the energizing effects of these exquisite black teas. For a further glimpse into this legend, try these teas from India:
Organic Nilgiri Black Tea
Is black tea your favorite? You’ll love the refreshing and crisp flavors of this deep red infusion. The taste is direct and invigorating with subtle hints of cardamom and new growth forest.
Pair this brisk black tea with buttery, toasted English muffins, buttermilk biscuits and jam, shortbread cookies or a bagel with organic cream cheese.
Mokalbari Estate Assam Black Tea
Our single-estate Assam tea delivers a deep, bittersweet, malt-heavy aroma and flavor, balanced with hints of spice and fruit.
Join hearty Assam with robust breakfasts and rich afternoon tea goodies. For dessert, pair with crème brulee.
Organic Sungma Estate Darjeeling Black Tea
Clean and bright flavors are key in this organic Darjeeling tea. Sweet notes of fresh-cut wildflowers, white grapes and just-ripe nectarines are gently balanced with an herbaceous, woodsy character.
Team up a piping hot cup of Darjeeling with light goodies, such as meringues, angel food cake, toast with jam or a fruit salad.
Continue to explore and experience tea – its lore, pairings, and more with our Tea 101 Page.
