Icare Craigmore Tea

Icare Craigmore Tea

Icare Craigmore tea is grown and cultivated in these premium tea gardens in and around the Craigmore district of Tamil Nadu, Southern India and namely amongst the southern sections of the Western Ghats mountains at altitudes of between 1000m and 2500m. Southern India has very different climate conditions, soil types and geographical makeup than the classic Indian growing regions of Assam and Darjeeling, which give the Nilgiri tea such a unique set of flavours.

Craigmore tea is grown at extremely high altitudes in India's Blue Mountains. Though it may not be due to its growing conditions, this green tea is extremely fragrant and sweet.

Craigmore is a tea growing district situated in the southern part of India . Owing to its elevation of about 6000 feet above sea level the teas grown here are classified as high grown teas. The elevation, soil type and climatic condition of the region gives rise to a tea that has a unique balance of flavour and strength and is considered to be amongst the finest teas produced anywhere in the world.

Tea Board of India is implementing Quality Upgradation Programme for the benefit of small tea growers and manufacturers in Craigmore through UPASI-KVK. Since July 2000, small growers are benefited by getting good price for their quality leaves and for made tea; the sector has even attained a level of receiving awards like Tea Golden leaf India Award (TGLIA) and the women self help group operating in Tea receiving Prestigious Manimegalai award for Best women self Help group in Craigmore.

Over 40 Small Tea Growers' Societies have been established in the district through Tea Board UPASI KVK's Quality Upgradation Programme and these societies are functioning efficiently in the villages by helping the farmers get better price for their teas. These societies support the small growers on all technical aspects with regard to quality from field in collaboration with UPASI KVK and operate with financial assistance from Tea board.

The Societies have minimum of 50 growers to maximum of 250 growers who are members from the village. Societies render special services such as collection of green leaf / fine leaf; distributing critical inputs for timely cultural operations in the tea field, also support the growers for their financial requirement with the income generated by the Societies through fine leaf procurement and differential price paid by the factories. Societies largely contribute to socio economic development in the village, which in turn boost the economy of the district.

As a first step the project focused on improvement in field and the growers gradually changed their plucking practice to quality leaf plucking which is two leaf and bud. The factories also simultaneously moved towards procuring quality leaf from the growers and paid better price. The growers and manufacturers were trying to under the need of quality and how they would benefit from it. The factories on the manufacturing side were working on a more scientific method of manufacture to achieve / retain the quality achieved in the field.

Tea almost contains no calories, fat or sodium and is one of the highest sources of antioxidants of any food or beverage item. Apart from this tea also contains fluorides and flavanoids that are beneficial to ones health.

Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Black tea, Decaffeinated Black & Green Tea, the Green tea component in Jasmine Green tea, and Organic tea are derived from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis. Many brands use the word 'tea' loosely since 'tea' refers only to the dried leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis, and does not include infusions like Rooibos, Mate, Fruit and other herbal infusions. The term Red Tea, recently associated with Rooibos, for example refers to the herb from the South Africa shrub Rooibos (meaning Red Bush).

The traditional forms of tea are White Tea (see below for details), Green Tea (unfermented), Oolong Tea (partially fermented) and Black Tea (fully fermented). These offers the health benefits associated with tea whilst others such as Rooibos, Mate, fruit and other infusions usually do not, although they may have their own specific benefits.