Aaladipattiyan — From Surandai to the World
Nilgiri Tea — Nilgiris Estates, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu
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Nilgiri Black Tea

Nilgiri Tea

Nilgiris EstatesNilgiris, Tamil Nadu

Bright, brisk and fragrant with the mist of the Blue Mountains, Nilgiri tea is the cup that South India reaches for at dawn — and the perfect companion to a square of karupatti sweet.

Source location

Nilgiris Estates

Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu · 11.40°N, 76.70°E

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The fragrant frontier of Indian tea

Planted along the steep contours of the Nilgiri range, these estates sit in near-constant cloud. The high elevation and clean air give Nilgiri leaf its signature briskness — a tea that is lively without being harsh, floral without being delicate.

Plucked by hand, two leaves and a bud

The finest gardens still pluck by hand, taking only the tender two-leaves-and-a-bud that carry the most aroma. The leaf is withered, rolled and fired the same day, locking in that bright, slightly fruity character the Nilgiris are loved for.

Why we tell its story

We do not yet bottle a tea — but no karupatti sweet is complete without one. The clean bitterness of a strong Nilgiri brew cuts through the richness of jaggery and ghee, resetting the palate between every bite. It is the other half of the experience.

When the cloud sits on the garden in the morning, that is when the leaf is sweetest to pluck.
Murugan, estate plucker, Nilgiris

A pairing, not a product — yet

No direct sweet carries Nilgiri tea — instead, brew a strong cup and enjoy it alongside our Tirunelveli Karupatti Halwa. The brisk tea cuts the richness and lets the jaggery sing.

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