Lounge
The teas of Sikkim
Summary
Sampling Bermiok's spring and summer black teas and an oolong
Nikhil Pradhan was roasting coffee when I called him last winter. Pradhan and his wife Dolka Densapa run Bermiok, a tea estate and coffee farm in Sikkim. The tea garden was closed for the season but it was harvest time for coffee. Their arabica coffee is entirely consumed within Sikkim. Their teas, however, do travel out of the state. And this week, I sat down to taste three of their 2024 teas.
Bermiok is one of two tea factories in Sikkim, the other being the state-owned Temi Tea. “The late Bermiok Rinpoche is my wife’s father," explained Pradhan. “Though he was identified as a Buddhist reincarnate of a lama at a young age, he chose to be a layman. He went on to become a Buddhist scholar and also served the government of Sikkim as a secretary in various departments." Tashi Densapa, or Bermiok Rinpoche as he was known, spent his life serving his community and for years helmed the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. In 1999, says Pradhan, when landowners were selling unused agricultural land to the state for various projects or commercial construction, the Rinpoche chose to use his land to benefit the people without adversely impacting the environment. Tea was chosen as tea cultivation was being encouraged by the Tea Board of India at the time. The Rinpoche’s vision was an environmentally conscientious enterprise that empowers women and makes a remote hamlet known internationally, said Pradhan. They adopted biodynamic farming practices and as it turned out, the state itself decided to go completely organic in 2003. Tea is planted on about 10 acres. In 2008, they set up a micro-factory to make orthodox and artisanal tea.
Supporting them are veteran tea experts from the region and it shows in the tea. By 2015, their teas were in demand abroad and even today, are quickly picked up by boutique retailers outside India.
Also read: How to pick the right tea
I sampled their spring and summer black teas and an oolong. All the teas came with beautifully rolled leaves. The spring black was made with a light touch, with the wet leaves still green. Its flavours remind me of the mountains. The summer black tea wowed me, a golden red cup with a sweet woodiness. It’s their signature tea, made when spring gives way to summer, a short, short window of 10-12 days.
The oolong was a happy surprise, a golden yellow liquor that’s smooth and complex. Susmit Pratik, who runs the tea brand Ketlee, chooses these teas to age because “even after six-plus years from harvest, they retain the original vibrancy with some additional dark notes associated with ageing". Bermiok added oolong styles in 2017, choosing to make it in the Chinese and Taiwanese traditions.
Bermiok is a great model of boutique tea farms in India, which are managed well and produce top-notch teas. Their tea is available at Ketlee and TeaCupsFull. If you are visiting Gangtok, you can visit their new store and café, Craft Theory Collective.
Tea Nanny is a fortnightly series on the world of tea. Aravinda Anantharaman is a tea drinker, writer and editor. She posts @AravindaAnanth1.
Also read: The wild foods of Maharashtra
