Having a freshly brewed cup of tea at the bedside is the best way to start a day! You will definitely like to wake up to the aroma of the steaming golden brown liquor. It’s a true treat! Isn’t it? As this stimulant hit your nerves and the rich flavor enter your blood, you feel rejuvenated and energized in not time.

Do you know what you are drinking?

But, before sipping your favorite beverage, do you always know which harvest are you drinking? Just to give you an intro, dark color strong brews are obtained from tea leaves of second flush and light color with an astringent flavor brews are obtained from first flush leaves. This is not the end of the discussion.

What are flushes? What are the differences of teas from different flushes? Many such questions have to be answered to give you a clear idea.

What do you mean by flush?

Flush refers to the harvesting season or the right time to pluck tea leaves. According to this time of harvest, there are generally three flushes – First flush, Second and Third. Here we will talk of two harvests.

First Flush

This first harvest usually takes place from February till April at the time of spring. Tea leaves of this season do not need oxidation at the time of processing. After drying, they are made ready for marketing. These leaves are small in size and are of greenish color. They produce light delicate liquor with floral astringent flavor. First flush leaves are perfect for tea lovers who don’t like strong tea.

Best Way to Relish First Flush

When using the leaves of first flush, you should boil water below 1800 C. Tea connoisseurs suggest that to get optimum flavor of the leaves of this flush, brew them in water after removing it from boil. You should not soak the tea leaves for over 2, 3 minutes.

Second Flush

From early summer throughout the monsoon is the time for second flush. These leaves absorb maximum rain water and mature throughout the monsoon. As a result, they get produce rich color and muscatel flavor when brewed. Second flush tea leaves are dark color and more they mature, stronger is their aroma. These leaves are the best if you want to enjoy strong liquor.

Ideal Way to Enjoy Second Flush

If you are using second flush leaves, brew them for 5 to 6 minutes. As they have strong taste, you can add a small sugar cube to the liquor or a few drop of honey to complement the bitterness. The taste also gets enhanced.

Thus, know the flush before you brew your fine tea…