According to the Tea Board of India, Darjeeling tea means the tea grown, cultivated, produced, manufactured and processed in the hill area of Darjeeling district, which includes hill areas of Kalimpong and Kurseong.

The character of Darjeeling tea is very unique that cannot be replicated anywhere in the world. Two leaves and bud hand plucked and processed to release a sun burst of flavour, a flavour that has been described as reminiscent of muscadine grapes or Muscatel. The distinctive and rare character of Darjeeling tea is a result of several factors. The tea gardens are situated at elevations from 600m to 2100m on steep slopes, which provide ideal natural drainage for the generous rainfall the district receives.

Darjeeling makes some of the finest black teas in the world and the face of Darjeeling tea is black tea but recently Darjeeling gardens have already started making specialty teas like Darjeeling Green Tea, Darjeeling White tea and Darjeeling oolong tea, these teas came into existence especially since the year 2002 when tea lovers from all over the globe demanded for something new, like Chinese specialty teas, people wanted Darjeeling specialties as well. So few of the gardens started making these teas, but initially these teas were not successful as the china origin bushes and Assam hybrid bushes could not create a special character in these teas and infact these teas were not tongue friendly at all, but soon when clonal bushes were grown, it did big wonders for this section of teas, as clonals are much floral and mellow in nature and this is exactly what was needed in this section, but again gardens needed some of the finest tea pluckers in their gardens as specially while making some fine white teas they require tea pluckers who could understand and pluck the right tender , young shoots and buds, and also extremely hard working laborers who would have enough patience in doing the job.
So we can say that Darjeeling makes the world's finest teas and also have very skilled tea makers in their gardens. The present gardens in Darjeeling making Darjeeling teas are:

Darjeeling GI (Geographical Indication)

Our very own Darjeeling Tea joins the unique global elites.

The whole world now recognizes the fact that this magical brew owes its unique eloquence to its place of origin, the misty hills of Darjeeling.
Darjeeling Tea has now been registered as a GI (Geographical Indication) in India. Which officially places Darjeeling Tea in the esteemed company of a Cognac or a Champagne- other famous GIs.

The unique geographical conditions of Darjeeling help make its teas such a rarity. Just the way Cognac and Champagne are rare because they can only come from specific region of France.

To celebrate this new rise in the status for India, just raise your cup!

Any product that originates in a country of region thereof and whose quality, reputation or other characteristic is attributable to its geographical origin is regarded as GI and is protected internationally. - Article 22 of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) - TRIPS Agreement of 'Protection of Geographical Indications'.