Tea · Temi
Tea factory visit and tasting at Temi
When the estate allows it, see how Temi's leaf becomes tea in its hill factory, from withering troughs to rolling and drying, then taste first, second and autumn flushes side by side. Arrangements change, so treat it as a bonus to ask about rather than a fixed sight.
Leaf plucked in the morning reaches the estate's factory the same day. Orthodox tea making follows a set order: the leaf is spread in withering troughs to lose moisture, rolled to break its cells, left to oxidise, which turns it from green to copper, then dried with hot air and sorted into grades. In the plucking season you can smell the factory from the road, a mix of cut grass and malt. Visits depend on the estate and are easiest outside the busiest processing hours.
Visitor access to the factory and tastings at Temi has changed over the years with management and safety rules. Some seasons it has been possible to look in with permission or join a short tasting at the estate's sales counter; at other times only the shop has been open. Ask at the estate office or through your Ravangla hotel the day before, and check current status before you travel. Do not walk into the factory without permission.
If you can taste, compare flushes. First flush, from March and April, is light and floral; second flush, from May and June, is fuller and more fruity; autumn flush is mellow and good with milk. Buy from the estate counter or trusted shops in Ravangla and Namchi, and check the flush and pack date. Packets cost roughly ₹200–600 per 100 g by grade, indicative, and make a light, useful souvenir.
Cost: Free or small fee; rules vary
Questions people ask
Good to know
Can visitors enter the Temi tea factory?
Sometimes. Visitor access to the factory has varied over the years with the estate's management and safety rules. At times visitors could look in with permission or join a short tasting; at others only the sales counter was open. Ask at the estate office or through your hotel a day ahead, and check current status before you travel.
What does Temi tea taste like?
Temi makes orthodox teas. First flush, plucked in March and April, is light, floral and pale. Second flush, from May and June, is fuller and slightly fruity. Autumn flush is mellow and takes milk well. Brew lighter grades for 3–4 minutes without milk to taste the difference between flushes.
Where can I buy genuine Temi tea?
Buy from the estate's own sales counter when it is open, or from trusted shops in Ravangla, Namchi and Gangtok that stock Temi's sealed packs. Check the label for the garden name, flush and packing date. Indicative prices run about ₹200–600 per 100 g depending on grade, with first flush at the top.
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