History of Tea in Nepal

A Brief Summary

A Gift From China.

Colonel Gajraj Singh Thapa (pictured with his wife) was the first person to establish tea plantations in Nepal. Around 1873, Thapa, son-in-law of Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana , was on a tour of Darjeeling. He was impressed by the sight of the young tea plants and the taste of the drink he was offered everywhere he went. Upon his return to Nepal, he set up two plantations – the Ilam and Soktim tea estates, and so began Nepal’s tea industry. The very first tea saplings planted by Thapa were received as a gift from the Government of China, was gifted to his father-in-law prime minister Jung Bahadur Ranaa. According to the signpost the genus of tea planted in the estate were Camellia sinensis.

Georgia probably isn’t on your short list of countries that produce world-class teas. You’ve probably never had Georgian tea—or even knew it was grown there. And we’re not talking the U.S. state of Georgia, but rather the Republic of Georgia that sits on the far-eastern boarder of Europe. nestled between Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

But tea from Georgia? Here’s how it happened.

The Rana Dynasty.

During the 1800s and the early 1900s, Nepal was under the reign of a highly centralized autocracy, the Rana Dynasty, which acted as a monarchy; their policies resulted in the isolation of Nepal from the external world. Nepal’s borders and governance were constantly under turmoil, both internally and externally. Unlike India, the policies helped Nepal retain its national independence from the British colonial rule, but insulated it from modernization and economic development. Thus the Nepali tea industry was adversely affected compared with the nearby Darjeeling tea industry, which thrived under the British colonial rule.

Nepal Opens It's Doors.

During the 1950s, there was a shift in the political scenario of Nepal. A new constitution was written to develop a democratic system. Despite failure in successful democratization, Nepal’s economy opened up to the world. As a result, the stagnant tea industry witnessed an inflow of investment. The first private tea plantation was set up in 1959. The first factory to process tea leaves in Nepal was set up in 1978.

From 1978 to the 1990s, various efforts were made to encourage the participation of small and marginal farmers in the growth and production of tea as a cash crop. Today these farmers constitute the majority of Nepal’s tea industry.

In 1982, King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev declared five districts – Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Dhankuta, and Terharthum as Tea Zones of Nepal.

But tea from Georgia? Here’s how it happened.

Nepali Tea Today.

While tea could be grown anywhere in Nepal, the eastern region is where most of the tea is grown. This region is not far from the Darjeeling region of India. This region has a terroir conducive to growing world-class teas. Most of the tea farms in this area sit at 4,000 feet or higher. Nepal produces all five types of teas and are often compared to Darjeeling tea because of the similar growing conditions. However, Nepal teas are truly unique with their own complexity of aromas and flavors. Since the late 1990’s, the Nepali tea industry has played a major role in the eradication of poverty, especially in the rural areas where the tea plantations were concentrated.