Kericho vs Nilgiri
The two major growing areas that harvest continuously rather than in flushes, one in equatorial Africa and one in southern India. Both are consequently built into blends for consistency, and both are more interesting than that role suggests.
growing region
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Kericho | Nilgiri |
|---|---|---|
| Position | A high plateau in Kenya, near the equator. | A high plateau in southern India. |
| Elevation | Roughly 1,800 to 2,200 m. | Roughly 1,000 to 2,500 m. |
| Why it plucks year-round | Equatorial highland: no dormant season and reliable rainfall. | Two monsoons and mild temperatures. |
| Seasonal high point | None especially. | A prized frost-affected winter harvest in some years. |
| Manufacture | Overwhelmingly CTC. | Both, with a substantial orthodox tradition. |
| Cup | Brisk, deeply coloured, built for milk. | Clean and fragrant, and unusually resistant to clouding when iced. |
| Blend role | The strength and colour component. | The clean, non-clouding component, particularly for iced tea. |
The short answer
Flush-based regions are described by season and continuous ones are described by function, which is why neither of these has the romance of Darjeeling. Both are chosen by blenders for properties that are entirely real and entirely unglamorous.
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