Nilgiri tea is a drink made by infusing leaves of Camellia sinensis that is grown and processed in the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu, India. The leaves are processed as black tea, though some estates have expanded their product offerings to include leaves suitable for making green, white and oolong teas. It is generally described as being a brisk, fragrant and full-bodied tea. The region produces both rolled and crush, tear, curl tea and it is predominantly used for blending. Nilgiri tea is also used for making iced tea and instant tea. Camellia sinensis var. sinensis was introduced to Nilgiri Mountains by the British in 1835 from seeds shipped from China. Commercial production commenced in the 1860s, where the industry would evolve to include a mixture of many small growers with a few large corporate estates and the government-owned Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation established for the purpose of assisting in repatriating Indian Tamils from Sri Lanka. Its fertile soils located on well-drained slopes with geography that brings two monsoons per year with periods of fog and humid, cold weather, allow the sinensis variety to thrive. The tea is of sufficient quality and uniqueness to warrant being a registered geographical indication. History Camellia sinensis was first planted in the Nilgiri area in 1835. The British had been using the area as a hill station and, as they had been seeking to create a source of tea outside of China, shipped seeds there, as well as various locations across southern India, for experimental plantings. Botanist George Samuel Perrottet planted the seeds in the governor's garden in Ketti. Though they were not well-cared for, they did survive to be later propagated. The Thiashola estate, established in 1859, was one of the first tea estates in the region though commercial tea production began in 1862, and by 1904 there was over of tea under cultivation (second only to coffee which had three times as much land under cultivation). However, the plantations were largely operated by retired European military and civil servants, with labour from the native tribal people, all with little knowledge of tea production. Many early plantations failed but with the assistance of Chinese tea-makers brought in by the British, the industry was able to develop. European planters (of both coffee and tea) formed the Nilgiri Planters' Association which joined the United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) in 1894 to advocate for