The Flimsies of the Second Flush

by Aloke Mookerjee

With frequent spells of the eagerly awaited pre-monsoon showers, tea bushes pruned during the previous cold weather would begin to sprout new shoots that gradually filled the skeletal form with lush new green leaves. Slowly, the characteristic ‘flat table’ of the tea bush would begin to form by the regular rounds of ‘tipping and plucking’ the new growing shoots at a specific height. The factory, shut for overhaul during the dormant cold weather months, would be cranked up for manufacture yet again. Back in those days, teas manufactured by the estates of the Dooars Tea Company (as with most others in the Dooars) were of the ‘Legg Cut’ variety.

The Legg-Cut machines used in the tea factories were originally tobacco cutters that had been modified and adapted to tea. Its wide spread use in the Dooars made the term ‘Legg Cut’ synonymous and singularly associated with this North Bengal region.

Unlike the ‘Orthodox’ or ‘CTC’ types of manufacture where the freshly harvested leaves are first ‘withered’ for several hours before the subsequent processes, manufacture of Legg Cut teas began immediately on arrival of the freshly harvested green tea leaves from the garden. The process resulted in a brew that took on a bright copper colour when milk was added to it. While these teas were still in demand then, particularly in the UK, they fetched lower prices than the CTC and Orthodox varieties. Apparently, the blenders of Calcutta and London used the strong and ‘coloury’ Dooars teas as ‘fillers’ for their brands by adding a generous dose of it to the more mellow and costlier CTC variety.

After the pale and aromatic ‘Darjeelings’ that I was accustomed to, the Dooars ‘Legg Cuts’ tasted rather harsh – not unlike freshly mowed grass! It took me a while to get accustomed to it but never enough to be a fan of this robust brew. The plantations of N.E. India, including the Dooars, experience a brief but very special spell every year, from around the end of May to the third week of June, known to all in the tea community as the ‘second flush’. When the unmistakeable ‘brightness’ in the infused tea quite suddenly appeared during the production process and its taste changed, overnight, from the plain and ordinary to a rich and mellow cup, we would know that the ‘great’ second flush had finally arrived.

The eagerly awaited and much sought-after Assam second flush teas fetched the highest auction prices (excluding the ‘Darjeelings’ ofcourse). Similarly, for the poor cousin, the Dooars teas also although never at the lofty levels of her neighbouring brethren states!

Prior to its ‘appearance’, the ‘Head Tea House Babu’ of Nagrakata and his factory staff would gear themselves up, in anticipation, and ensure that all potential flaws in the production process had been well contained so as not to cause a loss in quality whether owing to machinery failures or negligence of the factory workers. The field staff would now put in their extra effort to ensure that the quality of the leaf harvested was never a cause for contention. Samples of the manufactured teas, packed in tiny flat round tins, would be air-mailed every week to the brokers in Calcutta and London for their evaluation and comments. The Calcutta and the London Auction Reports, mailed to the estate, would begin to arrive punctually every week. Both would be eagerly scanned upon receipt.

The London Auction Report was popularly referred to as ‘the Flimsy’ for the fine tissue like quality of its air-mail paper. ‘The Flimsy’ listed the names of all estates across the world selling their teas through the tea auction house located in the historical Mincing Lane near the Thames in the City of London. I was then unaware that this quaint and charming ‘tea lane’ of international fame was, in the days of yore, not only the most important centre for tea trade but was also a prime hub of the world’s spice trade (alongside Venice and Amsterdam) and of the infamous money spinning Opium and Slave Trades of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The ‘quartet’ formed by tea, spice, opium and slaves brought in untold wealth to coffers of this tiny island nation, as much as it did to the traders.

In comparison, the hoary past of the Calcutta Tea Auction centre famously known as ‘Nilhat’ house would seem to appear docile with its history of first starting as a bustling trade centre of a mere vegetable dye, Indigo, before it succumbed to the onslaught from the newly formulated, cheaper chemical colours. The Calcutta Auction Reports listed only those estates that sold their teas through Calcutta. Along with London, they formed the two major tea auction centres of the world with smaller ones at Cochin (now Kochi) in South India, Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Mombasa in East Africa.

We would see in the reports, names of estates earning the top honours of the week as well as the ones dragging their feet! Nagrakata rarely, if ever, made it to the top of the ladder but that did little to dampen the enthusiasm and unstinted loyalty for our manager whom we considered, with all the wisdom of our few months in tea, to be the very best professional in the industry!

And then, there was yet another set of ‘flimsy’ papers we received regularly from overseas that do also need mention! This was the airmail edition of the venerable ‘Daily Telegraph’ which were flown out from London to our Calcutta office every day and thence a copy forwarded to each estate of the company. On arrival at the plantation, the newspaper was circulated amongst the senior staff but strictly in accordance to the hierarchical order starting with the Manager and then down the line to the junior most Assistant Manager.

When, finally in the hands of the last young bachelor assistant, several days after its publication, the much ‘revered’ paper, after a quick scan, underwent a rather humiliating transformation by the bungalow ‘Bearer’ when he neatly cut the fine tissue like paper to pocket book page size pieces and relegated them to the bathrooms well packed in a cardboard box! While not a reflection on the quality of content that caused such an ignominious end to an ‘august’ daily, it nonetheless demonstrated a fertile and innovative mind busy at ‘re-cycling’ and saving some of the spend thrift bachelor ‘chota saab’s’ hard earned money!

Meanwhile, even as the Daily Telegraph and the ‘Flimsies’ continued arriving with their usual unfailing regularity, the brief and glorious second flush would vanish for yet another twelve months leaving behind its presence only in the packed tea chests ready for their onward journey to the warehouses of Calcutta.

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My name is Gowri Mohanakrishnan and I'm a tea planter's wife. I started this blog because one of the things that I wouldn't want us to lose in a fast changing world is the tea story - a story always told with great seriousness, no matter how funny - always true (always), maybe a tall tale, long, or short, impossible, scary, funny or exciting but never dull.
You will find yourself transported to another world! Happy reading!
Cheers to the spirit of Indian Tea! 

Meet the writer: Aloke Mookerjee

Here's what Aloke has to say about himself : 'Long retired from tea, but still active in business. Even after all these years, tea remains to live strongly in my thoughts; they were the best years of my life. Other interests? Always loved Jazz music - still do and have written about this incredible genre. Love vintage airplanes (thus my love for Dakotas!) and cars, and intend to make this my next focus.'  Here is the link to all posts by Aloke - Stories by Aloke Mookerjee

Aloke has recently published a book, The Jazz Bug, which is available on Amazon. Read about it here: https://notionpress.com/read/the-jazz-bug?fbclid=IwAR2HjxSU2rY6sq5cX_lzBxJY5oat1i_Z22qKdRRP1Tm77Dqp48B2CAlnGvY