Chambala tea dust (Nilgiri tea)

Tamil தேநீர் (tea), and the grade is sold as tea dust or dust tea

English Nilgiri black tea dust, CTC dust

Chambala tea is tea from the Chambala Tea Factory in Gudalur, in the Nilgiris – the factory was established in 1963 and has been processing leaf from the surrounding estates for over forty years. What we sell is tea dust: the fine grade of black tea that gives a strong, quick liquor, which is exactly what South Indian chai needs.

Where ours comes from

The leaf is grown and processed in Gudalur, Nilgiris, and packed as fine-grade dust. The Nilgiris sits at 1,800-2,500 m, and the altitude gives the tea a brisk, bright liquor without the heaviness of low-grown Assam.

How it is used in South Indian cooking

For masala chai – boiled with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Tea dust is the grade that stands up to milk and spice.
For plain milk tea – the everyday South Indian kaapi-adjacent cup, boiled with milk and sugar.
For black tea – steep for three minutes, no longer, or the dust turns bitter.
In the filter – the fine grade also works in a South Indian filter, though it clogs faster than a coarser leaf.

Storing it

Tea dust goes stale faster than leaf tea because so much surface is exposed. Keep it in an airtight tin away from light and from anything strongly flavoured, and use it within six months.