English
বাংলা
The story
For more than a century, Bangladeshi tea meant the hill gardens of greater Sylhet and Chattogram. That changed in the late 1990s, when officials in Panchagarh, the country's northernmost district, began trial plantings on flat land, first in pots and then on fallow fields. By 2000 several companies had set up gardens in Tetulia, the upazila that sits at the very tip of the country, close to the Darjeeling hills across the border. On clear days, visitors there can see Kanchenjunga on the horizon.
What makes Panchagarh different is who grows the tea. Besides a few large estates, including a well-known organic garden in Tetulia, most of the tea is planted by smallholders, often on a few bighas beside their rice fields. Growers pluck the green leaf and sell it to processing factories, which turn it into made tea and sell it through the auction system; Panchagarh opened the country's third tea auction centre, an online one, in 2023. Tea has since spread to Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur and Nilphamari, and Tea Board figures reported in 2024 put the five northern districts at more than 17 percent of national output in the 2023 season.
The story has had hard years too. Prices for green leaf fell sharply after 2020, and growers complained that factories cut weight and paid too little; factories replied that coarse, sickle-cut leaf made poor tea. Quality of plucking is still the main thing that separates a good Panchagarh tea from an ordinary one.
How to spot the real Panchagarh flatland tea
Most northern tea is black CTC tea, the small, dark granules used for strong milk tea, while a few gardens also make orthodox leaf and green tea. Good CTC granules are even in size, dark brown to black, and free of dust, fibre and stalk. In the cup, it should brew a bright reddish-brown liquor with a fresh, brisk smell. Watch for tea that leaves colour in cold water within seconds or stains your fingers when rubbed with a damp tissue; that can mean added colour. A flat, musty or smoky smell suggests old or badly stored stock. "Panchagarh tea" is not a certified origin, so ask which garden or factory made it and when it was packed.
Buying tips
Ask the seller whether the tea is CTC, orthodox or green, which garden or factory it comes from, and the packing or manufacture date; tea loses aroma steadily after a year. Small growers sometimes sell home-processed tea, which can be charming but uneven, so buy a small pack first. Ask how it will be packed for courier: foil or a sealed tin is best, and a thin plastic bag can let in moisture.
Every Midmart shop sets its own delivery charge, so ordering tea from one seller and sugar or spices from another means separate parcels and separate charges. Midmart takes no payment and handles no delivery; you and the seller agree both directly. The word Panchagarh in a listing is the seller's claim, so rely on clear answers to your questions.
Keeping it fresh
Keep tea in an airtight, opaque container away from heat, light, moisture and strong smells such as spices, because tea absorbs odours easily. Do not keep it in the fridge, where condensation can form. Use a dry spoon. Stored well, black tea stays good for about a year; green tea is best within a few months of opening.
Find Panchagarh flatland tea on Midmart
Shops from where it is made
No shop from Panchagarh is on Midmart yet.
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