Produced exclusively in the lush north-eastern Indian state, Assam tea is renowned for its hearty flavour. Now what if we ask you, how much you will pay for one kg of tea? Rs 450? Or maximum Rs 600? This tea at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) was sold at a record price of Rs 75,000 per kg.

Guwahati Tea Auction Buyer's Association (GTABA), secretary, Dinesh Bihani told PTI, after a gap of one year GTAC got another opportunity to sell Manohari Gold Speciality Tea in auction sale at Rs 75,000 per kg. The tea was sold by Contemporary Brokers Private Limited and bought by Guwahati-based tea trader Vishnu Tea Company, Bihani added.

The reason for tea becoming so expensive is that this tea is manufactured from the premium second flush colonel tea buds, which are chosen and hand plucked only during the dawn. Rajan Lohia, director of Manohari Tea Estate in eastern Assam's Dibrugarh district was quoted by Deccan Herald as saying, "They are plucked only during dawn to avoid exposure to sunlight. It offers aromatic, full-bodied and bright yellowish malty liquor.”

The previous record was also set by the same mark of tea at Rs 50,000 per kg by the same tea garden last year now thrashing their own record, he added. The GTAC is developing as a centre for displaying high priced Assam Speciality tea where a tea is judged by its aroma, taste and colour.