Joy Calvin, age 14, of Patterson, N.J., for her question:

WHERE DO WE GET DARJEELING TEA?

A well known, popular and exotic tea called Darjeeling comes from the hillside plantations of a town called Darjeeling, the summer capital of the state of West Bengal in eastern India.

The town of Darjeeling lies on the lower slopes of the Himalayas, north of Calcutta about 7,100 feet above sea level. The high altitude makes the city cool and pleasant the year around, and it give the locally grown tea a very special flavor.

Mount Kanchenjunga can be seen from the city. Mount Everest is visible from just outside the city.

A small railway climbs to the city over steep slopes and through tea plantations and teakwood forests. In the center of Darjeeling, a wide square serves as an open air bazaar for trading.

Many people who live in the Indian lowlands seek relief from the heat by going up to Darjeeling in September and October.