CHENNAI: Can a kilo of black tea cost $ 600? An Indian tea maker has claimed that the black tea produced by the company is the most expensive in the world, and therefore, it should be entered into the Guinness Book of Records.

Glendale Tea estate at Coonoor in Tamil Nadu says the black tea it has made is of SFTGFOP (Super-Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) grade and fetches a price of $600 for a kilo.

Company officials said the tea had be sold at the world tea expo in March 2006 at Las Vegas for this price.

The claim comes in the wake a rift over the sale of world’s most expensive tea.

According to Vinod Shenai, group manager, Glendale estates, the first claim to enter the Guinness Book of Records was submitted by the company on January 29, 2007. But the Guinness committee sent an email on February 8 rejecting the proposal stating that they already had a record for this category.

“The committee had informed us that the current world record for the most expensive tea is a rare Chinese green tea called Tieguanyin, which costs 1,700 Yuan ($3,000) per kilo (per 2 lb 3 oz) approximately 8.50 Yuan ($15) for a single cup,” he said.

”But we have now sent another letter to the Guinness committee claiming that the Chinese tea is a green tea category and Glendale’s SFTGFOP grade is a black tea grade that has received the highest price in an auction," Shenai said.

He pointed out that there is a huge difference between black tea and green tea and cannot be compared under the same category.