High on tea

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The good old chai has been brewing a storm in the cup. From bubble, matcha to the exquisite silver needle tea and fermented ones like tandoori, Kombucha or even Pu-erh, these new-age brews are finding their feet in the Indian market

Kavita Kanan Chandra

Most of India wakes up to tea. The humble tea, however, has remained confined to home or streets. While there has been a proliferation of coffee culture in India, there was not a cool place to have a tea drinking experience till a few years back. Not any longer. It was the awareness of health-conscious millennials and high caffeine attributed to coffee and carbonated drinks, which has seen the emergence tea as the flavourful wellness drink in its various permutations and combinations. The tea has finally gained its rightful place in a traditionally tea-drinking nation, which is the second largest tea producer in the world after China. The Goldstein Research analyst forecast has predicted that the Indian tea industry is likely to reach $1billion by 2025.

No wonder then that the corporate and IT sector youth-driven demand for tea in Bengaluru has seen a boom in tea bars, lounges, tea rooms and emerging tea chains. Slowly and steadily it is expanding across India with tea rooms that have stylish sophisticated settings to vibrant quirky ones. These tea joints have bridged the gap between home and street. Most high-end brands also have kiosks and lounges that offer tea on the go or a leisurely cuppa.

The trending of tea has also resulted in the rise of tea tasting workshops, customising your cuppa and tea pairing where you are assisted in pairing of right snacks and desserts.

The curated premium teas and hand-crafted blends by artisanal tea companies have also grown in the past decade, thanks to the discerning customers on online retailing. Who would have thought that bubble tea, matcha tea or even exquisite silver needle tea would be in demand here? With fermented tea like Kombucha or even Pu-erh tea from China making its way, tea is indeed brewing a storm in the cup. Here’s a look at the many varieties of tea people are waking up to:

Variants of tea

There are several emerging premium artisanal teas in India that boasts of finest tea blends. They sell their teas as an alternative healthier lifestyle drink that promises to detox, aid digestion, hydrate the body, help in glowing skin, rejuvenate, focus and calm the mind and relax the body.

Heard of orange spice matcha or acai berry matcha? Matcha is the purest form of green tea with high nutritional content.

Do you remember sipping tea to keep yourself awake while preparing for your exams. Now there are varieties of tea, which do just the opposite as these have a calming and sleep-inducing effect. Choose from single or blended mix of chamomile, rose, moringa or peppermint. Why only the fruity mocktails have a nice ring to their names? Mint mojito, fennel green, rose turmeric or moringa peppermint; blended tea is classy too.

Herbal tea gets a facelift

It tastes spicy, flowery or fruity. Well, it is not even a tea in the strictest sense for it doesn’t have leaves ofcamellia sinensis. That’s herbal tea for you. The caffeine-free herbal concoctions are created with aromatic flowers, fruits and premium herbs. Herbs like ashwagandha, tulsi, brahmi and ginseng are used. Most common flowers are hibiscus, rose, marigold and rhododendron, lavender. Fruits like peach, apple, pomegranate and orange are used to infuse their flavours in the tea.

Cold brewed tea

This rage promises healthier beverage as cold brew extracts lesser tannins than hot brew. It incorporates fusion of herbs, spices and flowers having subtle flavour. Several blends are created mixing finest of Darjeeling and Assam tea with chamomile, jasmine, honey, lemon, basil, vanilla, mangoes and berries among others.

Infused tea coolers

Another trend is in the market is the infused tea coolers.Theseare like flavoured water with hint of tea and fruity or spicy flavours to hydrate and refresh. The idea is to keep a sachet of green tea infused or blended with fruits or spices into a jar of water and ice added. As you sip the apple cinnamon, mango lychee, lemongrass ginger, peach or orange infused tea; the antioxidants release slowly making it a mild tea that is tastier than just plain water.

Bubble tea

Another interesting variety that is catching the fancy of tea drinkers here is the Boba or bubble tea, also known as tapioca tea, which is now available in various cafes. The variety, which was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, comes in fruity flavours in milk, tea and sugar. It has toppings consisting of chewy tapioca balls, fruit jelly or sago that appear as bubbles and look interesting.

Since geography matters

Every region has a grandmother’s recipe. There’s Manipur’s antioxidant rich Hei-mang red tea (Chinese Sumac) and Vitamin C rich Roselle tea. The Northeast indigenous spices, herbs and flowers are used in tea lending it heaps of health benefits.

Ladakhis and Tibetans in high Himalayas ward off the bitter cold with the salty butter tea known as the gur-gur chai for Ladakhis or Po-cha for Tibetans or Thang in Kinnaur and Spiti in Himachal; the tea is made with yak butter. In Thar deserts camel milk is used in tea.

In North India, homemadeherbal teakeeps the cold away. It has any one orcombination of ingredients like ginger, cardamom, cloves, jaggery, saunf (fennel), tulsi and mint in combination with tea leaves and water. Milk is optional.

The Gujaratis, however, like their milkymasala tea and the Parsis love milk tea, seeped with lemongrass and mint leaves.

Milk tea is popular in Mumbai ascutting chai that is half filled in small glasses and the Irani chai is sweet milky tea. Accompanied with brun maska (white bun slathered with butter), it evokes nostalgia as the century-old Irani cafes and bakeries are fast disappearing.

Best served without milk

The uniquemuscatel flavour of Darjeeling tea is so delicate that its nuanced flavour is to be savoured in black tea and not masked with anything.

People of West Bengal also like their tea tangy with a squeeze of lemon, rock salt and sugar. Thenimbu chai is also popular in Bihar but it is sweet lemon tea.

Buransh ki chai or dried rhododendron tea, common in Himachal and Uttarakhand is a blend oforganic black orthodox tea and dried rhododendron petals. Having anti-inflammatory powers, it cures aches and pain.

If Kashmir’s beauty has inspired much poetry, its fragrant green tea “Kahwa” boosts the immune system. Traditionally brewed in coppersamovar, infused with the aromatic flavours of almonds, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, it is served with slivers of almond.

Visit any local Khasi family in Meghalaya, and chances are you would be welcomed with a cup of red tea without milk that is popular as “Shasaw” tea. Even people in Assam like their “lal cha” (red tea) made of robust Assam tea.

Tea gardens

Think tea and Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiris instantly come to the mind. Then Munnar, Kangra, Dooars and Sikkim are there. Then there is Sikkim’s certified 100 per cent organic Temi Tea.Thegolden yellow brew that is light, flowery and delicate in flavour.

Meghalaya too is emerging as the new tea estate stronghold. The organic tea produced in Sohryngkham and Mawlyngot villages in Khasi hill districts has been compared to Darjeeling tea.

With 25,000 acres ofchai bagans, Kishanganj in Bihar has also been brewing its own tea since 1991.

The latest addition is the olive tea in Rajasthan. From Israel to Thar desert in Rajasthan, olive plantations are being grown with Israeli technology. Olive leaves are used to make antioxidant rich olive tea.

Some interesting innovations

Tandoori chai: Its smoky flavour is frothing and sizzling inkulhads.

Chocolate tea:It is a blend of cocoa powder, black tea and milk.

Hajmola tea:The lemon tea with crushed ‘hajmola’, cumin powder and mint.

Green tea with blooming flowers:When the green tea is tied with natural unfurled flowers and seeped in hot water, the flowers unfold and bloom as you sip.

Tea paraphernalia

Classy and decorative, carved and hand-painted teacups-saucers to tea infusers can make a statement in your home. From silver, finely carved porcelain, bone china, ceramic, steel, glass, cast iron and earthenkulhadsare available. Tea strainers, kettles and infusers, tea jars, tea chests and embroidered silk sachets and even eco-friendly tea bags.

Tea boutiques and tea bars

The neatly arranged stacks of tea, lifting aroma and, even tea sommelier, to assist visitors in brewing different blends of tea. Indian tea has arrived.

Types of Tea

Black, white, green and oolong made from the leaves ofcamellia sinensis. The variations are due to the way the leaves are processed after harvesting.

BOX:

On the price chart

All tea mentioned are available online from respective tea brands/tea estate official website or from Amazon

High cost:The highly priced premiumwhite tea is high on antioxidants. It is the least processed tea with a subtle and delicate flavour, manufactured from tea buds and unfurled new leaves of tea plant. Priced anywhere above Rs 18,000/kg.

The brandTeabox Rs1,80,000/kg premium White tea is the costliest in the world.

TheGolden Tips Darjeeling White Tea (First Flush 2019) is Rs 3300/40 grams

Darjeeling tea (depends on first, second or autumn flush)

Thetea estate Castleton Muscatel Darjeeling tea has fetched highest price at tea auctions since a long time.

TheMakaibari tea estate Silver tips Imperial handmade semi-fermentedoolong tea(plucked only on full moon days and night) Rs 1750/50 grams.

Easily availableLipton Darjeeling Tea Rs900/500gms is available online and retail stores throughout India.

Matcha Green tea of Japan available in India are also costly

The Teabox Pure Matcha Green tea Rs 799/30 gms

The Golden Tips japanese Matcha Green Tea Rs 1345/150 grams

Tea Blends like Ivory Geranium white tea blend and Rose Mist tea per 100 gms cost Rs 3999 and Rs 3449 respectively (Teabox).

Low cost

Assam CTC (crush, tear, curl) tea is the cheapest.

Brooke BondRed Label tea Rs 40/100gm Available in retail stores throughout India.

Tata Tea Agni leaf tea Rs 200/1kg