Chalo Chai Ho Jaye!
Introduced by the British during the Raj to support their beverage industry Chai or Tea has wide-scale popularity all over India. Albeit the plant grew from ages in Assam the beverage was not popular at all and the concoction from leaves was used as digestive medicine perhaps.
The Steaming Cuppa!
Introduced by the British during the Raj to support their beverage industry Chai or Tea has wide-scale popularity all over India. Albeit the plant grew from ages in Assam the beverage was not popular at all and the concoction from leaves was used as digestive medicine perhaps.
The Steaming Cuppa!
The day begins with chai in every household and on the streets and in restaurants. There are specific tea joints in every settlement in the country. A wide variety of this beverage can be availed hot the railway trains. You will find the sellers on the top of their voices announcing the availability of special tea.
"Chai!Chai!"
Travelers use tea bags...ever growing in popularity day by day. These are hygienic, convenient, and pack a punch. They are available in online shops which are now the most popular venues for the sale of the bags.
"Chai!Chai!"
Travelers use tea bags...ever growing in popularity day by day. These are hygienic, convenient, and pack a punch. They are available in online shops which are now the most popular venues for the sale of the bags.
The effervescent, sensitizing, and alluring odors of this brew is the scent of India. The brewing is like a sacred ritual indulged in passionately by the people. Indians relish flavors, especially in their cuisine and this brew is very much a part of it. The leaves classified as premium are the choice of the elites and the connoisseurs. Those addicted to this tealicious beverage can turn into a teaophile of which there is no dearth.
Shops!
Chai shops manned by chaiwallahs as they are known are just shacks with small sitting and shade and many contain a cart with a kerosene stove to brew. Most of these joints are situated along the roadside while some are tucked away in the corners of busy bazaars.
Chai shops manned by chaiwallahs as they are known are just shacks with small sitting and shade and many contain a cart with a kerosene stove to brew. Most of these joints are situated along the roadside while some are tucked away in the corners of busy bazaars.
The thick sweet reddish brown liquor brewed using the leaves of chamellia sinensis is available everywhere in the country.
Consumption!
Consumption!
It is consumed during breakfast, in between breaks, and during evenings. The buck does not stop here the hot beverage is consumed during meetings official or friendly. Moreover, as one company Wagh Bakri strongly asserts the beverage is a relationship builder. Be it a meeting of long-lost friends, gathering for engagements, social events, official meets, casual associations, and as we know "chai pe charcha". The brew has managed to transcend all caste, creed, ethnic and social boundaries it is so prominent in India people of all groupings and statuses mingle together to relish this amazing liquor.
No ad hoc or planned gathering takes place without the service of this hot brew. Chai must be one of the most spoken words in this country. The parlors selling a wide variety of this brew are being established in the larger cities and gaining popularity like the coffee shops.
The variety of leaves and the brewing process varies all over based on traditions, personal preference, and popularity. The spice variety of masala chai is immensely popular in contemporary times. The most common method of brewing the masala version is by adding spices of which there is no shortage in the country. Some of the spices have medicinal properties apart from the leaves themselves. Hence consuming the mouth-freshening and energizing brew is part of health care. The addition of milk is almost ubiquitous and black tea is brewed only in places with a scarcity of milk. The affluent in these places may use powdered milk but the flavor is much to be desired.
The consumption is about 900000 tonnes all over the country hence in spite of large-scale cultivation in the state of Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala the leaves are imported from other producers globally.
Some of the popular CTC leaves in India are the Assam Black, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri. These are also consumed in broken and dust forms which are significantly less price.
Hence processing and packaging the leaves is a major industry in India. There are major brands and small players which import or buy leaves from the gardens. The big players usually have their own gardens that cultivate tea leaves in large quantities.
Some of the major brands are:
- TATA
- Brooke Bond
- Wagh Bakri
- Lipton
- Duncans
Innumerable small players create a mind-boggling competition and conundrum of leaf blends and flavors in the country. The TEA Board of India is the regulatory body based at the hub of trading in Kolkatta.
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