India’s timeless love affair with tea is getting pretty confused. Tea is not just a matter of taste, but is a concept that begs ceremony. The palate is never weary of fragrant Darjeeling accompanied by tinkling of bells and cucumber sandwiches that mark the pucca Indo-Brit tea time. Boredom is the Millennial bane and businesses are forced to constantly invent new avatars for old staples. Hence, ‘bubble gum tea’ and tea-based cocktails are making an appearance in bars and lounges across Indian cities.
Tea is teasing Bengaluru’s coffee ethos with new concoctions that are exported to other cities. The bestseller at Sheraton Grand, Bengaluru, is rose and French vanilla tea. Radisson Blu Atria has a dedicated tea and wine lounge where new-age infusions like raspberry and strawberry, besides tea-based cocktails, pay lip service. Lloyd’s Tea House in Chennai serves exotic teas that come with sand hourglasses and tea diffusers.
Trendy tea time even in Delhi has a Bengaluru flavour. Sly Granny recently came calling in the busy bylanes of Khan Market. Granny has a Special English Afternoon Tea every day from 4 pm to 6.30 pm serving finger sandwiches, little pastries, scones with homemade jam and whipped butter and what have you to go with exotic teas like rose, saffron and hibiscus. On lazy late afternoons, the restaurant is a tea-lover’s Mecca. Co-founder Rahul Khanna says, “We offer something that wasn’t easily available in Delhi once.”
The menu in most upmarket tea rooms comprises both well-known teas and exotic leaves. There are teas from China, Japan, Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiris and Sri Lanka. Take for example Pullman and Novotel in Aerocity. Cafe Pluck there has recently started serving Taiwanese Bubble Tea. Served cold in an array of flavours—green tea, milky Assam, fruity and a milky strawberry version that is more dessert than just drink, these teas are served with tapioca pearls.
The pearls are soaked in different tea infusions to absorb the mix of flavours. They are then placed at the bottom of the glass over which the tea is poured. It’s a little ritual: have a sip of tea, scoop the pearls from the bottom of the glass, bite in and repeat the experiment. F&B manager Amit Sangwan says, “We serve a wide variety of flavours and combinations made with milk or fruit teas. We have black, white, and fruit-based tapioca tastes that add the fun element and texture. Guests can customise their orders.”
In the new upmarket urban tea rooms, full-bodied concoctions, delicate brews and fruity flavours bubble away happily with classic favourites like Oolong, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and Darjeeling. Matcha, Genmaicha, Roobios and Lapsang Souchong are newer avatars, besides hibiscus tea, papaya tea, mango tea and many more.
The organised market for tea in India was around `18,000 crore in 2015. Last year, Tata Global Beverages, the world’s second largest tea company, had a pilot launch of its first tea café, Tata Cha, in Bengaluru. The range is stunning: in the cold section are Cucumber Green Tea, Sugar-free Tangy Tamarind, Dilliwali Kanji, Masala Shikanji, Meetha Paan and Rasmalai Milk Shake, Peach Iced Tea and Chili Guava Ice Slush in the cold tea offerings. Sikkim teas, masala tea and Nimbuda Black tea are literally hot. Wagh Bakri, started by a Gujarat tea planter expat from South Africa, has opened 15 tea lounges in India.
The tea cafes are not exactly cheap. At Infinitea Tea Room & Tea Store, Bengaluru, Jasmine Blossoms or White Tea Silver Needles will set you back by a thousand bucks for two. Sancha Tea Boutique in Chanakyapuri, Delhi, trinketed with tea accessories like tea timers and infusers, is not exactly cheap at the same price tag. At the Chinese accented Yauatcha, it could be even `2,500. T4U Cafe is only `600. The cachet is that the tea savant doesn’t pay for just the beverage but for the experience the most. No wonder, the cuppa brimmeth over.