Sipping on a hot cup of tea on a cold, rainy day is a great feeling! But the hygiene-conscious would agree that good ol’ cutting chai off Mumbai pavements may not be the best option in monsoon. Sure, you could curl up on the sofa enjoying the pitter-patter raindrops, while waiting for mom to brew some ginger tea. But if you want to make the most of the beautiful weather, venture out! There is no better time than now, to sample the enchanting range of teas the city has to offer.
Hot Buttered Apple Tea
A strong brew of tea liquor, lemon, apple juice, orange juice, honey, nutmeg powder, brown sugar and a slice of apple completes a cup of Hot Buttered Apple Tea. A thin sliver of butter makes this tea delectable till the very last drop! What’s more? This cuppa soothes a sore throat and relieves mean colds.
Available at: The Tea Centre
Oolong Tea
A traditional Chinese tea, Oolong falls somewhere between green and black variants in its oxidation value. It is typically served in Chinese restaurants during meals. Also known as ‘clear tea’ – it is boiled in water without milk or cream, and is more popular as a weight-loss tea.
Available at: Chado Tea, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Sencha
Sencha is a green tea of Japanese origin, and is made without grinding the tea leaves. The tea is one of the purest, as it is steamed for 5–45 seconds to prevent oxidization. It is this initial steaming process that gives sencha a unique flavour that differs from Chinese green tea. Interestingly, is served chilled in Japan’s summer months. But here in Mumbai, you can enjoy a steaming hot cup of sencha.
Available at: Chado Tea
Flavoured Teas
Flavoured teas, also called perfumed teas, have a distinctive aroma. They’re made by adding oils and scents from dried fruits and flowers to traditional tea leaves. Earl Grey is the most popular form of flavoured tea. It is made from a recipe given to to the Second Earl of Grey in the 1830’s by a Chinese mandarin whose life had been saved by a British Diplomat. Made from the rind of bergamot orange, it gives out a rich citrus aroma.
Available at: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Darjeeling Tea
Also called ‘the champagne of teas’ it originates in the Darjeeling region of West Bengal, India. The first flush harvested in March has a light colour and aroma. The second flush makes for sweeter, amber-coloured tea. The monsoon flush is full-bodied and oxidized, and blended to go well with milk. Darjeeling tea is a common favourite, as it can be enjoyed with cookies and light snacks.
Available at: Wagh Bakri Tea Lounge, Cutting Chai, Masala Chai
Broken Orange Pekoe
The name basically denotes a grade of black tea. Broken orange pekoe is a crushed and bagged black tea mainly originating from tea leaves grown and processed in India and Sri Lanka. It has a fruity and floral aroma, but no orange flavour. As with any other variant of black teas, this one too goes very well with milk.
Available at: The Tea Centre
Explore these tea centers in your city and let me know if you chance upon any exotic teas!
Bangalore:
Delhi:
Chennai:
Kolkata
Tags: darjeeling, exotic-tea, flavoured, mumbai, oolong, orange-pekoe, sencha, tea, teas
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