Find your favourite cup of tea on this International Tea day

Every afternoon in most Indian homes, we can find the family sitting together to enjoy a cup of hot chai (tea), with a biscuit or two.

Made by soaking dried leaves in water for several hours, tea is one of the oldest beverages that nature has endowed to us for decades! In fact, tea is the second most popular beverage around the globe, after water, with over 3000 varieties. And unsurprisingly, India is the top tea-consuming nation, as well as the world's second-largest tea exporter.

This simple beverage has a magical quality to it. Let's look at the various forms of Indian tea.

Masala Chai

India is the world's largest tea exporter. Although tea plants are common to parts of northwestern India, it wasn't until the British started producing them that the chai became a part of everyone's diet. Even so, due to India's rich cultural pantry, the locals developed the tea drink known as masala chai – black tea boiled with milk, sugar, and flavorful spices such as ginger, clove, cardamom, and cinnamon. Today, every Indian family has their own recipe for it.

Green Tea

Indeed, Green tea is not only healthy, but also calming! To make herbal or flavoured teas, some loose green teas are scented with flowers or blended with fruits. Straight green tea has a pleasant flavour and can immediately raise one's spirits. Green tea is known as the healthiest beverage on the earth because it is high in antioxidants and nutrients that have a beneficial impact on health.

Assam Tea

As the name implies, Assam tea is a form of black tea native to Assam. This form of Indian tea is well-known for its strong malty flavour and briskness, and it is popular not only in India but around the world. Assam tea improves mental alertness and helps to avoid cancers such as lung and ovarian.

Darjeeling Tea

It is rare to be unfamiliar with Darjeeling tea. Almost all Indians, as well as people from other parts of the world, are familiar with this form of tea. It comes in a variety of colours, including white, black, green, and oolong. Darjeeling tea has a distinct herbal fragrance and is thin-bodied, making it calming and subtle. It also aids in the prevention of gastric ulcers and obesity.

Butter Tea

Butter tea, also known as Gur Gur Chai in Ladakh and Sikkim, is very popular. Tea leaves, yak milk butter, water, and salt are traditionally used to make it. Himalayan nomads are estimated to consume more than 30 cups of tea a day! This tea is also available with cow butter and comes in small cups that will make you crave even more.

Kashmiri Kahwa

The Kahwa chai, which originated in the valleys of Kashmir, is an exotic chai with rich flavours. This, like other Kashmiri beverages, appears complex but is easy to produce. Everything you need is boiling hot water, cinnamon, saffron, cardamom, and dried rose petals. To make this concoction as potent as desired, green tea leaves should be added near the end. It can be served with honey and almond slivers on top. This rich and flavorful tea is best enjoyed on a cold winter day.

Noon Chai

Apart from Kahwa chai, there is another famous Kashmiri tea preparation, Noon Chai or Sheer Chai, which can be distinguished by its bright pink colour. This tea is usually served with milk and salt after brewing tea leaves with cardamom and baking soda until a bright pink colour is achieved. Almonds, pistachios, and cinnamon may also be added.

Nilgiri Tea

The origins of Nilgiri tea, also known as blue mountain tea, can be traced back to the southern part of the Western Ghats. Because of its extremely aromatic, flavorful, and dark characteristics, this tea is highly sought after all over the world. Nilgiri tea is also delicious when served iced. Furthermore, its advantages vary from bettering oral health to losing weight and even battling diabetes.