Which is the most famous tea in India? Everything you need to know about Indian Teas.
The tea industry in India started out of the enormous fascination that the British had with tea. Tea is the national favourite and accounts for almost half the liquid consumed by people in Britain. It was introduced in Britain by some businessmen in the mid-1500s and ever since tea is an integral part of British culture.
Fast forwarding to today, Indians are known to slurp the warm & sweet concoction called chai every now and then during the entire day. Every time is tea time in India, literally! But how did the essentially British beverage become intricately associated with Indian culture and habits? The journey of tea to chai is two things; a meticulously planned ad campaign and the inherently refreshing and fragrant quality of tea.
Once the British were able to break the monopoly of the Chinese by producing teas in the Assam and Darjeeling region of India, there was enough tea for the British as well as for the gentry of India. Tea companies could not be indifferent to the millions of middle-class Indians who could switch to tea at a minimum level of persuasion. Although tea became widely popular post-independence when Indians took charge of erstwhile exclusive British plantations, the seed for India to become a tea nation was sown before India got its independence.
Without an iota of doubt, the most famous tea in India certainly is rich and refreshing masala chai. Every household in India has its own version of masala chai according to the preference of Indian spices they like. Some like their tea black with a pinch of black pepper powder and some boil a mixture of spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper along with the tea leaves and serve them with a dash of milk and sweetener of their choice.
As times are changing and the new generation is realizing the healthy aspect of tea, green and herbal blends too are competing for ‘the most famous tea in India’ title. The consumption of Green tea is estimated to grow at a CGAR of 7% in the forecast period of 2019-2025So, a lot of people will be making the choice to go for a cup of green tea and all the health benefits it entails.
If we look at the other side of the coin, Indian teas are adored globally. In fact, in the year 2014, a tea from Darjeeling was among the top 10 costliest tea in the world and was sold at USD 1,850 per kilogram. Although Darjeeling contributes only 0.1% of total tea produced in India, it surely represents Indian Tea. Known for making the perfect cup of English Breakfast with the punch of rich maltiness, Assam Tea is processed from the indigenous Camellia Sinensis var assamica. Larger than China variety, Assam teas are also globally famous for their punchy notes and refreshing aroma. In fact, one of Assam’s tea fetched a price of INR 1 Lakh per kg in 2021.
The tea world is enormous with a fascinating history, it has survived through centuries and it is adapting to changing times. It is a cup from nature to grow, and heal and we totally love it.
