As soon as we speak of ‘tea’, the first thing that pops up in your mind is a refreshing morning, gossip, break and what not. Tea holds a strong place in each one of our lives not only in India, but across the globe. If we go deep into it’s background, then we find that tea has a long history, not only in India but also in America. You might have heard about “Boston Tea Party”, it was a political protest around tea which took place in America, in 1773. This might have made you more clear of what importance tea has held in the past.
Now, this drink is an integral part of our everyday life. From boosting energy in the morning to calming you down after a long tiring day… we look forward to a cup of tea to condition every minute. Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in India. Tea producing countries like India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda even celebrate International Tea Day, day in their own unique ways. International Tea Day was first celebrated in 2005 in New Delhi. India is one of the largest producers and consumers of tea. It would not be an exaggeration to say that tea is a tradition and also an emotion in our country. It is an important part of our food culture. Every region in India has its own unique way of preparing tea. Today, we will get to know about 7 distinct types of tea preparations of India.
Bengali Lebu Cha:
This tea is an important part of the life of Bengalis. Lebu Cha is Bengal’s traditional spiced lemon tea. It is basically a black tea made by mixing lemon, black salt, ginger powder and sugar.
Kashmiri Noon Tea:
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It is also popular as “Kashmiri Pink tea”. Noon tea is an authentic Kashmiri tea with salt added to it. In this, green tea is blended with whole spices (such as cinnamon, cardamom), nuts (almonds, pistachios, etc.), baking soda, milk, salt, and sugar. Due to which the drink gets a nice pink colour.
Kashmiri Kahwa:
Another famous classical tea of Kashmir is“Kashmiri Kahwa”. This tea is quite a more popular across the country. It has a light and mild, fragrance. It is very effective for you in winters. Kashmiri Kahwa is brewed and prepared with green tea, spices, nuts and saffron.
Parsi Choi:
Tea is called “Choi” in Parsi. This Parsi-style tea is an aromatic blend of mint leaves (often lemongrass), ginger and cardamom, cinnamon stick, along with the tea leaves. You can drink it with or without milk.
Mumbai’s Cutting Tea:
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“Cutting” tea means half cup or glass of tea. This is a very popular drink in Mumbai. It is basically masala chai. There are many famous tea brands in Mumbai that serve great cutting tea. Cutting chai you can easily find in almost every street of Mumbai.
Gujarati Ukalo:
Ukalo is basically a tea preparation made from ingredients such as lemon, honey, mint, ginger, tulsi leaves, etc. It is a kind of herbal tea. It is quite beneficial for health, especially during winters. Ukalo works as a immunity booster.
Mangalorean Kasai:
Another name for Mangalorean Kasai, is “Kashaya”. It is a herbal tea; this hot drink from Mangalore is mainly made out of coarsely powered spices. Spices like coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, etc. Many people prefer adding jaggery to it instead of sugar.