Tea-ing off to health, happiness and luxury

For most, the magic of life is about reading a book, listening to music, and savouring that steaming cup of tea. Sipping on a cuppa, especially of the masala variety, is the most natural punctuation of our quotidian lives. The aroma of the brew just hangs in the air, bringing smiles, season after season.

Today, however, tea is much beyond just the anchor of treasured household and cultural rituals. It is now an ineffaceable part of the wellness and artisanal movements and full-fledged businesses, with brands breathing new life into what is one of the world’s oldest and most-consumed drinks. From bubble or pearl tea to the fermented kombucha and many others in between, good old tea is the bandwagon to which entrepreneurs and brands are now hitching their stars.

Several of them work with small farmers to cultivate thousands of acres of sustainable farmland across India. Take for example Organic India, whose signature tulsi teas carry an organic certification. Or even women-owned Alaya Tea which sources organic loose leaf “directly from people and planet-friendly farms”. Or No 3 Clive Road, Tea Trunk and many others.

The Dharmsala Tea Company, dating to 1882, also prides itself on its single-origin Kangra tea that its “evocative of naturalness and sustainability”. These teas promise more than hand-picked and hand-crafted purity; they ensure organic and fair-trade practices—from supporting workers cooperatives and women tea-pickers to using sustainable packaging.

Well, it’s all good

Ever since its health benefits were discovered, wellness has become a key point in the curation of various types of tea. Other than green tea, many chais now are healthy low-caffeine or even caffeine-free expert blends of garden-fresh loose-leaf tea and dried flowers, herbs and condiments. And, while our beloved cup of chai admirably supports our health, it is not a patch of the various tisanes that tea sommeliers and brands are rustling up—blends with dried rose, chamomile, tulsi, moringa, turmeric, dandelion, amla, butterfly pea, exotic spices and other superfoods, all of which serve up versatile brews for detox, digestion, calm and immunity. South Africa’s Rooibus chai, which resemble tea leaves but come from a different plant, is also gaining traction since it is believed to improve blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol.

Digitally native global wellness brand Vahdam Teas, one of the first few Indian brands listed in legacy US retail chains such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue, even launched a limited-edition Seven Chakra Yog Tea on International Yoga Day last year. A tisane that promised to rejuvenate energy points in the body, its seven ingredients—lavender, gotukola, peppermint, rose, lemongrass, cinnamon and ashwagandha were said to resonate with the crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral and root chakras of our body.

Jugmug Thela, another tea brand on a mission to provide a good cup of tea for the body and soul, takes pride in its Yogi Tea, infused with condiments and herbs to detox. The Dharmsala Tea Company X Mini Shastri Yoga Teas Collection does likewise to provide very specific functional health benefits. Sancha, one of India’s first gourmet tea stores, also has among its many varietals the bestselling Sleeping Beauty Tea, curated to soothe the body at bedtime, and Lavender White Tea that promises rejuvenation. No 3 Clive Road classifies its teas further into vegan and gluten-free, generating a mere 21g of CO2 emissions unlike 210g from the usual tea bags.

Fruity takes

Though not exactly of the wellness sort, fruity teas—not to be confused with fruit tea—are largely artisanal, flavoured with different kinds of fruits. Some fruity teas, like those of US-based Artful Tea which ships to India, even contain real fruit pieces like candied pineapple and lemon peel. So, be it a refreshing cup of tea in summer or a sweet, fruit-forward one, you now have an expansive selection of teas with fruity notes. And yes, many can also be served iced.

Common fruity tea flavours include lemon, orange, strawberry, peach, and more. Then there are a few exotic mixed ones, like Dancing Leaf’s Lemongrass Orange Chai, a delightful rejuvenating brew. 1868 by Tata Tea, boasting of a range of luxury teas from across India, also takes pride in its fruity combination of mango, mellow Assam orthodox tea, and hint of mint. Its Spicy Guava on the other hand, is tangy and spicy with guava, crushed green chillies, and green tea. Other interesting brands like Octavia have fruity takes such as the super antioxidant-rich white tea Acai Berry with the essence of Brazilian superfruit, açai berry, and even the caffeine-free Berry Cabernet, a luscious blend of organic fruits and botanical. Yet another exotic fruit blend tea is Mango Strawberry Black Tea from Tea Box.

Also, in colour

If such various artisanal blends and curations of black, white, and green tea varieties were not enough to pique our interest, today we also have the rather colourful blue tea. While several luxury tea brands have their own blue tea curations, an eponymous brand provides a healthy and colourful range with Blue Indian Tea Chai Masala and even Purple Tea Spiced Lemon. Satori, another artisanal tea brand boasts of ‘boutique teas’, including flavours like Citrus and Spice and Floral Blossom that nods at wellness with the claim that the tea “helps people reconnect with themselves”.

These carefully selected teas, paired with spices and flavours, fruits and flowers, culminate in a taste experience that is unforgettable. It takes the usual tea experience further, filling us with comfort and helping us tide over any daily distress. From the good old masala chai, delicate Earl Grey, and the more exotic butterfly pea and hibiscus, these teas sparks moments of magic.

Their time could not have been better. While change did begin a few years ago, it really took off during the lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. With people spending more time at home, companies leveraged the power of social media for their product assortments and many, particularly Millennials, were willing to experiment.

Café trails

From kettles of tea brewing at tiny stalls across the length and breadth of the country to cuppas at tea cafes—much like the popular coffee boutiques—tea is holding hard to the love it has always enjoyed. And, in a fast-changing and fickle world, brands are probably headed the right way; according to Euromonitor International, tea continues to remain a preferred beverage.

In urban centres, tea cafes are sprucing up and taking on coffee cafes with their affordability and interesting concoctions that attract both the young and the young-at-heart. Take Chai Point and Chaayos, mushrooming swiftly across India. At Chaayos Tea Room, it is not just the traditional sugary, milky concoction of most Indian homes that is on offer—you can add a dash of whatever takes your fancy, from lemon to ginger, honey, pepper, mint and wait, even green chilli! In Tier II cities, like Guwahati, tea cafes are getting quick attention with quirky names like Chai and Sutta and Adda. And then serving up fascinating decoctions.