Tea around the world

While enjoying my masala chai (मसाला चाय) during breakfast, I glanced through the flier of Trader Joe’s that was delivered in the mail earlier afternoon. While many of the products failed to catch my attention, one product in particular, I couldn't ignore. It was Salted Caramel Chai, Tea Latte Mix. Being a management student and also an experimental cook, I read with interest what the product is. It’s a blend of black tea (must be from Assam) and Darjeeling Tea along with cinnamon, cloves, anise and ginger. In short it was a masala chai (मसाला चाय) with little difference as it was with caramel and few crystals of common salt. For me it was an interesting mix of typical Gujarati masala chai (मसाला चाय) with a dash of salted tea that I had on the streets of Kolkata tuned to the American taste with addition of caramel. From marketing point of view it was an adaptation of Indian tea for select American consumers at an attractive price of about USD 0.60 per serving. I will certainly not miss an opportunity to have sample of this blend when I visit Trader Joe’s next, which is almost at a walking distance from my residence close to US 1, in Princeton.

Indian Masala Chai

Tea is an English legacy. We cannot prove (not surprising) that we had tea in India much before British learnt how to spell tea. East India Company got firmly rooted in India; they encouraged the tea plantation in Assam in nineteenth century. India has been the largest producer of tea. Today India is pushed from top position to second largest tea producer’s position by China. Tea has been a native plant in Assam and some antique recipes of tea leaves and garlic are also documented. Contrary to this many researchers claim that tea travelled from China to India. Hope China doesn't claim that Assam is a part of their territory on this pretext. In one of the four ancient Chinese novels, “The Dream of the Red Chamber”, the author Cao Xueqin has mentioned that the tea was imported and consumed by rich people in China. Some researchers believe that tea is native of India and has been mentioned even in Ramayan. Some believe that the Somras (सोमरस), is tea. Black tea is a fermented product and so is, as claimed, Somras (सोमरस). The base for any alcoholic beverage is of vegetable origin and so is for most of the intoxicants (afim अफीम, charas चरस, ganja गांजा, tobacco etc), except two legged human beings (your sweetheart) and chemicals (LSD, amphetamine and alike). Ayurveda has been advocating various infusions, commonly called as Kadha (काढा ), may be kind of herbal tea, so tea is certainly not alien to us.

From marketing viewpoint tea has been regionalized. In China it’s the green tea that’s very common. There are also flavoured teas like the most popular, Jasmine tea. I have seen many Chinese dropping a tea bag in the kettle of hot water and pouring a small portion in porcelain cup and repeatedly sipping throughout the day. Every meal must end with tea. This is a "tea drinking" for its refreshing and tonic effect. Another aspect in China is "tea tasting" and that has

Chinese Black Tea

cultural significance. So tea in China is unique to its culture and traditions yet as per changing taste flavoured tea has its own niche.

From China tea travelled to Japan in the eighth century where the monks of Zen Buddhism had tea to keep them awake for meditation. Tea contains nearly 40 mg of caffeine per cup to keep one awake. Being expensive tea was consumed by priest and noble persons. Now tea is a part of Japanese food culture. Tea is widely available even in PET bottle from the vending machines. Here again when tea is served it is usually green tea; however black tea and Chinese jasmine tea are also popular.

British were instrumental for large scale farming of tea in India. They set up large tea gardens and went in for commercial production. British also had tea gardens in other colonies namely Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Kenya. The typical English breakfast tea is a blend of tea from India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. The blend has created a niche for itself. Another niche is for Earl Grey Tea, which is a black tea with addition of oil from fragrant citrus fruits that offers a distinctive taste and aroma. These two blends are popular in the UK and many brands are available in the market. These are strong blends, and therefore milk is added to the brew unlike China. UK Tea Council reports average consumption of 165 million cups of tea every day in UK.

It was the British who exported Tea to America from India. Americans have been ungrateful to tea. In fact they owe their independence to tea. It was the Boston Tea Party, a protest against tea duties in 1773 that sparked off the American War of Independence. Had tea not been there, America would have been yet another British colony.

American Ice Tea

But Americans forgot tea and chose coffee. Times changed and the migrant population from Indian subcontinent could not be ignored. Chai has attracted Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and many other American fast-food and beverage joints, where it finds a prominent mention on displays and menus cards. Snapple’s gave a “cold shoulder” to tea and offers ice cold fruit flavoured tea in American market. In grocery stores and supermarkets a wide range of tea from India is available. Flavoured ice tea is adaptation for American market.

Coming to India, undoubtedly it’s national drink. The southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu also have tea plantations apart from traditional tea producing areas like Assam and West Bengal. India has 30% consumption of world tea production and 70% of India’s produce is consumed locally. Tea was again a rich man’s drink in this country till 1950. Government of India set up Tea Board in 1950 and then after there is no looking back. The consumption is on increase year after year though coffee is trying hard to get a firmer foothold. Tea is a welcome drink in most part of the country and like British tea is taken with milk. Indians need strong brew, fragrance is manageable as chai masala (चाय मसाला), ginger, cardamom mask the original flavor. There no better drink than Adrakwali Chai (अद्रकवाली चाय) with Pakodas (पकोडा) or Batata Vada (बटाटा वडा) anytime on a rainy day or a hot cup of tea when one is out of the bed, particularly in morning in the winter season. Tea however is always welcome drink. It’s a drink in any season for any reason. The Mumbai culture is of “cutting”, about 50 ml of hot tea supplied by and at roadside Tapari (टपरी), a tea stall. At places Kori Chai (कोरी चाय), strong black tea without milk, is also popular. Each state has its own speciality as far as tea is concerned. Before advent of disposable plastic and paper cups, the indigenous disposable cups for serving tea were kulhad (कुल्हड), small cup shaped earthenware.

Indian 'Use n Throw' 

Before pouring tea, these would be dipped in water to mask the murky smell. A ting would still remain and that was adding a distinctive flavor to the tea. The kulhad (कुल्हड) are part of history with changing times. And these changing times have also brought in flavoured teas, green tea, chamomile tea and hoards of “healthy teas” to the Indian market. Different brands of Chai Masala (चाय मसाला) to add further zing to tea are also available in the Indian market. However the simple tea with ginger or cardamom still rules the ready to serve tea Indian tea market and is going places around the world.  

Click here for

More about Tea