Tangy Zesty & Estatic - Absolutely Tealicious Cuppa Chai

Monday Morning Freshness! 

A night before scrap some lemony zest in a cupful of water. Let it rest overnight for the water to absorb the bitter-sweet tanginess from the zests. Get up early in the morning (He!He!) wash your mouth and charge at the stove. Take a spoonful of leaves from a good brand, Wagh Bakri, Tata, or Green leaves of Organic India. The best is to add both black and green variants in equal proportions.     

Sprinkle the leaves in the water containing zest and lift it to the stove. Now add a mix of cinnamon and cardamon powder. This will enhance the earthy and musky flavors of the leaves. Gung Ho brings the mixture to a boil and strains. 

Slurp! There you have one of the most tealicious hot brews on Earth. Good Morning!   

Have it with Poha or just bread and butter. Better still sip the cup full to savor the aroma without any conflict and then dive for brekky.  

I sip mine, predawn, on the balcony when the World is asleep.

Tea Basics: What’s in a Blend?

Most tea retailers create their own blend to make their tea taste and smell unique so that a particular group of target customers are hooked to only that variety of tea. However, there are no maxims regarding the right blend or anything. There are some regular blends and you can make your own blend by mixing two or three of these regular blends to suit your taste.

Here are some blends that you can take a look at to get an idea about the usual blends. You can try some of them and then make your own by mixing them or adding a few herbs or spices of your choice to experiment.

Earl Gray

This is only black tea with Bergamot citrus oil added for the aroma. The light citrus flavor is refreshing and strong and you can make it to smooth the aroma if you want with a few jasmine or holy basil leaves.

English Breakfast

Yes, this is the name of a blend of tea or to be precise, a Chinese Keemun famous in India, Africa and Ceylon. This is one of the commonest types of tea.

Irish Breakfast

Similar to the English breakfast, the Irish breakfast is a blend grown in Assam and Ceylon in large quantities. It is dark in color and malty in texture.

Afternoon Blend

This is a light tea unlike the English and Irish breakfast. The blend is made from the best Darjeeling tea, Oolong tea and light Ceylon tea. Since it promotes digestion it is recommended after heavy meals which we usually tend to eat during lunch and hence the name.

Russian Style

This is black tea or oolong tea teamed with Lapsang Souchong for the smoky effect. The blend is generally made by mixing Keemun tea, Assam tea and green tea from China. Some other blends include different types of black tea only.

Spiced Tea

Spices like cloves, cardamom, anise and cinnamon are added to superior quality Ceylon tea and your spiced tea blend is ready. The base is black tea because black tea has a strong aroma base to be able to stand out even in the flavor of these spices. To add to the refreshing property dried orange or lemon peel can be grated into the tea and left for some time before straining and consuming.

Herbal Tea

Herbal tea, just like spiced tea is not a blend of tea in itself but tea with added herbs for the aroma and health factors. Green tea is preferred over black tea in the case of herbal tea but you can use either or even a blend of green and black tea. You can add peppermint, holy basil, spearmint and other light herbs to make the blend of your choice.

Tea: From a Modest Beginning To a Global Phenomenon

So you’re a tea drinker with a good idea of the immense anti-oxidant properties. This ancient brew has cheers for you. It is woderful having this hot beverage to relax yourself at any point of day?

As science confirms many ancient beliefs about tea and the exact nature of anti-oxidants in the leaf. The leaf  began its sojourn along the track of human civilization as a modest infusion. Initially prepared from leaves of Camelia sinensis by Chinese and other Asian natives the brew has gained an enormous appeal. As a beverage of choice amid consumers worldwide they are increasing year by year.. It remains challenged in popularity only by coffee that still remains a favorite in US. But with entry into sections like canned options of iced-tea and combination with liquor continues to gain new flavors with time.

Tea: How It Is Sold

Tea is often sold in packages in different varieties- green, black, white, oolong, pu-erh, etc. You also find variations like organically grown blends, sweetened teas, ready-to-drink versions, canned beverage and  leaves sold in loose form.

The most popular tea in terms of high sales is black, followed closely by green leaf. England and India are the biggest consumers of black tea, followed closely by Europe, Japan, China and US, though China has its own variants that have lighter textures and unique flavors. North America has registered some of the highest growth in iced-tea drinking. This definitely indicates a sure consumer shift and heightened consumer interest in non-carbonated drinks.

Indian or Chinese?

Undoubtedly Indian and Chinese blends holds sway over a majority of global sales volumes. The Lapsang Souchong of China is the most famed amid the numerous other Chinese brands in use. Yunnan is another, grown and plucked from the Yunnan province.

The Indian tea considered best in quality and aroma is one grown in Darjeeling. It is liked for its light and delicate flavor. In contrast the Ceylon leaf is strong with a sharp aroma. Assam tea is strong and shows readiness to blending with other flavors. You find many Assam variants in market in India and elsewhere.

Darjeeling Orange Pekoe and Ceylon broken-orange Pekoe are highly in demand in England. China alone is reported to produce world’s 18 percent production. Parts of Asia like Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia also grow tea as does Kenya and other countries.

Popular Tea Blends

Earl Gray is a blend that combines a black tea with flavor of bergamot. It is smoky and aromatic with just the slightest touch of citrus. Usually Earl Gray is a blend of Indian with Ceylon leaves. Breakfast tea is stronger than Darjeeling and popular blends in this category are the English breakfast, Irish and Scottish Breakfast blends. If you like the aroma of jasmine try Jasmine tea which has a delicate flavor added of green leaf.