The cup of joy, gourmet chai

Gourmet tea is trending for the simple fact that it is loaded with natural antioxidants and vitamins and it comes in new flavours that impart tea a luxe indulgent feel, writes Anuja Pandey

Gourmet teas have taken over regular chai during the pandemic. With the blurred lines of work and personal time, irregular routines and rounds of chai (for those who are chai, coffee lovers), many of us have moved to hibiscus tea, chamomile tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, white tea, matcha tea, earl grey tea and Kashmiri Kahwa.

Gourmet teas have bowled over tea lovers around the world thanks to their health benefits coupled with the delightful new flavours.

Gourmet tea is trending for the simple fact that it is loaded with natural antioxidants and vitamins and it comes in new flavours that impart tea a luxe indulgent feel. There is so much to explore and you never know what flavours fancy your taste buds sip by sip.

What is gourmet tea or coffee?

Gourmet tea is a perfect blend of tea curated by tea sommeliers. The passionate job requires the right mix of flavours with the right kind of tea or coffee roast. The balance of the flavours in a certain tea or coffee requires it to be curated in a way that it delivers joy and authentic taste.

Such exotic teas infused with natural ingredients like fruit or flowers are ruling market trends today and appeal to the present generation.

A lot of us enjoy our tea without milk or with almond or other variants of milk that are replacing traditional tea blends. This makes tea lighter on the stomach, and a true tea enthusiast would cherish the aroma and flavours emanating out of the unadulterated cup of joy.

The art of flavours

The specificities of flavour depend on the type of tea. If it is the green tea variety then it goes well with mild citrus notes like an orange while heavier, richer teas like black tea go well with bolder citrus notes of lemon. The floral notes like jasmine go well with oolong tea. There are spicy mixes, cinnamon being a favourite amongst many, and then there are fruity flavours like peach or pineapple or passion fruit that taste delicious in cold concoctions as well. The challenge for the flavorists is to retain the natural quality of the beverage while mixing the right flavours in perfection. The flavorists are trying out bold new mixes that are more experimental in nature and tea enthusiasts flock to try out these, indicating that the market is ripe for new flavours to spice up the mornings.

(The author is an influencer.)