1 cup chai hojaye!

Bhopalis are die-hard fans of Chai. No matter what the weather may be like, a hot cup of tea brightens everyone’s day. We’ve all had memories of making our first cup of tea. A good, authentic cup of chai, those you’d find at most homes in India and in street corners, is a perfect balance between tea, milk & sugar.

Chai lovers, view the drink with a lot of enthusiasm. It’s not just the chemistry of flavours which works for them but the emotional spaces which connect the soul.

But, how many of us really know about other variants of tea? People becoming more health conscious these days try and avoid milk. The most commonly known Teas in Bhopal are either Black Tea or Green Tea. While there are even concepts of High Tea & Afternoon Tea which are yet to hit the city.

But, the best part what I came across was, there are Tea houses in Bhopal serving varieties of teas and yet to be discovered by many. So if you are a tea lover or a tea connoisseur, you have to visit these places to experience the phenomenal combination and varieties of tea.

Indian Tea House

A quaint little tea house that is set up by a group of tea sommeliers who made sure they get the best teas to Bhopal. To do this, they travelled all over and got the best out of every tea they tasted and brought them to Bhopal through Indian Tea House. The beverage menu provides a customer with a plethora of tea options to choose from. The best part about this tea house is that they provide ‘To-Go’ option. So just in case you’re rushing for work/college or want a hot cuppa, you can take that along.

(i) Rooibos Tea: Green, black, brown and now, red! There are so many colours when it comes to teas. Rooibos tea coming from South Africa is gaining popularity as a delicious and healthy beverage. It’s a flavourful, caffeine-free alternative to black and green tea.

Here’s a heath tip: Rooibos tea has antioxidants that help to protect against cancer, heart disease and stroke.

(ii) White Pearl Jasmine Tea: This is a Chinese tea coming from the province of Fujian. The finest jasmine tea hand-rolled into pearl-sized spheres brews a unique concoction that will amuse even the most fanatical jasmine lovers with incredible aroma.

(iii) Moroccan Mint Tea: Mint tea isn’t just a drink in Morocco. It is a sign of hospitality, friendship and tradition. This legendary and adored drink is made by steeping green tea with a generous handful of mint leaves.

Goodricke Teapot 

Goodricke Tea Pot, Bhopal, is a venture by Goodricke Group Limited, the second largest producer of tea in India. It was launched with the intention to make the choicest teas available to those in search for a global tea experience. Like any other place Goodricke Tea Pot, too has milk based teas but what diversifies it from the rest is the variety of milk-less teas

Recently, they launched some 10 new flavours and I was invited for a tea tasting session. Here are some of my personal favourites from the new blends.

Here’s what you can try:

1.Castleon Muscatel: The well-rolled wiry blackish leaves have a modest amount of silver tips that classify the manifestation of Castleon Muscatel. On brewing, it produces an intense cup in colour and aroma. Apart from the signature mild muscatel flavours, there is also an explicit flowery essence. Handpicked from one of the finest high-elevation Darjeeling estates, this chinary is  absolutely flavourful.

2. Margaret’s Hope – White Tea: An exceptionally fragrant white tea with luscious floral-fruity flavours. A tea connoisseur’s delight, this white tea is distinctive for its smooth and delicate floral flavours. Highly Recommended!

3. Barnesburg Chamomile: Chamomile tea has a wonderful floral aroma that helps in relaxing of nervous system. It has various health benefits like it helps reduce stomach pain, good for cold, boosts immunity and reduces period cramps. A hint of sweet calming flavour. Not too strong but has a really soothing floral fragrance.

4. Barnesburg Marigold: This again is very similar to the above mentioned tea blend but the fact that differentiates it is that it has a strong fruity flavour because of the marigold flower. It too has many health benefits and if you open to trying out new things this is something worth going in for.

5. Thurbo Kashmiri Kahwa: Now this is something to bow down to, when it comes to rich and intense flavours. The exotic spices from Kashmir blended in a tea is something absolutely mind blowing and Thurbo Kashmiri Kahwa is exactly that. It has a very own distinct flavour somewhat like fired wood combined with saffron strands, cloves and cinnamon kind of spices. An absolute delight for tea lovers.

Chai & More

One such place where people get to sit with their friends and family or they can just sit and work in peace or maybe play games and read your favourite book with a hot cup. There’s something for everyone. Like any other place Chai & More too has milk based teas but what diversifies it from the rest is the variety of milk-less teas.

1. Earl Grey: Earl Grey is one of the most renowned flavoured teas in the world. This quintessentially British tea is typically a black tea base flavoured with the addition of oil of bergamot. The Smokey & fragrant taste of Earl Grey can make anyone fall in love with it.

2. Strawberry Swirl: Had Swirl Black tea before? Strawberry in a tea is something out of the box. Tastes much like the black tea with a strong aromatic flavour of strawberry. If you like to experiment with Teas, this is a perfect drink for your taste buds.

6 NO. STOP

6 No. stop in Bhopal is pretty famous for food hawkers corner. A small outlet at this place serves amazing lemon tea. There’s a secret recipe for the tangy lemon tea which is pretty simple though but that tea has been the talk of the town. Unfortunately, the picture of that tea didn’t come out well, but I had exactly the same tea at Marriott during the monsoon brunch and I was mentioned that this is exactly the tea served by that very hawker at 6 No. Market. 

This was a short summary of my personal top 4  places for good non-milk based teas. No doubt, that ghar ki chai and tappri ki chai are more authentic but if you ask a tea lover, he can just not say a no to new tea blends. One should be open to experiment and explore because there’s so much this world has to offer. Let’s discover new things and bring together the best ones.

I hope you all liked my blog post. Do let me know if you have any suggestions or any places you want me to review.

Till then, Happy Hogging.

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