Brew it to the tea

With coffee shops sprouting at every nook and corner in the city and as the monsoon settles in tea continues to make its presence felt Mumbaikarsrsquo love affair with the hot beverage isu00a0fascinating as much as itrsquos a necessity At Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf teas are divided into five categories ie Classic Line Black teas Green Teas Flavoured Green Teas Herbal and Fruit Infusions and Flavoured Black and Oolong Teas Their products are sourced from across the globe and blends are prepared at their US outlet by Tea Master David De Candia and sourced directly from the US ldquoOur teas do well here and contribute to 910 of our total beverage sale Our clientele comprise all age groups but mainly those between 2040 years as well as the youth Popular picks include Genmaicha Green Tropical Passion Vanilla Ceylon Ginseng Peppermint Moroccan Mint and Jasmine Dragon Phoenixrdquo says Chef Amit Maheshwari Coffee Bean amp Tea Leaf Snigdha Manchanda tea sommelier and founder of online brand Tea Trunk says that people choose an alternative brew only because of the poor quality of tea available or the fewer choices ldquoSoon we will launch Mumbairsquos first tea room capturing tea cultures of the world We hope Tea Trails is going to change the tea scene in the cityrdquo she adds City eatery Lemon Grass also boasts of a dedicated tea menu with offerings such as sugarfree Green Iced Tea with lemon pandan extract and honey and Iced Tarik Malaysian style sweetened condensed milk tea Cinnamon Tea with cinnamon chips CocoChoco black tea with dried coconut and chocolate chips Mokalbari Assam Malty Black tea and Temple of Heaven Green Tea Mitesh Rangras partner Lemon Grass says that being an Asianthemed restaurant they wanted to focus on teas as the preferred beverage at the restaurant ldquoWe source our teas from various importers across the city and also from our world travels As a beverage tea does well especially in the rains Most hot tea drinkers are between 24 to 40rdquo admits Rangras Drinking out Nostalgia in a teacup Though postrenovation Tea Centre doesnrsquot bring back memories of Kolkatarsquos tea houses itrsquos still worth a visit Started by the Tea Board over 50 years ago Tea Centre offers a variety of options from Masala Chai to flavoured ice teas It might also be a good idea to enjoy a full breakfast ordered by ringing a metal bell placed on your table with a cuppa and a walk down Marine Drive At Resham Bhavan 78 Veer Nariman Road near Ambassador Hotel Churchgate Call 22819142 Kashmiri brews Like its cuisine Kashmirrsquos teas spell wonders with their balance and infusion of several natural flavours Try the Kashmiri Kahwa tea and travel to the lakes of this paradise through cups of heaven At Poush Andheri and Kasarvadavali Thane W Call 65654554 Online buys Over the moon with tea Snigdha Manchanda loved collecting hundreds of world teas which she stored in her dadrsquos old trunk A few years ago this took her to a professional tea school in Sri Lanka where she studied under the guidance of a Japanese tea master ldquoI visited tea gardens tasted 100 cups of tea a day and profiled over 2000 varieties Inspired I wanted to share my knowledge and in 2011 Tea Trunk was bornrdquo she says She has hosted tea tastings and tea appreciation workshops and recently crafted six tea blends including Ginger Root East Himalayan Black Tea and Moon White Tea To source them Manchanda travels to tea estates across Assam Darjeeling and Nilgiri Their products use rose petals ginger root and lemon peels with no artificial fragrance or added colour Log on to wwwteatrunkcom Sip on wellness Tea Culture of the World offers handpicked and leastprocessed tea leaves from far away parts of the globe The brand makes available Green Black Oolong and Flower teas from areas famed for growing these varieties Their range includes Rose Tea which has antiageing properties Blooming Tea the brewing process involves watching a flower bloom which provides healthy qualities found in green tea Chrysanthemum Tea which soothes the eyes Colyx Tea a green tea good for fever hot flushes cold and bronchitis Puer Tea which can counteract the effect of alcohol Red Tea which lowers the risk of heart attack White Tea which has anticancer properties and Tieguayin Tea which helps prevent the onset of diabetes ldquoWe source our teas from China Egypt South Africa and India and we freeze dried fruits which are used for making blended teas from Germanyrdquo says Dr Rupali Ambegaonkar CEO Iron Buddha Company Logu00a0on tou00a0wwwteacultureoftheworldcom Call 25914192 for home delivery Also available Chai Diaries is a tea label launched in New York recently and retails in India as well They have a 3teainone gifting option as well Their range of teas includes Apple Cider Berry Blast Blood Orange Cherry Sencha and Chocolate Chai among others Some interesting versions include Organic Wedding Chai and White Champagne Raspberry Logu00a0on tou00a0httpmychaidiariescom Basilur Sri Lankabased tea brand Basilur is your go to option when you wish to gift someone tea Packed in vintagelooking tin cans which make for keepsakes Basilur offers some rather interesting options such as Cream Fantasy which is a mix of Chinese green tea sweet berries and tasty cream with a light base of flower petals At Several multibrand food outlets such as Foodhall and Natures Basket and wwwbasilurteaindiacom Like India Japan is known for its tea culture with almost religious importance given to following each step of serving tea Go for this Japaninspired tea set by The Home Label if you are bored of your boring old chai glasses Log on to wwwthehomelabelcom Cost 2499 Omved offers a wide range of organic teas crafted for different physical ailments If you suffer from acidity and indigestion try Paachan Tisane or if you wish for good health of your liver kidneys pancreas and gall bladder try Nirmaya Tisane At Omved stores across the city and at omvedstorein For 250 onwardsu00a0