Chai & India - A timeless romance

Chai and India is a tale of timeless romance. It is, unapologetically, an integral part of our culture since the beginning of time itself. From a roadside 'kulhad chai' to a luxurious sip in a plush café, all consume tea. Today, consumers tend to look for something that fascinates them. Their tastes have evolved, owing to the exposure to different cultures, which has intrigued them to try other beverages. Infused tea has managed to become the talk of the town recently. It is something that people across all age groups can have, based on their preference of taste and mood. The rich aroma they liberate and the variety of flavors they're available in, along with abundant health benefits, make them high in demand. It can be had either hot or cold, with or without honey, and consumed without milk. Anyway, it's made; there's no compromise on the taste buds.

The revitalizing and remedial wonders of tea are plenty and well known. However, there is so much more to tea than just that. When it's infused with other ingredients, the functional benefits heighten to a higher degree. Tea is a versatile beverage, and there aren't many off-notes to mask, making it an attractive ingredient to work with. This concept slowly gained acceptance into people's lifestyles when they realized that it can be infused with many ingredients like spices, fruits, flowers, botanicals, or herbs and can be hot or cold brewed. On top of it, more and more people are now going for healthier options full of taste and flavor. In this context, infused tea perfectly fits the bill. Age-old natural remedies like Tulsi, Moringa, Cinnamon, and Turmeric are now easily incorporated into our lifestyle, thanks to the convenience of making it.

Infused flavored tea handles all matters concerning health and wellness. It is 100% natural to consume, healthy, delicious, and can be had all day in all seasons. A fruity iced tea in summers is needed to keep you cool, and kahwa in winters is the perfect drink to keep you warm. There is a high range of flavors one can relish according to their preferences. From the classics before breakfast like pure Darjeeling and Himalayan green tea to dessert teas after dinners like Crème brûlée and Lavender vanilla flavor, not forgetting the wellness teas like Mellow hibiscus Magical cinnamon. Infused teas offer endless options for everyone to seek and savor.

Many people have become more concerned about their physical health as well, and after being aware of infused tea, they don't consume unhealthy amounts of sugar and trans fats to satiate their sweet cravings. They look for alternatives that turn out to be plenty, one of them being dessert teas like Sweet lavender vanilla, toasty Crème brûlée, Midnight mint flavors. These sweet teas satiate the sweet tooth with high antioxidants and zero calories and don't leave you guilty as they are zero calories in a cup. Cold brews have grown popular among the millennials since they saw this factor as a significant win-win beverage, which is also how it became a trend.

People have recently had the time to cook their meals, control their intake and make the process enjoyable over time. This gives them the freedom to incorporate new flavors into meals and make cooking more intriguing and wholesome for everyone. Experimenting and adding new flavors and infusions are something to try each day. Infused teas are slowly being incorporated with cooking and the trend is only building up from 2021. It is a new concept in India, but the trend seems to be catching up pretty rapidly recently.

Out of environmental concerns, packaged food and beverage companies ensure that they don't contain plastic because sustainability is the new trend. And so, infused teas are delivered in eco-friendly sustainable packaging like biodegradable tea bags, muslin tea bags, and zero plastic in the outer packaging. This decision makes it easier on the consumer's conscience to buy the infused tea packages, knowing that they're not doing further harm to the environment in the future.

With new kinds of tea like ready-to-drink, sparkling teas, dessert teas, and cold brews, it was about time infused tea became popular among the cult audience. With its everlasting fascinating flavors, combined with various health benefits, it only adds positivity to an entire generation, which is what we require.

Aditya Agarwal, founder, Chayam Tea