Tearrific potion

Mona

The first glass is as gentle as life.

The second glass is as strong as love.

The third glass is as bitter as death...goes the Magrebhi proverb in reference to Moroccan mint tea where three glasses are served at the same time and politeness rules that one must accept all three!

Well, teaholics can have three or 30, or anything in between. In vogue since the third century when tea found a mention in Hua Tuo’s medicinal texts, this humble drink can cure cold and cough, heartache to headache.

While nothing can beat the pleasure of holding a cup of masala chai, taking in its aroma; the calorie-conscious millennial are steering towards the new kinds – green, black, moringa or hibiscus to reap health benefits!

Those in love with tea have their specific rituals – particular cup or tea cosy, just the right amount of milk or sugar, a favourite spot or a book in hand. An iota here or there and can throw a teaholic into a fit.

If moringa tea is the reigning queen now, the benefits of chamomile, black, green or white tea are not lost on tea aficionados. “I haven’t touched another kind ever since I was introduced to white tea,” says self-confessed tea addict Namrata Sharma. She goes in details how her favourite is the most delicate variety of the tea, plucked before the tea buds open fully, still covered in delicate white hair. That it’s priced at Rs 18,000 per kg doesn’t bother this financial consultant. “A fine cup rejuvenates my skin, and is the best antidote to stress.”

If anything has challenged the ‘superiority’ of white tea is the moringa version. The new super-food has the health conscious on its side. “Moringa green tea is one of the latest rediscoveries in India,” says dietician Sheryl Salis. “This super chai not only improves immunity and regulate metabolism but it also helps in weight management,” she adds.

Nutritionist Pallavai Jassal, however, points out that the goodness of tea depends on how we prepare it. “While our masala chai with goodness of tulsi, ginger or cinnamon offers a soothing concoction in cold, wintery days; just don’t overheat it. “The beneficial nutrients like polyphenols are heat sensitive so to have the full effect just brew gently,” offers Jassal.

Know your cuppa

Grown at the foothills of the Himalayas, Darjeeling tea retains its title, the Champagne of teas. When it comes to tea, today there’s God’s plenty, to borrow Chaucer’s words. Broadly classified into black, green, oolong and white, here are a few trending versions winning tea addicts.

Cheese tea: Tea, sweetener, cream cheese, whipped cream and salt go in to making of Cheese tea owes its origin in Taiwan. Foamy and tangy, one can enjoy it in both hot and cold versions.

Dandelion tea: Some see as weed, some as wish, teaholics have embraced Dandelion tea for its floral taste and digestive benefits.

Orthodox tea: If you love the whole leaf opening up as it brews, most likely it’s made using traditional methods that is plucking, withering, rolling, oxidation and drying. There is a variety of orthodox teas to choose from.

Kahwa: Kashmiri kahwa is no novelty in the North but its immunity boosting properties have made it come back in trend all over again.

Flowering tea: Tea leaves and flowers dried in a way that when steeped, it becomes a pretty centrepiece. From chrysanthemum to hibiscus, jasmine to lily, flowers have made pact with teas.