Yes, there’s a day dedicated to tea! International Tea Day has been celebrated on December 15 for more than a decade in tea producing countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal among others.
Hyderabad, known for its Irani chai, has been witness to a steady flow of new tea bars. The beverage has always been an inevitable part of our lives, but with tea bars offering new and interesting flavours, people are now rushing to these places for their daily dose of chai.
The Chai Bar at a star hotel in the city is truly a place for tea lovers with over forty varieties of speciality teas from Assam, Darjeeling and the Nilgiris.
Handpicked teas like mango flavoured Assam tea and Kashmiri Kahwa are among people’s favourites. They also have other interesting flavours like Dragon Ball, Darjeeling First Flush, Blood Orange Herbal Blend and Pondicherry Fruit Tisane etc.
“Our tea bar is a tribute to Indian tea industries. We started the Chai Bar in 2013 and it’s been a huge success. Many customers enjoy tea over coffee and that’s when we decided to have an exclusive tea bar. People think tea has no varieties, but that’s not true. Having a tea bar is now the USP of many restaurants such as ours,” says the spokesperson of the hotel.
Chai Kahani is another popular tea cafe in the city, and its owner Vikas Reddy is thrilled with the response. “I started one cafe at Madhapur just this year and the response has been so amazing that I have opened another branch at Kompally. We’ve welcomed 4,000 customers in just 20 days! Tea is a daily affair in South Indian homes and since we are providing them with more options for flavours, people are more than happy about it. Priced at Rs 60-70, it’s also affordable when compared to coffee,” says Vikas and adds, “Not just youngsters, but people of all age groups enjoy tea and it’s also a healthier option. Tea is the new trend.”
Tea invites conversation and many Hyderabadis love to chat over tea at Lamakaan. Ashhar Farhan, trustee of Lamakaan says, “Tea is a part of Lamakaan culture. We just serve the regular Hyderabadi chai, but people love it. Irani cafes have eroded from the city, but we continue to serve it to people for just '10. People enjoy having tea while conversing with friends or colleagues and that’s the reason people come to Lamakaan.”
