Brimming with tea

BESY BUYS

Forget CTC (Cut Torn Curled, the strong Assam tea that is a staple in all our households), learn to treat your morning cuppa with a little more respect.

If you love your teas but are sick of the brewed-to-death way in which most of us drink the beverage "" not to mention sick of inferior tea bags, or, at best fanning, ordinary Indians who make their purchases at local kirana stores must make do with, here are a few options you may like to consider:

WHITE TEA
There is green and there is black. But one category of tea that is increasingly becoming quite a style statement is white tea. Essentially, a one leaf-one bud Darjeeling, this is neither fermented, nor steamed.

Thus, this is also the purest form of tea and rich in anti-oxidants. Pricey at Rs 8,000-10,000 a kilo. Connoisseurs call it addictive "" even at that price "" but you need to take just about a couple of leafs for a cup.

SILVER NEEDLE
Tea is increasingly taking on the discourse of wine and is being marketed as such. Makaibari, the small, 100 per cent organic estate in Darjeeling that connoisseurs swear by, owes its elitist following to the concept of "terroir", hitherto associated with French wine, and roughly translating into "soil and water" of a region that impart characteristic traits to a particular wine.

The pick of Makaibari is Silver Needle, described as the top needle of the plantation, picked on full moon nights.

It sells for as much as Rs 3,200 for 50 grams but who cares when you're getting your cuppa from an estate fabled also to be visited by a particular fly that imparts characteristic flavour to the tea! If you like mythic brews.

AYURVEDIC TEA
At the Craft House, a store at the Nikko hotel in New Delhi, Sunday Japanese visitors have a "tea ceremony" of their own. They sit around chatting leisurely, tasting tea brewed by a special "master tea maker" before deciding which one to buy. And apparently a popular choice is the Ayurvedic blends.

Depending on your body type, you can buy tea mixed with special herbs, and put it to therapeutic use. (www.crafthouseindia.com)

PEARL
This is essentially green tea "" the Chinese have Dragon Pearl and even Jasmine Pearl, in India, you have Darjeeling Pearl "" and gets its name from the shape in which it is handrolled (2 leaves- 1 bud).

ASSAM SUMMER TIPS
For those who like something darker and stronger than flavourful Darjeelings, this is an ideal combo of flavour and aroma "" whole leaf and a high percentage of the golden tips.

Assam Broken (Orthodox, which is a method, just as CTC) on the other hand, is broken leaf of premium grade and with some tips. It is thus stronger than whole leaf teas.

KONDOLI
In India, tea is usually not marketed with the name of the estate. Makaibari is an exception. And if you are looking for a similar estate in Assam, it would be Kondoli, which is also 100 per cent organic. Mazbat, another estate in upper Assam, is also recommended for its malty black tea.

BAGH BAKRI
If you are travelling to Gujarat, you can pick up this brand, which is apparently only available in that region and known for its characteristic malty blend. Priced higher than your Re d Labels and Taj Mahals, it is still a bestseller and the best way to have this is the desi way "" brew it strong with milk and sugar.

FLAVOURED TEA
Bits of dried fruits, flowers and herbs "" and sometimes simply essential oils "" are added to give you your favourite. Any self respecting, tea-specialising store will stock these in a variety of flavours, from black currant and rose to even tulsi, that is (usually) green tea mixed with basil.