THE PERFECT CUP

We drink Tea daily and it is an integral part of our lives. How many times have we sat along with our friends or family and searched for that perfect cup of tea? That one cup, that perfect cup which upon drinking gives a feeling of uplifting positivity and freshness.

I remember when I was young, tea used to come in loose packets from a local Grocery store. Of what my memory serves right, tea was a tradition and I often use to hear my elders talking "Today something is missing in tea. It is not up to the mark". That is when I wanted to know what is that perfect Chai (The Perfect Cup)

I stay in a place called Siliguri on the foothills of Darjeeling. Fortunately, I have acquaintances, friends and family members who are from the Tea Community. Some have their tea gardens, some just make teas by buying leaves from small growers and some just blend and sell teas.

I wanted to know what makes that Perfect Cup. I started my research and the more I learned about tea, I realized how less I knew about TEA. There are 100 of Teas in the market. But I was particular on what I wanted "the perfect tea for my mornings and evenings"

Tea manufacturing is a vast subject and the quality of teas depends on the season, weather and processing. Teas manufactured in the same tea garden differ in taste every 8 hours. Teas processed in Day and Teas made at night will have a different character. It will taste different. The same is the case with seasons. Teas made during March will be so much different from teas made during June.

Let me tell you about a small incident. We were visiting a tea garden located in the foothills of Darjeeling hills just about 45 minutes from my house. The manager of the garden was well known to us and he showed us around. When we concluded our visit and he gave us a packet of freshly made tea. We came back and made a Chai Latte using those teas and the teas made were extraordinary. I may not be able to describe in words as to how good that tea was. Once that batch of tea got over, I got more teas from the same garden but that quality we got earlier was nowhere close.

So again it got me thinking and still elusive of the answer of how and where to get the PERFECT Cup of tea. I started sitting with many experts, tea tasters, and big tea garden owners in my quest to get the perfect cup. Despite my best efforts, I could not get the right mix because I got to know from the learned people and by self-experience that no two teas are the same. Some will have flavour, some will have a smell and some will have colour.

I was more interested in aromas and flavour and I concluded that teas of the highest quality, from different gardens and different altitudes, will have to be tested and blended to get that cup I wanted. With the help of all tea experts & blenders, I have come up with a blend of CTC TEA (Chai) which one of the best. This blend is a promise for a perfect cup of Chai Latte every time you make one.