12 Most Popular Varieties of Tea Culture in India

Chai is the National Drink of India and also the State Drink of Assam, India is second largest producer of tea in the world as well as second largest exporter of tea after China.

Indian tea culture consumed 70% of the tea within India itself and the trade, industries, exportation and production are controlled by the Tea Board of India.

Masala Chai

Masala Chai is the most popular beverage made by mixture of herbs, spices, cinnamon and cloves. Mamri tea plants from Assam region’s are used to make Masala Chai with different proportions of spices.

Ginger tea and Cardamom tea along with Lemongrass are few most popular varieties of tea found in India, roadside tea stall are known as Chaiwala, serve tea in a small glasses, plastic cups, small teacups or clay Kulhar.

Noon Chai

Noon Chai or Kashmiri tea is the Variation of traditional tea usually cooked in a samavar. The pink tea is traditional tea beverage from Kashmir and also served in many parts Rajasthan and Nepal.

Butter Tea

Butter Tea is made by yak butter, tea leaves and salt by Himalayan people of India, Nepal and Bhutan. This is known as Po cha in Tibet and known for its unexpected salty flavor rather than sweet.

Green Tea

Green Tea have been used in Indian medicine for a variety of uses with list of health benefits. Health benefits of green tea includes Weight loss, Toxicity and Glycemic control.

Black Tea

Black Tea are stronger in flavour and produced by all four tea production regions of India. Large leaved Assamese plants are mainly used for black tea.

White Tea

White Tea harvested in India, Sri Lanka and China (Oolong Tea and Yellow Tea), It’s one of the styles of tea made from the buds and immature tea leaves.

Herbal Tea

Herbal Tea made from hot water and served hot with varieties of plant material such as Lemon, ginger, Lemongrass, Hibiscus, bael, knotgrass and coriander seed, long pepper, Cinnamon and Clove.

Ginger Tea (Adrak Wali Chai)
Cardamom Tea (Elaichi Chai)
Clove Tea (Long ki Chai)
Lemon Tea with Honey
Cinnamon Tea (Dalchini ki Chai)
Black Pepper Tea (Kali Mirch ki Chai)

Herbal teas mostly made with dried leaves, seeds, roots and fresh flowers by pouring boiling water. In addition, herbal teas used to support digestive system and most popular healthy herbal teas you should try includes Peppermint Tea, Echinacea Tea, Parijat leaves tea and Giloy root tea.

Iced Tea

Iced Tea are common drink in India, mostly available as ginger lemon iced tea or lemon iced tea. Lipton and Nestle brand of tea two most popular brands of iced tea in India.

Lemongrass Tea

Lemongrass Tea is healthy with citrus flavour and benefits your body by detoxifying, boosts immunity and calming muscles and nerves. The leaves are also used for flavoring in herbal tea as well as in Masala tea.

Irani Chai

Irani Chai is very popular in Pune and Hyderabad and mostly available in only Irani hotel along with Maska Pav or Bun Maska. Irani Chai are masala chai with some spices and a popular quick weekend breakfast.

Amrut Tulya

Amrut Tulya Tea is made of fresh water, fresh ginger, crushed cardamom and tea leaves. The Amrut Tulya Tea is cooked in brass vessel in Maharashtra and especially in Pune, tea is known as comparable to Nectar.

Tandoori Chai

Tandoori Chai is the new out of the box variety of tea with unique concept of chai in Pune. Chai La serving the Tandoori Chai, India’s first tandoor tea corner in Pune where clay pots also known as kullhads are pre heated in tandoor and again served in a fresh and clean kulhads (red clay teacups) with some smoky flavour.

Types of Tea in India

India is one of the largest producers of tea in the world, especially from the regions of Assam, Nilgiri and Darjeeling. The major tea producing states in India are Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and other northeastern states.

Assam Tea

Assam tea is a black tea, known for its bright colour and strong malty flavour. The tea plants are grown in the lowland region of Assam on either side of the Brahmaputra river.

Nilgiri Tea

Nilgiri Tea from the hills of the Nilgiris district and Munnar are fragrant and flavoured tea. Nilgiri tea is black tea comes from the picturesque tea estates of Munnar and Nilgiris of the Western Ghats mountains.

Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling Tea available in black, green, white and oolong in color, made from the small leaves. Tea planting in Darjeeling became’s the first Indian product to receive a GI tag.

Kangra Tea

Kangra Tea is a black tea and green tea from Himachal Pradesh produced in the Kangra Valley and got Geographical Indication status. Palampur and Dharamsala are popular tea estates in the region.