Tea could be the healthiest beverage on the planet. It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body.
These include improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer and many other impressive benefits. And India is one of the largest producers and exporters of tea in the world.
Consumption of tea in India was first clearly documented in the Ramayana (750–500 BCE). For the next thousand years, documentation of tea in India was lost in history. Though the extent of the popularity of tea in Ancient India is unknown, it is known that the tea plant was a wild plant in India that was indeed brewed by local inhabitants of different regions. The three main Indian tea regions are Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri.
–
The practice of Ayurveda has also resulted in a long-standing tradition of herbal teas. Traditional Indian kitchens have long utilised the medicinal benefits offered by various plants and spices such as holy basil (Tulsi), cardamom (Elaichi), pepper (Kali Mirch), liquorice (Mulethi), mint (Pudina), and traditionally, teas made with these plant leaves or spices have been in use for centuries for maladies ranging from the serious to the trifling. Tea is also mixed with these traditional herbs. The taste of chai (sweet and milky) helps disguise the stronger and more bitter flavours of some of the medicinal additives, while other, more pleasant flavours such as cardamom, clove and ginger add a pleasing flavour and aroma to the tea along with health benefits.