Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Cuppa Chai Or Iced Tea

A long time ago few leaves of Camilia Sinensis fell into a bowl of warm water held by a Chinese Emperor. The aroma that emanated from the brew was intoxicating and thus tea was discovered. A typically hot beverage that has floored the World completely is literally speaking undergoing the ravages of time.      

The paradigm shift albeit at a snail's place in traditional tea-consuming countries is taking place. Enter the wonderful zesty iced tea a cold phenomenon that is capturing a new target audience the young ones. The chai as we call it in India is traditionally drunk hot from a cup or small glasses. It is slipped slowly taking a good time probably in betwixt a conversation. 

The iced version is a modern invention perhaps necessitated by creativity and the stiff competition from colas. The usual hot beverage turns into an iced form upon refrigeration or with the addition of ice cubes. This form of brew is also subject to a lot of sugary additions or in many cases lime or both. A dash of ginger throws a lot of punch.

The herbal variants also come in this form with a lot of health benefits. The can or bottled version of this cool beverage is taking its popularity sky-high. It is assumed that cool tea beverages will take away an impressive share from the hot form as well as from fizzy cola drinks.    

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