Places to go for Chinese Teas in Mumbai

Mumbai is renowned all over the country as the city that never sleeps. Touted as one of the busiest metros, Mumbai also boasts of multi cuisines and has a restaurant and eatery or even a small shop to fill the hunger pangs of the rich and the poor alike with meals and snacks that suit every budget. Similarly, the evergreen beverage, tea finds a place in every Indian’s heart and the hot wafting cup wakes each one, making them raring to go and start the new day with enthusiasm. Of late, the beverage in its classy Oriental form is enchanting patrons at restaurants which serve Chinese Teas in Mumbai.

China has had a long history of tea production and drinking it, as a medicine and also as a luxury. It has held the classes and masses in a bond over the ages. The concept of tea-houses which came up as wayside snack shelters providing food with tea, caught the imagination of everyone and very soon it became a worldwide phenomenon which is why today we have a large number of places offering Chinese Teas in Mumbai. Here, one gets to sample the traditional teas which have proven to be beneficial for health. Stress related problems, fatigue, high blood pressure, high cholesterol are proven to have been reduced by the intake of the light Chinese teas. It is little wonder then that there is a great demand for these, where all these diseases are constantly on the prowl due to the hectic schedules of its inhabitants.

Generally, several types of teas like Tian Hong, White Peony, Anxi Tie Kuan and many others are available. The Dragon’s Well which falls in the Green Tea category is said to have the most benefits and is quite sought after. It has an exclusive taste and aroma which is hard to be missed. Known as Longjing, this tea needs to be brewed at the right temperature in the right container to get an enhanced flavor. Though served in porcelain or glass tea cups, this tea blooms in the special clay pots called the Yixing Clay Teapots. Picked young, the leaves are roasted immediately to retain the goodness. It changes to a yellow green shade on being infused. Amongst the other Chinese in Mumbai there is also the Oolong Tea which comes in myriad taste according to its variety. Treatment is provided as per the categories to safe guard the flavors and is hand rolled many a times. This type of tea can be brewed several times because its taste improves with every further brewing. This tea too has its own share of benefits which retain good health mentally and physically.

It is therefore not surprising that people in the city of Mumbai who can afford to, flock to restaurants like Ping Pong and many others who offer these unique drinks to help customers to regain lost health and feel fresh, rejuvenated and raring to go in their busy order of businesses.

Tasting the fragrant Chinese Teas in India

The Chinese gastronomic invasion on India has always been welcomed with open minds and open hearts. If one has to count the number of restaurants and eateries offering ‘authentic Chinese’, it will be an overwhelming number. Along with food, the Chinese teas too are a hot favorite amongst Indians and the trend of visiting tea houses for a refreshing cuppa is fast catching up in urban India. It is therefore interesting to see the spread of Chinese Teas in India.

It is a well known and accepted fact that it was the Chinese who introduced the fabulous beverage, to which the entire world wakes up. There is of course variations in the quality of teas that are available the world over, each with their own distinctive flavor. But Chinese teas are in a class apart. They are not only medicinal but also flavorsome. There are several varieties of these teas like the white tea, the green tea, the red tea and the scented tea. Many of these Chinese Teas in India are seen on the menu cards of specialty restaurants which offer a classic Chinese fare to go along with them. Unlike in Japan, there are no elaborate tea ceremonies in China for drinking of tea. But porcelain is widely used for the tea sets and certain norms pertaining to which leaves are to be picked, how they are supposed to be infused or not infused and how the tea should be served are followed since ancient times. Recipes involving tea as a main ingredient in cooking are very much prevalent in Chinese cooking.

One of the most popular scented teas is the Jasmine Tea which enthralls the drinker with its sweet fragrance and also acts as a coolant. Here, the jasmine flower buds are plucked and placed in the tea cup and hot water is poured over this. The hot water causes the buds to open and flower releasing its fragrance and thus scenting the tea. Chinese teas in India are carefully prepared by chefs who have immaculately mastered the art; jasmine tea is prepared by placing freshly-opened jasmine flowers in the tea leaves which have been plucked and dried. Having kept them overnight or at least for four hours, helps the tea leaves to absorb the taste and smell of the flowers. To rid the tea of the moisture, it has to be again to avoid its spoiling. This procedure needs to be repeated several times again in order to get the fragrance completely seeped in to the tea leaves.

Chinese teas have multiple health benefits as well like, reduction of bad cholesterol, reducing fatigue, reducing joint inflammation, tooth decay and skin irritations. With all these benefits, it is not surprising that these teas are gaining wide spread popularity, and are being patronized by everyone the world over. Concomitantly there is a rise in number of people flocking to dining places like Ping Pong that offer original oriental teas. Customers are now valuing health-oriented drinks, and an increasing number of them view Chinese teas as drinking one’s way to a very good and healthy life without any after effects. Restaurants are now beginning to take notice of the same.