With artisanal tea brands taking over the Indian beverage industry, it’s no surprise to find a homegrown label at the turn of each corner. However, what keeps that from becoming mundane is that most brands have something different to offer, ultimately lending to making the tea landscape in the country vibrant. Recently, we came across one such label, Vadham Teas, a tea brand that aims to ‘redefine the way the world discerns tea’.
Founded in 2015 by Bala Sarda, a fourth-generation businessman whose family has been exporting tea for the last 80 years; Vadham Teas prioritises the element of freshness. Sourcing their leaves directly from plantations all across India – Darjeeling, Assam, the Nilgiris, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Bihar – and from Nepal, they do a variety of long leaf teas, teabags, and matcha. Organic Himalayan Green Tea, Maharaja Breakfast Black Tea, Sweet Cinnamon Masala Chai, Kashmiri Kahwa, Moringa Matcha, and plenty of other plain and flavoured teas feature in their roster. What’s interesting is that their teas are picked fresh off the state and within hours of harvest, and packaged garden-fresh at the Delhi facility before being shipped across the world. Tempted to try it out for ourselves, we brewed three different cups, and here’s what we found.
The Organic Himalayan Green Tea (teabag) has earthy, vegetal flavours. Brew it as per the instructions given on the pack and you’ll get a hint of sweet notes, avoiding the bitterness that may come in with steeping for too long.
The Turmeric Spiced herbal tea tisane (teabag) was our favourite. Soothing, with mellow spice notes, its turmeric is flanked by black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass, and bergamot oil. The fragrant tea would make for a great pre-sleep ritual, and let’s not forget the health benefits of turmeric.
The third one, Matcha Green Tea (powder) is from the Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. Once stirred-in, the powder is smooth and its subtle notes of plantlike flavour come together with umami and sweet notes to create a healthful cuppa. The freshness of teas is apparent across the board, with the bouquet of taste notes opening up gently as you sip.
While we love our milky, sugary cup of masala tea ever so often; quality teas which go beyond being comfort food, and serve the palate and health in equal measure are the order of the day. And Vadham Teas is one you’d like to try if you’re on the lookout for a homegrown brand doing fresh, authentic teas.
All images: Courtesy Vadham Teas (Facebook)
Megha Uppal
An innate love for travel and food has translated into many a trips since childhood for Megha; it also fed her curiosity to know about local cultures. When not writing, she is on the lookout for three things: A great dark chocolate dessert, a beautiful pool where she can practice her backstroke, and art that she can save up for.
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