BULLETIN

In the heart of Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang District are wild vegetations of a rare kind of tea. This tea, rich in its health benefits was once believed to be from Kenya. But in 2015, the Tocklai Tea Research Institute published a paper revealing that this exotic tea, actually originated in India–Assam, to be accurate. What’s more special about the tea is its colour–purple! “The original plants of Kenyan tea industry were brought into that country mostly from Assam, and the Kenyan tea genetic resources are of Assam origin,” says Pradip Baruah, who published the paper. Would this cup of tea, rich in its purple color and an exotic brew that also has several health benefits, come back to the Indian market? pic courtesy - Stash Tea Although the research paper mentioned Assam to be its place of origin, Manoj Kumar and Pankai Wangtan, who work for the Donyi Polo Tea Estate, had also heard that it grew in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh. And so, they started their search...

INTERNATIONAL TEA FESTIVAL BRINGS TEA FROM AROUND WORLD Tea is a beloved drink all over the world. In many cultures, it is much more than a drink. It is a ritual with both personal and social significance. The Second International Tea Festival opened at Sheraton Baku Airport Hotel on October 20. The event was co-organized by the National Culinary Association and the Azerbaijan Culinary Center. The Tea Festival was timed to International Chefs Day and the 90th anniversary of the World Organization of Culinary. The tea traditions of Azerbaijan, Japan, Turkey, China, India, Russia, Uzbekistan, and other countries were presented at the festival, Trend Life reported. Guests of the event had a great opportunity to enjoy various varieties of tea, as well as try national dishes and sweets of the participating countries. A forum of culinary specialists was held as part of the festival. Addressing the event,  President of the National Culinary Association...

ISTOCK.COM/ALEXTENGHAURAN Darjeeling is best known around the world as a type of tea, but it's actually named for the Indian hill station in West Bengal from which it comes. As the BBC reports, this Himalayan region is also home to the country's most expensive and exclusive tea: a rare variety that's only plucked under a full moon during the harvesting season. That ends up being just four or five times per year. This so-called "champagne of teas" is called silver tips imperial, and it's harvested by pickers from makaibari, the oldest of Darjeeling's 87 tea estates. A standard 50-gram package of this semi-fermented oolong tea will set you back at least $30. Makaibari's website describes the tea as a "relaxing and anti-aging liquor ideally sipped at bedtime." It's believed that the aligning of the sun, moon, and other cosmic forces produce the right conditions for an optimum harvest. This "biodynamic tea farm" relie...

Does green tea really help promote weight loss? This super-concentrated version of green tea comes in powders, pills, and liquids that you can take during or after a meal to help boost your metabolism. And there's good science to back it up: One study found that when 12 healthy men ingested green tea extract capsules and exercised for 30 minutes, their fat oxidation rates were 17 percent higher than when they consumed a placebo. Those findings echo prior research on green tea extract for weight loss, which found that participants who consumed a beverage with the compounds found in green tea had higher rates of fat burning and a faster metabolism, both while exercising and resting. And in 2016, a study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition found that overweight women dropped about 2.5 pounds on average, saw decreases in their body mass index, and reduced their waist size when they took a high dose of green tea extract for 12 weeks. Clearly, there's evidence bac...

The tea vs. coffee wars are real. Sure, they both contain caffeine, but coffee devotees will swear hands-down that people who sip only tea are pretty much aliens, right? Meanwhile, tea guzzlers preach that the health benefits of tea are just so much better. But when it comes to tea vs. coffee, is one better for you? Here’s the good news: Tea and coffee are both pretty healthy (especially at their simplest forms, sans added sugar or flavourings). “There is more existing research on tea, but we’ve been finding out a lot on coffee too,” says registered dietician Jess Cording. “I think they both can be part of a healthy diet if you feel well when you drink them.” Still, there are some health benefits and downsides specific to each bevvie that you should probably note. Coffee benefits = longer life + better memory While you may be drawn to coffee for its jolt, these roasted beans offer so much more than just caffeine. “Research s...

Chai is synonymous with so many emotions for Indians that nothing can replace their love for chai in their lives. While there can be various types of teas varying from classic masala chai to refreshing Bombay cutting chai, there are numerous ways of making tea as well. In India, there are 29 states and in every state, people have different styles to enjoy their morning cup of chai. Interestingly, we are blessed with innumerable chai-wallahs in this diverse country who fulfill our obsession with tea with their unusual styles of making it. One such tea-seller is in Kerala who has a very unique technique of making tea for his customers and we are falling in love with it. A social media user took it to her Twitter account to share a video of a chai-wallah who is impressing his customers with his unusual technique of making tea. The video is shared by the user from ‘The Chapati Factory’ in Ponnani, Kerala. In the video, the man is seen with four glasses of chai. But the twis...