In January 2024, TasteAtlas named India’s Masala Chai the world's second-best non-alcoholic beverage for 2023–24. TasteAtlas is a popular food and travel guide in the world.

Simple masala chai is popular throughout the Indian subcontinent, and people love it. The love for tea as a beverage has spread all over the world.

Crowned Best Non-Alcoholic Beverage:

Mexico's 'Aguas Frescas' was ranked the best non-alcoholic beverage in the world. Aguas Frescas is a drink made by mixing fruits, cucumbers, flowers, seeds, cereals and grains blended with sugar and water.

About Masala Chai:

Masala chai is a warm beverage created by simmering tea, milk, spices, and sugar.
It has delicious essences of clove, black pepper, ginger and cardamom. In India and the rest of the subcontinent of South Asia, as well as among the diaspora, masala tea is an excellent drink for the colder months.
According to TasteAtlas, masala chai is an aromatic beverage famous in India. It is made from a combination of sweetened black tea and milk. It usually includes cardamom, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper.
However, the choice and exact proportions of spices often vary. Although several theories claim otherwise, the origins of chai masala are mostly linked to the British tea trade.
According to TasteAtlas, in the 19th century, the Chinese had a monopoly on the tea trade. The British were looking for other markets that could meet the high demand for black tea. It was a firm European favorite at the time.
It is believed that masala tea first appeared during the period when the Indian Tea Association promoted tea breaks as a much-needed refreshment for workers.

About Tea:

Tea, derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, is the second most consumed beverage globally, following water.

Origin of Tea:

Tea is believed to have originated in north-eastern India, northern Myanmar and southwest China. But it could not be determined where among these it was found for the first time. There is evidence that tea was consumed in China as far back as 5,000 years ago.

Suitable climatic conditions for tea:

Climate: Tea is a tropical and subtropical plant and its yield is good in hot and humid climates.
Temperature: The ideal temperature for its growth is 20-30°C and temperature above 35°C and below 10°C are harmful for it.
Rainfall: It requires an annual rainfall of 150–300 cm distributed evenly throughout the year.
Soil: The most suitable soil for tea cultivation is porous acidic soil (without calcium), in which water can easily penetrate.

International Tea Day:

It is celebrated on 21 May each year since it was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2019.

Some interesting facts about tea:

Tea has been a daily beverage since around 300 AD.
In 1610, Dutch traders took tea from China to Europe and gradually it became the favorite beverage of the whole world.
India ranks first in tea production in the world.
The British first brought tea to India in the year 1834.
However, it was already growing in the wild in Assam.
Around 1815, the attention of British travelers fell on the tea bushes growing in Assam.
The local tribal people of Assam already drank it as a beverage.
Lord Bentinck, the then Governor General of India, constituted a committee to explore the possibility of introducing tea tradition and its production in India.
Assam witnessed the establishment of tea gardens in the year 1835.
Assam tea is famous for its strong aroma and colour.