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If you don’t know anything about tea and its flavour, now is the time to learn that too on the go.
At the Delhi airport, Masala Chai, Darjeeling Earl Grey to President’s Tea will tingle the taste buds of visitors. Delhi Duty Free aims also to popularise the Indian tea among people from other tea-loving nations.
“Indian tea is one of the most popular take-away from the country. Travellers, who want to take a bit of India with them, opt for it. Our data show that travellers from China, Japan and Singapore are among major tea buyers,” Abhijit Das, Head, Marketing, Delhi Duty Free said.
Besides helping tea-lovers identify their cuppa, the initiative adds to the whole experiential effort. “Given that India is a tea-drinking nation and travellers from around the world value Indian tea, this exercise at the duty-free shops has been very well received and appreciated by the travellers,” he said.
The duty-free shops at the airport stock the San-cha and Organic brand of teas. Using a custom made ‘Tea Samovar’, they are serving the Masala Chai (Black Tea blended with fresh spices from the Malabar Coast) and the Darjeeling Earl Grey Tea (a unique blend of floral Darjeeling black tea and citrusy bergamot) round the clock. The shops are also serving the President’s Tea of Darjeeling, an extremely premium tea, which is prepared using traditional brewing techniques.
“It is interesting to note that the President’s Tea of Darjeeling is the revered tea that is carried by Heads of States, including the Prime Minister’s Office on state visits as gifts. Travellers interested in the selection are made to taste the President’s Tea from either spring, summer or autumn harvests, brewed freshly in the presence of the customer,” Das said.
He pointed out that some of the vintage Darjeeling teas are more expensive than Sri Lankan teas. “We have 45-50 brands.”
Of teas, buggy’s and tea ambassador
The whole tea experience is not restricted to just the brew but also the techniques to make and serve it. The tea itself is priced anywhere between $10 and $35.
“Our tea ambassadors are trained in Chinese, Japanese and even Russian to help travellers make informed choice about the brew and also its history. A Tea Tasting Buggy has been specifically designed for use inside the airport/duty-free area by a professional retail design firm. It has an in-built water disposal system. The table top of the buggy has a custom built ‘Tea Samovar’ in which tea is prepared, at the right temperature,” Das said, adding that the vehicle also has storage space for disposable glasses, tea leaves, tea pots, cups, napkins and serving trays.
Das said the exercise will go on for a few months. Delhi Duty Free said it is seeing 18-20 per cent growth in the tea category every season.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi handles about 25-40 million passengers making it the second largest in the world. Incheon airport in Seoul holds the numero uno position, according to data by Airports Council International.
So, will the exercise stop with tea. “No”, says Das. “Coffee and Indian snack like bhujia tasting counters are next in line.”
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