Indian tea gifts for tea lovers
India grows very different teas in very different places, and a good tea gift says which is which. This guide covers the five teas in the Taj Bazaar catalog, what each tastes like according to its maker's region, and four gift sets you can build from them. Prices are in US dollars with duties included, and every tea below ships from US stock in 1–2 days.
The five teas, side by side
| Tea | Region | What it is | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darjeeling First Flush | Darjeeling, West Bengal (GI-registered) | Single-estate first flush black tea, FTGFOP1, picked in March and April; light, floral and brisk | 100 g caddy | $28 |
| Assam Breakfast Tea | Dibrugarh, Assam (GI-registered) | Second flush Assam orthodox, TGFOP; malty and full-bodied, strong enough for milk | 250 g pouch | $18 |
| Nilgiri Frost Tea | Coonoor, Tamil Nadu (GI-registered) | Winter-picked Nilgiri orthodox black tea; smooth and brisk, and makes excellent iced tea | 100 g caddy | $16 |
| Masala Chai Loose Blend | Kolkata, West Bengal | Assam CTC with cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove and black pepper | 200 g pouch | $15 |
| Kashmiri Kahwa | Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir | Green tea with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon and almond slivers; light on caffeine | 100 g caddy | $18 |
The three black teas carry a GI (Geographical Indication) registration for their region. The chai blend and the kahwa are blends and carry no GI registration.
Which tea for which person
- Someone who drinks tea black and pays attention to it: the Darjeeling First Flush. Spring-picked Darjeeling is the tea people call the "champagne of teas", and this one is single-estate.
- Someone who takes milk in their tea every morning: the Assam Breakfast Tea. It is the largest pack here at 250 g, and it is also the base of a proper masala chai.
- Someone who drinks iced tea in summer: the Nilgiri Frost Tea, picked in the cold weeks of the Blue Mountains winter, when frost slows growth and concentrates flavour.
- Someone who orders chai lattes: the Masala Chai Loose Blend, made with whole crushed spices the way roadside chaiwalas make it.
- Someone who avoids strong caffeine in the evening: the Kashmiri Kahwa, the welcome drink of Kashmiri homes, traditionally brewed in a brass samovar.
Four tea gift sets to build
| Set | What goes in it | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Chai starter | Masala Chai Loose Blend + Kolhapur Jaggery Powder, 500 g | $24 |
| Old Delhi chai stall | Masala Chai Loose Blend + Kolhapur Jaggery Powder + Clay Kulhad Chai Cups, set of 6 | $46 |
| Black tea flight | Darjeeling First Flush + Assam Breakfast + Nilgiri Frost | $62 |
| Tea map of India | All three black teas + Kashmiri Kahwa | $80 |
Kolhapur jaggery is unrefined cane sugar with caramel notes, boiled down from fresh cane juice in open pans with no sulphur or bleach; its maker sells it for chai and baking. The kulhads are hand-thrown terracotta cups, 150 ml each, made by potters in Khurja, Uttar Pradesh, and are the cups chai is served in at Old Delhi stalls. They are hand wash only.
A ready-made chai box
If you would rather send one boxed gift, the Masala Chai Kit ($54) holds 100 g of Assam tea, 50 g of chai masala and 2 clay kulhad cups in a 9 × 6 × 4 in box, packed in Jaipur. It is made to order with a 10-day lead time, unlike the loose teas above, which ship from US stock in 1–2 days. For a Christmas or year-end gift, allow for those 10 days plus shipping; the US-stock teas can be ordered much closer to the day.
Keeping tea fresh
The three black teas are best within 18 months; the chai blend and the kahwa within 12 months. The Darjeeling care note says to store it airtight; keep all five sealed between uses.
More gift guides
For a host or hostess, see Thanksgiving hostess gifts from India. For the festival season, see the Diwali gift hub, Diwali gift boxes that ship in the US and Diwali sweets that ship well. All of Taj Bazaar's guides are listed at /guides.