Atreyee Poddar
There are people who say they “love tea” and then proceed to drink the same dusty bag every morning like it’s a moral obligation. Comforting, yes. Curious? Absolutely not. Tea, when taken seriously, is moody, territorial, and far more cultured than we give it credit for. If your tea shelf looks the same year after year, that’s not loyalty. That’s fear. The good stuff has been waiting patiently, it’s definitely time you caught up. Here are five underrated varieties that deserve a seat at the table, not exile at the back of your pantry.
Kangra Tea doesn’t shout and maybe that’s its crime. While Darjeeling basks in its own mythology, Kangra stays light, floral, and quietly self-assured. It tastes like someone who doesn’t need to name-drop to be interesting.
White Peony or Bai Mu Dan is what happens when tea stops performing for applause. Delicate, faintly sweet, and unapologetically subtle, it’s often dismissed by people who confuse bitterness with strength. This tea isn’t weak, it’s just not desperate.
Nilgiri Frost Tea arrives once a year and is harvested when the hills are cold and unforgiving. The result is a bright, clean, and almost annoyingly refined cup. If this were wine, it would already have a cult following and a super inflated price tag.
Kukicha, made from twigs and stems, sounds like a joke until you brew it. Low on caffeine, lightly roasted, and strangely soothing, it proves that elegance doesn’t always come from the obvious parts. Tea snobbery, meet your undoing.
Lapsang Souchong, the real kind, not the ashtray-flavoured imposter, is smoky in the way a well-worn leather jacket is cool. Polarising? Yes. Memorable? Unavoidable. This is tea with a backstory and zero interest in being liked by everyone.