Care for a cup of rose, paan or chocolate tea? Kolkata has it all!

Nothing beats a piping hot cup of tea in hand, as you watch the city getting drenched on a rainy afternoon. In fact, the love affair between the people of Kolkata and tea, especially good old bhanrer cha, is historical. Of late, quite a few tea joints in the city have taken this romance to the next level by lacing Kolkata’s go-to drink with some exotic ingredients. From chocolate, rose to rosogolla tea and more, these tea troves have come up with variants of the drink that promise to make your monsoon afternoon a culinary adventure. Ushasi Ray, who enjoyed some Rosogolla tea while shooting for Calcutta Times, said, “This is the first time I’ve ever had Rosogolla tea, all thanks to Calcutta Times. Though a bit on the sweeter side, I must say, it’s a delicious experiment!” Now, let’s check out a few of these delights in a cup.

CHOCOLATE TEA WITH A CRUNCH

Ever imagined that someone could come up with tea you can chew on? Well, this quaint little tea joint near the Rabindra Sarobar Metro station has done just that. Thanks to them, you can literally ask around, “
cha ‘khabe’”? Their hot-seller is the Chocolate tea that’s topped with assorted chocolate chips and a little hearts biscuit. On days, when they are a little adventurous, they add an ice-cream cone too. Not just college-goers, but anyone who likes their tea with a touch of crunchiness drop in at this joint to relish the sweet amalgamation of tea and chocolate. Priced affordably between Rs60 and Rs80 for different variants, this is one tea adventure you shouldn’t miss, especially on a rainy day. What’s more, the colourful presentation makes for some great Insta clicks.

ROSOGOLLA TEA

It’s no secret that the people of Kolkata love rosogollas as much as they love tea. So, a kiosk, nestled in a lane beside South City Mall, experimented with the two favourites of the city and created Rosogolla tea. “It is a favourite across all ages. Come evening, and there is a beeline outside our shop,’’ said Amit Ghosh, the co-owner and curator of Rosogolla tea. Besides the star of the menu, they also offer adventurous variants Green chili tea, Gondhoraj tea and Orange Malta tea, all priced between Rs60 to Rs80. According to them, there are lots of takers for all the varieties on offer.

AND THEN THERE ARE TEACUPS YOU CAN EAT!

If you love finishing off the crunchy cone while enjoying an ice cream, you should definitely drop in at this tea kiosk in Salt Lake Sector V. As part of its zero-waste endeavour, the joint should serves tea in chocolate-coated edible cups. “When tea is poured in these edible cups, a layer of the cup melts and adds a subtle flavour to the tea,” said Purnangsshu Basu, the owner, who picked up this idea while touring South India. The joint serves mango tea, banana tea and malt whiskey tea. Priced between Rs60 and Rs80, all varieties of teas in the joint are served in edible cups. No wonder it’s so popular in the area.

ROSE OR PAAN TEA ANYONE?

If you don’t mind an extra dose of aroma in your tea, visit this this joint at Sreepally, Bhowanipore. By infusing the beverage with betel leaves and rose petals, they have come up with Paan chai and Gulab-e-khaas chai, which boast of aromas true to their names. To add another twist to the experiment, the owner, Aditya Agarwal, named the smaller cups Chachaji and the larger ones Tauji. “The idea was to sell fancy tea at an affordable price. The small cups cost around Rs15-25 and the larger ones, around Rs65-85,” said Aditya. Situated in the heart of the city, the joint caters a young crowd who like to indulge in some ‘chai pe charcha’ at a pocket-friendly place.

— Sundas Jawed