This is the story of a girl who carried water infused with herbs to school; then went ahead and schooled herself further in a tea institute in Sri Lanka under the guidance of a Japanese tea master. Snigdha Manchanda runs Tea Trunk, an independent online tea shop that sells fine teas sourced directly from estates across India, in handy tin boxes that feature a rather adorable elephant and his trunk.
The teas found in these little trunks actually pack in all those benefits that are attributed to our homely chai. You’re unlikely to find any trace of disappointing dust which often makes up some volume in regular brands; all their teas are whole leaf and dispelling common notions for people (especially who live in Gurgaon!) that dust is a fact of life, we’re so happy to hear that it doesn’t have to be that way.
They have a variety to choose from - black tea, green tea, white tea, herbal tea and Matcha. I enjoyed the subtlety of the Saffron Kahwa Green Tea and was pleasantly surprised by the Chilli Chai! Just right for a rain and samosas kind of afternoon. The Vanilla Black Tea is a tiny gift in a teacup for anyone who’s had to choose between an after-meal hot beverage and an unnecessary bite of dessert. We wouldn’t have expected any less of a brand that takes its flavours so seriously, but were still glad to know that all their infusions are purely natural. Ginger Root Black Tea means actual adrak, Rose Oolong Tea means you can can stop and smell the literal roses.