Ask a chai lover in India what he or she feels about the beverage, and you’ll know how tea isn’t just a drink for us, it’s rather an emotion. Chai has been a partner of most of us amid long working hours, evening catchup with a friend, sharing struggles amid office breaks and so on. One steaming hot cup of tea is, perhaps, the best companion you can have. And the best part about tea is that one can prepare it in many different ways.
Tea is super versatile and can be prepared in several ways using different ingredients depending on the need. No wonder tea has a special day dedicated to it, as May 21 is celebrated as ‘International Tea Day’ every year. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the importance of this wonderful beverage, and also know its benefits. The United Nations General Assembly recognised the day in order to acknowledge the long history and deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world.
While in India, kadak masala chai is one of the most popular versions of the beverage, people have started to experiment with it these days, also in order to get rid of the toxins from their bodies. Detox teas are slowly becoming a choice of many, as it requires very few, healthy, household ingredients, that not only make you feel refreshed but also detoxify your body.
If you too are someone planning to go the detox way with your daily cup of tea, we’ve got you some options. Celebrate ‘International Tea Day’ with our five amazing tea recipes that can be a great addition to your detox diet.
1. Ginger Tea
The flavorful ginger tea is a soothing drink that is a perfect fix for your cold and cough and also calms you at the end of the day. Packed with the goodness of spices such as star anise, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger, this tea is made without milk, unlike adrak ki chai, and is super quick and easy to make.
2. Lemon Ginger Tea
Lemon is widely known for its detoxifying properties and is thus used in a range of drinks. It’s loaded with Vitamin C and proves to be highly refreshing. If you are someone on a weight loss diet, this one is a perfect choice. A cleansing tea, perfect for jump-starting your weight loss diet, a hint of lemon and honey with the goodness of ginger is sure to work magically.
3. Pumpkin Spice Tea
Pumpkin spice is a mix of all your warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger, and so trust this tea to be your go-to recipe in times of sickness. With heart-warming homemade pumpkin spice blend, brewed with milk, and quality tea leaves, this concoction is sure to win hearts.
4. Adrak Ki Chai
Your classic desi fix for every health woe, adrak ki chai is your classic ginger (adrak) tea just with an addition of milk. The ultimate dadi-nani ka nuskha, adrak ki chai has never really failed to cure a seasonal flu!
5. Basil Ginger Chai
We’ve spoken much about the perks of having ginger in your cup of chai, imagine adding a dash of basil to it! The Holy Basil (Tulsi) is one of the oldest herbs known to mankind. Its healing properties have been the most treasured knowledge across the world, especially in India where the Holy Basil it is revered for its strong medicinal properties. Basil is known to be good for digestion. Packed with antioxidants, it is also said that basil can fight free radical activity, and strengthen our immune system.
So, which tea are you going to try first?