Chai: the quintessential drink of choice for the majority of South Asian families, regardless of time, place or season. In our house, chai is served twice a day, in the morning and evening. The last few weeks for my family have been extremely busy as we have been gearing up for my brother’s wedding. “Nisha, ek cup chai pila de” (Nisha, make me a cup of tea) is something my mom has been saying often, especially on exhausting days of last-minute organizing, arranging and prepping for the wedding festivities. Luckily for us Lux Tea Company has been there for us on those busy days.
Lux Tea Company was started by the husband-wife team, Sandeep and Pinky Barot. Being tea lovers themselves, they were drawn to the tea industry not just by their passion for tea but for their interest in the tea development process.
They offer a wide range of tea products including herbal blends, loose leafs, instant chai and wellness teas. When they asked me to try their products, I instantly gravitated towards the instant chai, knowing how busy we would be during my brother’s wedding.
Chai brings back a different memory for everyone. For me, it was the first thing I learned to make for my mom. When we were young, my mom would come back after a busy day of work, school drops offs and pickups. It was a pleasure to make tea for her. As I entered the working world, I joined her in the ritual of evening tea. The hot cup of milky tea would wash away the day’s stress.
For Pinky Barot, co-founder of Lux Tea, chai has been a reminder of childhood.
“My favorite tea memory is from when I was just four years old. My parents had sent me on a trip to India without them to meet my maternal grandmother (I traveled with my older cousin and her husband). I stayed at my maternal uncle’s house while I was visiting, I had two cousins my age who had to drink milk every day, I was required to as well. I was pretty picky and didn’t like the thickness or taste of milk in India. My two cousins and I would be given a glass every morning and every night, I would find a way to pour mine down the sink, one day I got caught by my younger uncle while I was in the act of pouring! I was asked why I wasn’t drinking the milk, I began to cry and told my uncle why, and my aunt who was nearby heard the conversation.
The next morning my uncle poured a glass of milk and gave it to me and asked me to sit at the table and drink it, I began to cry and didn’t touch the milk. My aunt asked me if I would like to drink chai. I had it in the U.S. with my grandmother a couple of times so I quickly agreed. For the remainder of my trip, my aunt would make me a cup of chai to enjoy with her every morning which I happily consumed without tears! Being a part of the tea industry must have been destiny!”
To wash away our stress my mom and I turned to Lux Tea’s Instant Cardamom Chai. The hot chai with the cool cardamom flavor was just what we needed to give a moment to ourselves. Being that it’s a shaadi wala ghar (wedding house) the instant option was perfect as all we needed to do was add hot water or steamed milk. The sweetness was perfectly balanced with the rich flavor of cardamom.
For us, it was the cardamom chai and for Pinky it’s one of their white tea.
“My personal favorite tea in our selection is the white champagne raspberry tea. It’s so light and refreshing. When I’ve had a long or stressful day, I like to come home and have a cup as I unwind and prepare myself for the next day or week. White tea is low in caffeine so it doesn’t deter me from falling asleep!”
If you love tea and are looking to try something full of flavor and quality, Lux Tea Company delivers. You can visit their full range of products on their website.
While this review was done in partnership with Brown Girl Magazine & Lux Tea Company, all opinions expressed are my own.
