Get the Monsoon Part-Tea Started

From street-side cutting chai to fancy tea bars, monsoon tea is India’s love, identity, and hospitality in a cup. Tulsi, ginger, and lemongrass soothe damp days, while masala blends spark warmth against the drizzle. Tea is no longer a simple beverage; it’s comfort, a rainy-day ritual. Be it Assam’s bold, strong tea, Darjeeling’s Muscatel flavour, masala chai’s spice, Kashmiri kahwa’s fragrance, or floral fusion detox blends, each sip carries taste and warmth.

Comfort in a Sip

Tea in India is special. It's no longer a humble sip — it’s culture, comfort, and a ritual woven into everyday life. “Chai is India’s excuse to sit with family, to welcome friends without occasion, to take the 10-minute office break, to share the worker’s cutting glass. What ties it all isn’t the blend, but the pause it allows. In a country that rarely slows down, chai is the one socially acceptable reason to stop, breathe, and connect. Besides, there’s wellness in the spiced brew,” says Ayushi Gupta-Mehra, founder of The Foodie Diaries, who blends food and lifestyle storytelling with global dining, which she shares on Instagram @the_foodiediaries.

India’s monsoon teas are more than flavour; they’re memory and mood, rituals that shift with rainclouds grounding the season in aroma and emotion. “From the waft of steam to a specific spice on the throat, chai is simply refreshing. In Mumbai, cutting chai with cloves, cardamom, and lemongrass is my everyday anchor. Assam’s ginger-strong spice suits heavy rain, while Kashmiri kahwa’s saffron-light touch softens gentler moods. Tulsi recalls home remedies, kokum is pure Konkan; often it’s the scent that sparks nostalgia before the warmth even reaches the tongue,” adds Ayushi.

Spice, Aroma, and Season

Tea has shifted from daily routine to curated craft. “The nostalgia of masala chai remains, but today’s drinkers seek ingredients, brewing styles, regional influences, and wellness. Cafés and restaurants respond with handcrafted blends and herbal infusions that invite guests to slow down and savour each cup. Chai is now as much about storytelling and craftsmanship as refreshment,” says Precilla Charenamei, Head Barista at Silver Beach Café and Brunch and Cake Mumbai.

Matcha, Mint, Masala

Tea should be enjoyable, herbs and spices adding flavour without feeling medicinal. “Every tea culture teaches us something. Matcha reminds us of quality and the brewing process; Moroccan mint tea is all about freshness; and British Breakfast tea shows how a simple cup can be elegant. These traditions inspire a more thoughtful view of Indian chai, now valued globally for its ingredients, varieties, and herbal blends,” adds Priscilla.

Sweetness Nothings

Kerala and Tamil Nadu enrich chai with palm jaggery; Maharashtra and Karnataka turn to jaggery in monsoon brews; while Himalayan regions stir honey into herbal infusions for a floral lift. “Sugar keeps flavours clean, jaggery adds caramel warmth, honey lends smoothness; the key is balance, never overpowering the tea’s character,” says Pricilla.

Wellness in a Cup

During the monsoon, herbal teas become a gentle remedy. “With humidity slowing digestion and nudging cortisol upward, excess caffeine from chai or coffee can worsen acidity, bloating, and sleep disruption. Tulsi, ginger, and lemongrass blends, naturally caffeine-free, deliver soothing polyphenols without irritating the gut lining. Chai still has its place, with catechins and a gentle lift. Herbal tea works best as a calming addition, especially in the afternoon slump,” says Delhi-based Kanikka Malhotra, Consultant Dietician & Diabetes Educator.

“Tulsi calms, ginger aids circulation, turmeric with pepper eases inflammation, and lemongrass detoxes with citrus notes. Cinnamon steadies blood sugar, clove adds strength, mulethi soothes the throat, while fennel or ajwain relax intestinal muscles and ease cramping. Peppermint tea can calm an irritated gut lining, though it should be avoided by those with acid reflux”

These herbs aren’t cures; they work best as a rotating, moderate daily habit rather than one miracle brew consumed in excess. “Herbal teas ease low-grade inflammation, keep throats moist, and lighten the immune system’s load. With rest, protein, and hygiene, they become a simple monsoon ritual wellness added into pause.”

“Jaggery and honey add minerals but act like sugar — keep to one teaspoon. Diabetics should count them exactly like sugar, as their glycaemic impact is similar. Herbal tea works best at two to three cups daily, brewed with fresh herbs, milk only in tulsi or cinnamon blends, sweeteners minimal, never over-boiled. It’s a wellness support, not medical care,” concludes Malhotra.

Sip Like A Star

• Yami Gautam Dhar calls herself a “chaiholic.” On social media, she wrote: “I find solace in masala chai, while Aditya (hubby) leans into kahwa, saffron-laced and almond-kissed.”

• Emma Watson’s tea is a wellness ritual steeped in herbs and wellness. Through her co-founded brand, Love Tea, she channels naturopathic wisdom into calming infusions and detox blends of chamomile, peppermint, turmeric, etc.

• For Keerthy Suresh, chai is a soul-warming ritual. Coffee may belong to cafés, but chai belongs to roadside kottu stalls. The place to pause, share everyday life, memories and emotions.

• Alia Bhatt often shares her wellness-oriented tea rituals,

from the viral sugar-free orange-peel hack where a hollowed-out orange becomes a strainer to her fondness for herbal blends like rose and white tea.

Chamomile Lemongrass Peppermint Tea

(Courtesy: Precilla Charenamei, Head Barista at Silver Beach Café and Brunch and Cake Mumbai)

Ingredients

• 1 tea bag (Chamomile and Lemongrass)

• 5 Fresh mint leaves

• Hot water, 300 ml

Method

1. Heat water with mint leaves, then strain.

2. Place the tea bag in a cup. Pour hot mint-infused water over it. Steep for 3 minutes.

3. Remove the tea bag and serve hot.

4. Optional: Add honey.

Kashmiri Kahwa

(Courtesy: Ayushi Gupta-Mehra, founder of The Foodie Diaries, @the_foodiediaries)

Ingredients

• 1 cup water

• 2 cardamoms crushed

• A pinch of cinnamon

• 1½ tsp kahwa tea (or green tea)

• Honey, to taste

• A few strands of saffron

• Almond slivers, for garnish

Method

1. Boil water with the crushed cardamom, cinnamon, and kahwa. Strain the tea.

2. Add honey. Garnish with saffron strands and almond slivers. Serve hot.

Hibiscus (Tisane tea)

Ingredients

• Hibiscus petals – 4

• Hot water – 180 ml

Method

1. Soak hibiscus petals in hot water for 5 minutes.

2. Strain and serve warm.Chai is now as much about storytelling and craftsmanship as refreshment.”

Precilla Charenamei, Head Barista, Silver Beach Café and Brunch and Cake Mumbai