The inaugural panel discussion session of Tea Time Tales at Café Sunshine was graced by eminent dignitaries.

Tea Time Tales will be a bi-monthly event. It will feature women from different fields who will speak about their journeys. The women may be professionals and even housewives.

This event is the brainchild of writer and communication strategist Arundhati Gupta and Sudakshina Mukherjee, the co-owner of Café Sunshine.

Sangeeta Kichlu, Barnali Mitra, Manjira Majumdar, Sanchita Kushary Bose, and Anusreea Paul Mukherjee graced the session.

The topic of discussion was Women in the Tea Industry.

Eminent tea taster Sangeeta Kichlu said “As a tea taster, I would like to bust a basic myth that most people have. People think you cannot smoke or drink if you are a tea taster. That is not true. I know many people who are excellent tasters and yet they smoke and drink. However, you cannot smoke or drink when tasting tea. You need to clean your mouth with water before doing the tasting session”.

She further shed light on the three qualities needed to become a good tea taster. They are- one should have a sensitive palette, must have the right attitude and practice makes one perfect in this trade.

She added that the maximum tea exposure happens at an auction house.

15,000 tea leaves are required to make one kg of Darjeeling tea, revealed Sangeeta Kichlu.

When asked about the different kinds of teas available, Sangeeta Kichlu said “Peppermint tea, blueberry tea, and the different kinds available now are not teas. They can be called infusions. Yes they are popular among the younger generation but they cannot be described as teas”.

The speakers highlighted that the domestic tea market is more profitable than the global market.

The inaugural session was an enriching one for the attendees. The speakers busted myths, threw light on different aspects of the tea industry, and highlighted what the industry faces.

Priyanka Dutta