By mid-December, most of North India starts the day the same way. Fog outside the window, the geyser taking its sweet time, and someone in the kitchen already putting water on the boil. Winter in India is basically one long tea break.
The cup you drink in May isn't really built for January. Ginger, cinnamon, saffron: some blends just do a better job when your fingers are numb. We've grown tea for 126 years, and honestly, these seven are what our own team drinks once the cold sets in.
7 Best Winter Teas in India to Try This Season
1. Masala Chai: The One We All Grew Up With
Strong CTC tea, milk and a pinch of crushed spices. There's a reason every dhaba from Amritsar to Kolkata runs on it. Our CTC Masala Chai comes pre-blended, so you don't have to pound elaichi and laung every morning. Tip: let it boil a couple of minutes longer. In winter, weak chai is a crime.
2. Kashmiri Kahwa for Snowy Evenings
Kahwa is green tea, but nobody in Kashmir would call it just that. Saffron goes in, a stick of dalchini, some cardamom, and at the end a few thin almond slices that sit on top. People there drink it all day in winter. You can buy our Kashmiri Kahwa as loose leaf for a teapot at home, or pick up the kahwa pyramid bags for work, which saves you hunting for a strainer.
3. Ginger Chai: For Mornings You Can't Leave the Rajai
Ginger has a warmth you feel right at the back of your throat. If grating adrak at 7 am just isn't happening, our Ginger Chai Instant Premix is the honest shortcut. One sachet and a cup of hot water is all it takes.
4. Tulsi Tea: The Quiet Winter Habit
Nobody in our grandmothers' generation called tulsi a "wellness tea." It was just the plant in the courtyard. The moment someone's throat felt scratchy, a few leaves went into the pot. Tulsi Delight tastes a lot like that, herbal and a little peppery, minus the plant you'd forget to water.
5. Spiced Turmeric Herbal: Haldi Doodh's Lighter Cousin
Grew up drinking haldi doodh at bedtime? Then you already know this taste. Our Spiced Turmeric Herbal has turmeric and a few warm spices, but you make it like tea, so it feels a lot less heavy.
6. Ayur Chai: Eight Spices in One Jar
Ayur Chai is black tea with eight herbal spices in it, roughly the sort of mix a vaid might have kept in his kitchen. It's stronger than normal masala chai and a bit earthier, and you can still taste the spices a few minutes after you finish. We like it best with full-cream milk and a little gud.
7. Cinnamon Anise Green Tea: For Green Tea Fans Who Hate the Cold
Plain green tea can taste a bit thin when it's 6°C outside. That's where cinnamon and star anise come in. Our Cinnamon Anise Green Tea is sweet on its own, warm, and still light enough for after lunch.
How to Pick Your Winter Tea
Want milk and a proper kick? Then it's masala chai, ginger chai or Ayur Chai, whichever is in the cupboard. Fancy something that won't sit heavy? Kahwa works, so does the cinnamon anise green. Trying to skip caffeine after sunset? Spiced turmeric is your friend. Everything's in our Winter Tea Collection. And if Christmas or New Year gifting is on your list, these fit nicely inside our tea hampers.
FAQs About Winter Teas
What should I drink when it's really cold?
Mostly anything with adrak, dalchini, laung or kali mirch in it. That's also why adrak wali chai and masala chai are what most Indian homes make the minute the temperature drops.
Does Kashmiri Kahwa have green tea in it?
It does. Kahwa starts with green tea leaves, and the saffron and whole spices go in while it brews. It's drunk without milk, and you'll get less of a caffeine hit than from a regular cup of chai.
Which winter teas don't have caffeine?
Pure herbal ones, like our Spiced Turmeric Herbal. With tulsi it depends on the blend. A few have green or black tea added, so read the pack.
Loose leaf or tea bags: which is better in winter?
Loose leaf tastes fuller and is lovely for a slow Sunday pot. Pyramid bags and premix are what you want for office days and travel.
Can I add milk to kahwa or green tea?
We wouldn't. The saffron in kahwa more or less disappears under milk, and green tea with milk just tastes dull. Honey or a few drops of nimbu works better.
