An Assam-based firm, which mixes the world’s hottest chilli, “bhoot jolokia,” and 24-carat edible yellow metal to entice customers, offers “ghost pepper” and “gold” tea among its 40 or so speciality blends at a time when organic tea varieties are becoming more and more popular.
As customers become more health conscious and demand unique types, innovation in blends is urgently needed to promote tea in the domestic and foreign markets, according to entrepreneur Ranjit Baruah.
“We have created more than 40 speciality and luxury blends under the brand ‘Aromica Tea’ and have plans to add more to the list soon”, he continued.
“Tea flavoured with the ‘bhoot jolokia’ or ‘ghost pepper’ is a fiery innovation in the world for which we have filed an application for patent and are awaiting approval. This variety of tea is brewed for those who like their cuppa spicy, and it has health benefits,” he told the reporter.
Speaking further about innovations, Mr. Baruah mentioned that some of its unique kinds include “insulin” tea made with Costus Igneus plant leaves, “blue” tea made with Asian pigeonwings flower (Aparajita), and “moringa tulsi green” tea.
The ‘moringa and tulsi’ blend, according to him, helps relieve stress and increase immunity. Costus Igneus plant leaves are thought to activate beta cells in the pancreas, which in turn boosts the body’s natural insulin release and regulates blood sugar levels.
“With extensive research, we have created these unique and popular blends of tea. Our efforts are to promote Assam tea as a healthy drink,” said Mr. Baruah, a professional in the field for 20 years.
“We want to showcase that our tea offers specialty varieties than only CTC”, he stated. With his company, Mr. Baruah has also entered the market for high-end “gold” tea, which costs 2.5 lakh a kilogramme and is made by fusing black tea with 24-carat edible golden metal.
He claimed that the business is concentrating on bringing these blends to international markets and has already begun exporting to Australia, Japan, Canada, Sweden, the US, Lithuania, Georgia, the UK, and Singapore, but he withheld information about the amount of money the company made from these sales. According to him, the goods are also offered on numerous e-commerce websites around the nation.
According to Mr. Baruah, the firm recently signed a contract with a US-based company for the delivery of value-added tea to Poland. Other revenue sources for the business include corporate gifting and co-branding, with the Assam government serving as a key customer.
He explained the unique selling point of his products by stating that tea is one of the most popular beverages eaten worldwide and that health and nutritional value may be produced by combining tea leaves with conventional herbs and other substances.
The tea vendor sources “only natural ingredients that have been traditionally used in every household in the northeast region over the years”, while creating blends, he says.
“All our tea varieties are produced using organic farming as our primary aim is to ensure wellness of the consumer,” he explained.
According to Baruah, the northeast region is home to various herbs with powerful therapeutic characteristics that can help cure or treat diabetes, migraines, and body aches, decrease stress, enhance immunity, and function as anti-aging and anti-cancer agents.
All of the materials are “locally sourced as far as possible” he said, and more than 250 small tea growers in Assam are being “provided with procurement and market support.”
Mr. Baruah stated that his business is attempting to build a platform where “traditional understanding can be blended with evolving technology and knowledge in the field of tea industry”.
In an effort to reach out to people from all walks of life, the startup released its first braille-friendly tea packets in November of last year to help visually impaired people choose their tea.