Many wars have ended over a cup of tea, and a tea start-up in India’s tea-rich Assam state hopes that the Russia-Ukraine war will come to an end soon in a similar way.
With this in mind, Aromica Tea launched Zelenskyy Tea to honor the courage and valor of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the face of Russian invasion.
Promoted as “Really Strong” on its packaging, Zelenskyy Tea (black tea, for which Assam is famous for) has already become an instant hit since its launch a month back, and the tea start-up based at Assam capital city of Guwahati is getting orders not only from the domestic market in India but from abroad as well.
Assam tea is known worldwide for its strong, bright color, as well as its briskness and malty flavor.
“We are getting a tremendous response for the product – both in the Indian market and abroad,” Ranjit Baruah, director of Aromica Tea, told World Tea News. “We have received enquiries from the U.S. and Canadian customers for the product a couple of weeks back.”
In fact, the Ambassador of Georgia to India – Archil Dzuliashvili – has met Baruah personally at Guwahati and purchased 20 packets of Zelenskyy Tea.
Baruah said the Georgian ambassador hopes to make the tea brand popular in his country, which is a neighbor to Ukraine. “He also said that he will get in touch with the Ukrainian Embassy to make the tea popular in that country as well,” Baruah said.
Baruah noted that the basic idea to launch the tea was to honor the Ukrainian president. “Zelenskyy has rejected the U.S. offer to escape from the war-torn country and decided to face the might of Russia. This shows how strong he is. The Assam tea is also as strong as Zelenskyy,” explained Baruah.
The tea professional stressed that the company has not tried to capitalize on the Russia-Ukraine development by launching the brand.“The idea behind launching such a brand is to send a message of peace,” said Baruah. “Many wars have ended over a cup of tea, and why not this war? End this war over a cup of tea, too.”
Joydeep Phukan, the Tea Research Association of India secretary, said in a Tweet that the launching of the Zelenskyy Tea shows how people are appreciating the exceptional courage and valor of the Ukrainian President.
Priced at Rs 100 for a 200-gram packet, Zelenskyy Tea is one of the affordable options in the company’s current catalog that has more than 40 varieties of teas and tea blends that incorporate health benefits with natural herbs and other ingredients.
Baruah and his wife founded Aromica Tea in 2018. The company sources tea from organic gardens in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, supporting local producers to create a steady market for their produce. The company offers products like Aromica Bamboo Shoot Tea, Aromica Blooming Green Tea, Aromica Blue Tea, Aromica Chamomile Tea, and Aromica Chamomile Tea, to name a few.
Aromica Tea was first launched with five tea blends during India’s World Tea & Coffee Expo held at Kolkata in 2018. The company became an Internet sensation a few years back when it launched the patented “Bhut Jolokia” (ghost chili) tea, blended with organic black tea using a dheki (a wooden threshing tool) and dehydrated lemon and ginger powder. Bhut Jolokia is one of the world’s hottest chilies, and it’s grown in plenty in the Assam region.
Like most business, Aromica Tea went through a rough patch in its first few months of business. The first break for the company came when My Galf, a wellness aggregator firm based in Mumbai, collaborated with the company. The collaboration opened a lot of doors for the company in the corporate world.
The Bhut Jolokia Tea, which was launched in 2019, also brought a lot of attention to the company. That same year, the company launched Just Cafe at Assam’s capital city, which expanded the customer base significantly and was featured in the state’s tourism information booklet.
Today, Aromica Tea is focused on its continued growth, and it began taking international orders from Dubai, The U.K., The United States, Canada and many others.
Of note: According to Tea Board India statistics, Ukraine imported 1.73 mn kg tea from India last year, and tea planters and exporters have recently expressed concern over the possible impact on shipments to Russia amid the war. Exporters fear that payments, which are usually in dollars, would get affected with the U.S. having imposed sanctions on Russia.
Pullock Dutta – based in Assam, near the Tocklai Tea Research Institute – is a freelance journalist, contributor to World Tea News, and a previous special correspondent of the Telegraph in India for more than two decades.
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