UNI

Mumbai, Feb 12: Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan hosted a tea tasting and appreciation workshop for the city's crowd and the media with tea expert here.

Saif, who along with ad guru Alyque Padamsee, set the mood for the workshop, said on Monday, ''I'm sure that we will have a refined and civilised afternoon.''

Conducting the workshop was Yangdup Lama, tea expert from Darjeeling, who presented the various types of tea -- from its preparation and methods to bring out its flavours, to its history, anecdotes and tips that included the Chinese version of 'Cheers' for tea -- 'Thou Cha' which means 'drink tea often'.
 
''There are numerous varieties of the world's most popular drink. The white tea, harvested only twice a year, on a moonlit night after the first shower of spring, retails for Rs 65,000 per kg. The other varieties, the green, black and woodsmoked, which has flavours of cinnamon, cardamom and citrus and also the CTC (Cut, tear and Curl) and Nilgiri varieties which have their own distinct flavours,'' said the expert from Darjeeling, to an attentive audience that included Saif Ali Khan and socialites like Nisha Jamwal, Chhaya Momaya and model Anupama Verma.

The audience also got first hand experience on how to prepare the different varieties of tea from black tea to lemon and mint teas and savour their distinct flavours and aromas.
 
''It's a little sad to see that India which is a number one producer of tea, considers it as a very basic beverage,'' said Mr Lama.

Tea was first discovered in 2737 BC, in China and grown in Assam by the British from 1835. It is the most popular beverage in the world.