Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (MS)

Puttur, May 8: When we think of a canteen the picture that comes to our mind is that of a joint selling tea, coffee and snacks. However, there is a unique green canteen at Papunja on the outskirts of the taluk on the Mangaluru-Madikeri national highway that sells herbal teas of various kinds.

Saugandhika canteen serves bamboo tea, masala tea, Gandhari lime soda, Elaichi tea, Lemon Grass tea, Veelya, Kamakasturi and Tulasi teas. The canteen does not have any ultra-modern seating or comfort ambience arrangements. But a person who visits this canteen once, will never forget the experience.

Chandrahas and Preeti couple have been running a nursery and small canteen for the past 10 years. Most of the teas are prepared using various flower and medicinal plants.

In addition to taste, each one of these teas give more health. In the olden days, elderly people used to serve Kashaya of different herbs for cough, cold and headache. Chandrahas-Preeti couple serve the same in tea form.

For lime soda they use the limes that are grown in their nursery. Customers are also served with juices of sweet lemon, papaya, fashion fruit and pineapple, all grown in the nursery. Many customers of the canteen visit the place to enjoy the herbal tea in a green environment.