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Is matcha replacing chai in India’s cafés and homes in 2025? Explore how Gen Z is shaping the future of Indian tea culture

The charcha about chai: Does the beverage still hold up a mirror to Indian society?

With matcha trending at cafes in urban India, is the Japanese tea variant a bridge for the younger generation to keep in touch with a beverage quintessential to every Indian household? Or, does its premium persona go against what the humble chai represents?

You could once measure Indian identity by how someone took their chai—milky, spiced, no sugar, half-cut, extra kadak. But today, that steaming glass feels less like a cultural constant and more like a hit of nostalgia.

This shift didn’t happen overnight. Back in 2014,contestants on MasterChef Australia were asked to recreate Rose-Tea Smoked Chicken Tikka Masala—a challenge set by Chef Vikas Khanna that quietly reframed chai as something experimental. Soon after, Chef Sarah Todd was whipping up Masala Chai Pears with Chocolate Mousse, and Chai-spiced Panna Cotta. By 2019, the launch of a 57% Masala Chai Milk Chocolate by farm-to-bar chocolate brand Paul and Mike symbolised chai’s shift from an everyday essential to a premium indulgence.

First colonised, now commodified—masala chai has been repackaged by the West as a premium product. Image: Unsplash

First colonised, now commodified—masala chai has been repackaged by the West as a premium product. Image: Unsplash

 Razvan Zamfirescu, Head of Beverage, All In Hospitality, has concocted the Salty Dog at the The Dimsum Room, with tequila shaken with matcha

Razvan Zamfirescu, Head of Beverage, All In Hospitality, has concocted the Salty Dog at the The Dimsum Room, with tequila shaken with matcha

Chai, in its true form, didn’t disappear—it just became fashionable in unfamiliar ways. “Lesser-known regional Indian teas represent centuries of refined cultivation and processing expertise that often gets overshadowed in conversations dominated by masala chai or international trends. As one of the world's premier tea producers, India crafts exceptional single-origin leaf teas that deserve greater recognition,” says Anamika Singh, tea sommelier, founder-director of Anandini Himalaya Tea, based in Dharamshala. And yet, despite India’s legacy as one of the world’s top tea producers—with its floral Darjeeling, robust Assam, and elegant Kangra leaves—what’s dominating café menus today is not masala chai, but matcha. Imported, Instagrammable, and impossibly green.

The growing popularity of matcha in India

Not like there haven’t been other teas in India, beginning with iced tea, which was a concept borrowed from the West. Even the calming chamomile tea in this anxious world didn’t have the virality that matcha has garnered of late. 

With its origins in China and now largely cultivated in Japan, matcha has swept through India’s urban tea culture—showing up in lattes, bubble teas, cookies, cocktails, and even salad dressings. It’s no longer just a beverage; it’s a mood for a generation raised on aesthetics, antioxidants, and soft power rituals. Chai suddenly feels… outdated.

"MATCHA'S PREMIUM QUALITY LIMITS MATCHA TO URBAN SECTORS"

YuSung Eo

Matcha entered India’s culinary scene around 2015 via Japanese restaurants like Guppy in New Delhi, where it has been used in dressings, marinades, and desserts. At Cultured in New Delhi, baker-entrepreneur Esha Mehta began pairing matcha with fruits like mango, strawberry, and peach—ingredients tart enough to let its earthy notes shine. “Matcha doesn’t go with anything that overpowers it, like bitter dark chocolate,” she says. The drinks—matcha lemonade, mango matcha latte—took off. Cheesecakes? Not so much. Low-grade matcha, warns Mehta, “just tastes like grass.” 

Tea for a new generation: Matcha’s youth appeal in India

While bubble tea has played a huge role making matcha accessible to younger Indians, given its visual appeal and customisable formats, for some, the appeal isn’t immediate. Twenty-four-year-old Liansuanlal Guite, a New Delhi-based musician, didn’t like matcha at first, but the strawberry iced matcha bubble tea at Got Tea is now his go-to drink. He still has his morning cup of chai at home. 

YuSung Eo, 32, co-founder of Got Tea that launched in India in 2020, says good-quality matcha is expensive. “Its premium quality limits matcha to urban sectors.” Today, the cafe chain has six matcha beverages and two matcha desserts. 

Most Indians only know about masala chai and maybe Assam and Darjeeling. Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, and Kangra— all rich tea-producing regions—barely get mentioned. Image: Unsplash

Most Indians only know about masala chai and maybe Assam and Darjeeling. Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, and Kangra— all rich tea-producing regions—barely get mentioned. Image: Unsplash

“The matcha craze highlights new aspirations, new consumer identities, and the deepening role of social media and class distinctions in shaping food habits,” says Mehta. 

“Matcha carries an image of being clean, minimal, healthy, and premium,” says Beena Noronha, Brand Chef at Scarlett House, Lyla, and Gigi in Mumbai. “It reflects a section of urban India that’s leaning into conscious consumption, aesthetics, and global food trends. But it hasn’t reached the masses the way chai has.”

Matcha isn’t just Gen Z’s drink order of choice—it’s showing up in savoury plates too.  At Guppy, Chef Saurabh Sharan uses matcha in rubs and marinades, pairing it with milk, sesame, and mild vinegars. In Mumbai, Chef Beena Noronha, brand chef at restaurants including Scarlett House, Lyla, and Gigi, tops bar snack Rock Tempura with matcha salt for an umami kick. 

“CHAI ISN’T JUST A BEVERAGE IN INDIA; IT’S PART OF DAILY LIFE, MEMORY, RITUAL”

Thomas Zacharias

Matcha-based cocktails are trickier. The pre-batched ‘Matchaaa’ mixes clarified matcha with gin and yuzu sake. “If it’s not properly whisked and strained, it can end up chalky or unpleasant in a cocktail,” says mixologist Sameer Uttamsingh. Its appeal? Clean caffeine and perfect green for Instagram. 

Is chai undervalued in India’s beverage culture? 

Yet, for all of matcha’s rising popularity, chai continues to be deeply embedded in daily life across India.  It may not always come with oat milk or a wellness tag, but when brewed right—even without sugar and milk—it carries its own health benefits.

“All teas have health benefits because tea leaves are plucked from the Camellia sinensis plant, whose leaves have an anti-inflammatory effect. There’s black tea, green tea, white tea, Oolong, silver needle, gunpowder… Even masala chai is rejuvenating,” explains Singh.  

First colonised, now commodified—masala chai has been repackaged by the West over the years as a premium product, from ‘chai tea’ to celebrity-endorsed blends. In 2022, New Delhi-based tea brand VAHDAM found its way into the Oscars’ goodie bag—alongside high-profile endorsements from Oprah Winfrey, who famously launched her own ‘Oprah Chai’ at Starbucks in 2014.

The way Indians consume chai today reflects the rhythms of modern life—from home-brewed masala chai to cutting chai on street corners to lattes in cafés. Image: Instagram.com/fearlessteaofficial

The way Indians consume chai today reflects the rhythms of modern life—from home-brewed masala chai to cutting chai on street corners to lattes in cafés. Image: Instagram.com/fearlessteaofficial

Many Indians are unfamiliar with the depth of their own culinary traditions. In Kashmir, for instance, chai brewed with milk and sugar is casually called ‘Lipton Chai’. Image: Unsplash

Many Indians are unfamiliar with the depth of their own culinary traditions. In Kashmir, for instance, chai brewed with milk and sugar is casually called ‘Lipton Chai’. Image: Unsplash

“Masala chai has a cool quotient because the world is drinking it,” says Prateek Sadhu, chef-owner, Naar, who recalls having chai lattes in New York and Dirty Chai (chai with a shot of espresso) in Australia in 2024. 

But back in India, chai has had to fight a certain societal judgement. Indians take tea for granted. We don’t respect it,” says Singh. “Tea has always been a by-the-way back-up plan that’s never caught the eye because it’s not flashy and fun. It’s not about thinking of chai as a ‘middle-class’ drink but the lack of awareness about it.” 

Many Indians, Sadhu points out, are unfamiliar with the depth of their own culinary traditions. In Kashmir, for instance, what most of the country knows as chai—brewed with milk and sugar—is casually called ‘Lipton Chai’. The region has its own repertoire: Noon Chai that is brewed with salt; Kahwa, a fragrant infusion with saffron and almonds; and Doodh Chai made with kahwa leaves and milk. 

"CHAI IS STILL A VERY POLITICAL DRINK"

Prateek Sadhu

“Kahwa has two versions,” explains Sadhu. “Muslim and Kashmiri Pandit–the former has no caffeine but includes saffron, cardamom, and almond extract, while the latter has Kahwa green tea,” he says, recalling the fresh, personalised bakes from the local mohalla baker in Baramullah it was usually served at—a system that was a well-oiled community by itself. 

How chai in India has evolved over time

The way Indians consume chai today reflects the rhythms of modern life—from slow, home-brewed masala chai to cutting chai on street corners to chai lattes in upscale cafés. “Chai reflects how we’ve held on to tradition while constantly adapting it to fit our changing lives. It’s a beverage that grows with us, but never loses its soul,” says Noronha.

India’s evolving tea landscape reflects broader societal shifts, says Singh. As Indians travel more, embrace wellness, and seek authenticity, there’s a growing sophistication in how tea is consumed—one that now goes beyond the chai-only paradigm.

Matcha entered India’s culinary scene around 2015 via Japanese restaurants like Guppy in New Delhi. Image: Unsplash

Matcha entered India’s culinary scene around 2015 via Japanese restaurants like Guppy in New Delhi. Image: Unsplash

Alternating between chai and brewed single-origin tea is a reflection of the Indian ability to hold multiple traditions at once. Image: Unsplash

Alternating between chai and brewed single-origin tea is a reflection of the Indian ability to hold multiple traditions at once. Image: Unsplash

Even though milk-and-sugar chai became widespread through colonial influence and now permeates Indian culture, there has always existed a parallel tradition in tea-growing regions like Darjeeling, Assam, Kangra, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and the Nilgiris, where communities have long appreciated and savoured pure leaf tea without additives.

“This perfectly mirrors India's multifaceted identity. The mainstream chai culture represents our collective social rituals and accessibility, while the appreciation for fine-leaf tea embodies a deeper connection to our agricultural heritage and terroir. The true democratisation of tea culture would involve greater appreciation for these artisanal Indian teas that speak to our terroir and craftsmanship,” says Singh. 

For many, alternating between a quick chai and a carefully brewed single-origin tea isn’t a contradiction—it’s a reflection of the Indian ability to hold multiple traditions at once. 

"MATCHA CARRIES AN IMAGE OF BEING CLEAN, MINIMAL, HEALTHY AND PREMIUM "

Beena Noronha

Still, even those drawn to new tea trends often return to classic chai—for comfort, for gatherings, for the kind of nostalgia that doesn’t need a label. “The ritualistic morning chai or the refreshing afternoon cup remains an irreplaceable part of daily Indian life that transcends generational divides,” says Singh. 

More than just flavour: Chai is rooted in community, politics, and memory

“Chai isn’t just a beverage here; it’s part of daily life, memory, ritual. The potential of the Indian chai market—both in India and globally—is massive,” says Thomas Zacharias, chef and  founder of The Locavore, a platform championing local food and sustainability across India. Even the finest restaurants have chai on their menus, while brands—from Anandini Himalaya Tea to Chaayos, and Wagh Bakri to Jivraj9 Tea, continue to experiment with flavours such as ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon, and rose. 

But what often gets overlooked in these explorations is the concept of provenance. “Where is the tea coming from? Who's growing it? What are their stories?,” asks Zacharias. “For tea’s potential to be realised meaningfully, especially when we talk about taking regional chai to a wider audience, we have to go beyond just flavour. It’s about how and where the tea is grown, the quality of the leaf, and the ethics of the supply chain,” he adds. 

Even those drawn to new tea trends often return to classic chai—for comfort, for gatherings, for the kind of nostalgia that doesn’t need a label. Image: Unsplash

Even those drawn to new tea trends often return to classic chai—for comfort, for gatherings, for the kind of nostalgia that doesn’t need a label. Image: Unsplash

Bubble tea has played a huge role making matcha accessible to younger Indians, given its visual appeal and customisable formats. Image; Pexels

Bubble tea has played a huge role making matcha accessible to younger Indians, given its visual appeal and customisable formats. Image; Pexels

Zacharias points to the model adopted by homegrown brand Fearless Tea: They work directly with smallholder women farmers in Assam, ensuring traceability, better incomes, and a more equitable model. “When chai is rooted in its source—when you know the land and people behind it—it doesn't just taste better, it means more.”

“If you can read a wine bottle for the vineyard, you can do the same for tea,” says Singh. But chai’s biggest hurdle? Perception. Chai needs good PR and marketing. “People serve things that are already there because that’s what sells,” says Singh. Most Indians only know about masala chai and maybe Assam and Darjeeling—if they don’t think Darjeeling is in Assam. Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, and Kangra— all rich tea-producing regions—barely get mentioned. 

“Where the industry goes wrong is making everything about money, because then who will promote an underdog like tea? It’ll only happen if a body comes together and thinks about tea as a product and not a brand,” says Singh. She has been doing her bit—pairing teas with chocolates and cheese, creating tea-driven cocktails for brands like Glenfiddich besides cold brews for Range Rover, and consulting with bars such as Sidecar. But Zacharias points out the structural limitations: The flavour of tea comes down to how it’s grown, picked, and blended—not just how it is brewed.   

“INDIANS TAKE TEA FOR GRANTED. WE DON’T RESPECT IT”

Anamika Singh

Brewing determines the tea’s flavour—from bitterness to aroma. “But, if you boil it for 20 minutes, it will not have any impact,” says Singh, indicating that it will lose its inherent flavour.  

She highlights the importance of proper brewing techniques: correct temperature, infusion time (three to five minutes, depending on the leaf), and tea leaves-to-water ratio (2g per 200- 250ml).“Overbrew it and it’s bitter. Underbrew it and you won’t get any flavour.” 

This subjectivity, however, has not worked in the favour of chai in an era where coffee has exploded. Unlike chai, coffee has café infrastructure, aspirational pricing, and equipment that most people don’t own at home—making it feel more like an experience worth stepping out for. 

“Cafes have always been community-driven, because they are spaces where people go regularly, building a community, also between customers and staff,” says Matt Chitharanjan, co-founder, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters. “Chai is something people have associated as an everyday drink you make at home using a particular personalised recipe.” 

As Indians travel more, there’s a growing sophistication in how tea is consumed that goes beyond the chai-only paradigm. Image: Anandini Tea

As Indians travel more, there’s a growing sophistication in how tea is consumed that goes beyond the chai-only paradigm. Image: Anandini Tea

“Coffee can never be as democratic as chai. You can’t get coffee for ₹ 10,” says Matt Chitharanjan, co-founder, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters. Image: Unsplash

“Coffee can never be as democratic as chai. You can’t get coffee for ₹ 10,” says Matt Chitharanjan, co-founder, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters. Image: Unsplash

It’s also about the economics: “Coffee can never be as democratic as chai. You can’t get coffee for ₹ 10,” adds Chitharanjan. Chai, then, remains deeply democratic—it’s one of the rare things that cuts across caste, class, and economic lines in India. It breaks barriers, ignites conversations, and brings people together. 

“Chai is still a very political drink,” says Sadhu. “It’s emotional and democratic—which is why ‘chai pe charcha’ exists as a phrase. You always talk over a cup of tea. Indians will always come back to chai, even as they experiment and aspire” he adds. 

For Singh, chai is rooted in memory. “It connects people to their heritage, childhood, nostalgia, and a sense of home,” she says, recalling evenings where she’d sit and play as her parents sipped their daily cup of tea. “Tea brought us together once a day.” 

Singh recalls a conversation with Harry Fernandes, the regional director of Aman Resorts, India and Sri Lanka, who said, “Tea is very forgiving”. Perhaps even forgiving enough to survive the matcha wave.

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