Tea has taken me places—but it brings me home: Abhilasha Sethia

Food consultant and author Abhilasha Sethia’s pursuit of the perfect cup has transformed her into a tea nomad. Her obsession has driven her through the plantation tracks of Darjeeling and Munnar, and into the specialized tea markets of East Asia and Europe. Sethia focuses heavily on the atmosphere of the brew, collecting teapots of every distinct personality to host highly curated tea gatherings. Yet, her ultimate luxury is the contrast between the global and the hyper-local: while her mornings strictly require a refined Darjeeling, her monsoon ritual demands the unapologetic comfort of a strong, street-style ginger masala chai.