I like it cold, YOU?. Review on Nestea

I remember when we used to travel to Kolhapur by an overnight train, sleeping and eating were the only two things on our mind!WE would carry food from home for dinner ruling out any attempt of eating any junk food served at stations. As soon as we got on, spread that newspaper and open the dabbas! Methi paratha and alu ki subzi, a l’il bit curd rice and that achaar and chutney.Then when we woke up the morning, we would hear a clamour of people trying to sell breakfast along with chai or coffee. And they would always say “Idliii, Vadaaaa, Chaiii Cofffeeee Garam”, which essentially meant that only the chai will be hot and the idli vada ice cold!

Cold Coffee had made its presence felt, yet your early morning cuppa wud essentially be the boiling hot version of it with its wafting fragrance reaching you much before the actual cup itself. But till a few years ago, the concept of having cold tea even occasionally would be sheer blasphemy.

But in the recent past, the funda of Iced Tea has slowly been sneaked into our lives, mainly by the new age restos offering you the flavours around the world. I remember enjoying my first tall glass at Bombay Blues when I was dating Mayunk and he going “90bucks for pani??!!” That was a peach flavoured tea poured over lotsa ice and obviously without even a drop of milk. It was yummy, the only problem being that since they served it in such a huge glass, by the time you finished it, the ice would have melted watering down the taste to a large extent.

Yet, it always had a refreshing effect on hot days or just as a nice accompaniment to your dinner making it the only time a coffee lover like me would have tea as an option! : )

Suddenly, one day, I saw a similar tall glass at work! Iced Tea?? In office?? Wow! I called the house keeping guy and asked him, how did u make this? And he showed me an ice blue coloured of Nestea – Lemon tea premix. On my next trip to Fab Mall I picked up a packet to try it at home.

It’s quite simple actually! Take approx two spoons of the Nestea premix powder in a glass. Add chilled water on top, stir it, add some ice if you want and your glass of Lemon Iced Tea is ready to be served. It is refreshing change at the end of a tiring day.

The only problem is that even the sugar is already added, so if you like your glass a l’il less sweet, then you cant do much about that. It take a little time to perfect the proportion because too much of it, makes it sweet, too less of it, and its like a watery concoction.

Nestea is available in two flavours as of now, Lemon and Peach (am yet to try Peach). One packet of 500gms costing 70bucks, will make you close to 25 glasses. You can also have the hot version of lemon chai on cold days by just adding boiling water instead of thanda paani.

It isn’t exactly the best things to happen to mankind, but one of the better ones for sure!

And if you think I am one of those people, who try almost every new food product that they see on the shelves… Let me get this straight.

You are absolutely RIGHT!!

Go on, chill with your chai!