Traditional Kulhar cups are again catching the attention of the tea lovers.
By Swati Ekka
Tea vendors are now shifting from plastic and paper cups to Kulhar cups. From the past two-three years, there has been an increase in demand for Kulhar cups. Manyrestaurants and tea selling vendors prefer to use Kulhar cups because of the earthy aroma and flavor it adds to the tea.
Raj Shekhar, a potter said, “The demand for khulhar cups has rapidly increased over the time after the government has banned plastic. Raj Shekhar, a potter said, “After the government banned the use of plastic cups, we have seen a drastic change in the restaurant owners preferences. Many have been preferring these clay cups over paper cups. The margin in selling these Khulhar cups is pretty good; monthly I earn Rs. 70-80,000, sometimes Rs. 1 Lakh depending on the demand,”
The traditional way of drinking tea in Kulhar cups has become popular trend among the new generation that has barely used it before.
Bhavyata Kagrana, a college student said, “Kulhar cups are biodegradable and it provides an earthy aroma to my “chai” which the plastic cups can’t. And also I think it is more hygienic than other materials. So, I prefer to drink tea in Kulhar cups.”
Overwhelmed with the rising demand of Kulhar cups, potters in the town are running short of hands in making these cups.
“Despite engaging all the members of my family into making Kulhar cups, we are not able to meet the demands of the restro and tea selling vendors. Due to the shortage of human resource, we face difficulties in finishing the orders,” said Shekhar. “We sell around 50-60 thousand kulhar cups a month,” he added.
“People prefer to drink tea in a Khulhar cup than in plastic cups or glasses. We serve 40 varieties of tea in our shop and the most selling is ‘Tandoori chai’. We brew the tea in Kulhar cup inside the tandoor and serve. The Tea in a Kulhar cup gives an amazingly flavor, which most of the customers are fond of,” said, Rehan, owner of Arabia Tea cafe.
“Many new outlets have been opened in Bangalore to fulfil the rising demand of Kulhar chai,” he added.
Chef Lucky said, “Drinking tea in Kulhar cups brings down the acidic nature of the body as these cups are alkaline in nature. Kulhar cups Drinking in Plastic cups also attracts various diseases. The cups are considered healthier as they are eco-friendly, hygienic and are easy to dispose of.These traditional Kulhar cups increase the aroma of the tea and also give the earth essence and also promote Indian tradition.”
