City of Joy
Kolkata is one of the prominent metropolitan cities in India. It is located in the east part of the country, in the state of West Bengal. The local language is Bengali. The city is often referred to as the City of Joy, due to the language, food and overall nature of the city. Kolkata is one of the few cities in India that is still relatively old in its construction and work style. The city has a mix of locals and immigrants from nearby states such as Bihar, Assam, Orissa, and all the northeastern states. Kolkata was the capital of India during British rule.
Beverage consumption patterns
Morning tea is a must @ 07.00-09.00hrs
People in Kolkata tend to start their morning activities after drinking a cup of tea. Preference for unpackaged tea over packaged tea is common across the city due to the former’s affordability. Additionally, people in the city also show a high preference for black tea in addition to milk tea.
Mid-day drink @ 13.00-14.00hrs
A glass of lassi (mixture of yoghurt and water) after lunch is quite common after a heavy lunch at the weekend. Lassi acts as a natural cooler to provide relief from the hot summer weather. During office hours, people also indulge in drinking tea pre or post lunch.
Refreshment at evening @ 17.00-18.00hrs
In the evening, tea is again the common choice among the working population, irrespective of gender or age. People in the city have a habit of sleeping in the afternoon and then indulging in sipping a cup of hot tea at 17:00hrs. During office hours, people often take a tea and cigarette break, while the younger population (under 15 years) prefer cola drinks after school or some other home-made concentrates.
Before sleep @ 22.00-23.00hrs
Before going to sleep, people in Kolkata are in the habit of drinking a glass of milk. In addition, having milk with roti (unleavened flat bread) is widely common among Bengalis.
Tea consumption and traditional flavours
Consumption of tea has always been important in Kolkata and will continue to hold strong significance. With a strong presence of tea plantations in the state of West Bengal, there is wide availability and distribution of unpackaged tea in the city. Additionally, such wide availability of different varieties of tea at low price points has led consumers to prefer tea.
Kolkata continues to prefer its local tastes and flavours. Despite the fact that the city has a wide presence of packaged non-alcoholic drinks, consumers in the city prefer their local and traditional flavours. Such local and traditional flavours provide consumers with various health and cooling benefits, thereby making them a much more attractive option for locals in Kolkata.