Indian scientists said Tuesday they have developed a "tea pill" which can be carried in the pocket to be chewed when desired for the same refreshing effect as a freshly-brewed cuppa. The four-member team based in the north-eastern state of Assam - the heart of the country's tea industry - said the pill was ready but it would take six months to be available commercially.
"The pill is absolutely safe, (it) can be chewed or placed under the tongue," Mridul Hazarika, director of the Tocklai Experimental Station, told AFP.
It can also be enjoyed in the "conventional manner by dipping the tablet in a cup of hot water," Hazarika said.
"We are sure the tea tablets will be able to freshen and cheer up a person with nearly the same effect as having a hot cup of brewed tea."
The Tocklai Station in Assam's tea-growing town of Jorhat was set up in 1901 and is now the world's biggest facility for tea research.
"I conceived the idea of making a tea pill for people ... who are hard-pressed for time. There is no need for hot water or looking for a cup as the tablet can be carried in the pocket and sucked, chewed, or sipped wherever they wish and in whichever way they prefer," Hazarika said.
He said scientists have applied for a patent and would decide later on a commercial manufacturer.
"The basic ingredients of the pill are tea extracts blended with permissible flavour additives that conform to international food standards," Hazarika added. Hazarika said the pills would not affect traditional tea drinking habits.