印度好好吃, 印度旅遊
紛亂舊德里大街上的寧靜古董茶店：Aap Ki Pasand 你的選擇
Bring Home Stories /
文／印度尤
翻譯／印度尤與小二謀
當你萌生想逃離一切的念頭，卻又不想屈就德里滿街的尋常咖啡館，那麼 Aap Ki Pasand 會是少數值得一訪的庇護所。Aap Ki Pasand 在印地語的意思是「你的選擇」店內有著來自印度各地，經過一層層嚴格把關的精緻茶品，搭配上輕鬆慵懶的氛圍與復古雅韻，絕對能讓你從混亂中找回寧靜，在茶香中回味再三。
When you want to get away from it all and try something different than the usual hip cafés that seem to be taking over Delhi, Aap Ki Pasand offers refuge like few others. This unique tea boutique not only stocks almost every blend of tea worth stocking, but also offers the casual laid back atmosphere and the charm of a bygone era to bring you one of your most memorable experiences.
對外國旅客來說，舊德里一直都是個迷人的旅遊地點，但她激盪出的文化震撼卻不是人人都能夠招架的住。這時側身鑽進 Aap Ki Pasand 不失為一個好選擇，這是一個可以讓人壓壓驚、喘口氣的完美去處。
Old Delhi is always an attractive tourist destination for foreigners, but sometimes the culture shock can be a tad too much for a the faint-hearted. It is then that Aap Ki Pasand can prove to be a perfect place to refresh and replenish.
位處於舊德里車水馬龍的 Daryaganj 區舊書街上，1981年開張的 Aap Ki Pasand 號稱是印度的第一家古董茶館，貼牆而上的原木櫃陳列著玲瑯滿目的茶品，這恐怕會讓嗜茶者的選擇困難症發作。
Located in the busy and crowded old book market of Daryaganj in Old Delhi, Aap Ki Pasand claims to be the first tea boutique of India, established in 1981. A whole-wall shelf flaunts an unimaginable array of choices for tea lovers.
繡有印度傳統手工刺繡絨布裡，包裝的是店內最知名也最尊貴的精選茶——總統茶，數十年來一直是 Aap Ki Passand 最暢銷的頂級品項。從1985年起，印度總理辦公室也固定贈送這款茶給到訪的高級外賓。
Packed in black flannel with traditional Indian hand embroidery, Presidents Tea is the most famous and venerable blend on offer here. The Indian Prime Minister’s Office has been buying its tea from Aap Ki Passand since 1985 to gift foreign quests as well.
走進 Aap Ki Passand 的最深處，是一間有著維多利亞風格的專業試茶間，典雅的牛皮釘扣沙發與溫潤的實木椅，彷彿帶著我走進了另一個世界。這裡瀰漫著各種或清雅或醇厚的茶香。試茶師每週在這裡要試上數百種茶，細細品味來自大吉嶺、阿薩姆、加爾各答與來自印度各地的茶葉並參與競標。
The professional tea tasting room with Victorian styled furniture emanates the smell of thousands of kinds of tea leaves. Every week more than a hundred tea leaf samples from Darjeeling, Assam, Kolkata and other plantations in India are tasted in this room.
「大吉嶺是最好的！」當我問起創始人 Sanjay Kapur 的兒子 Suhail Kapur 最喜歡哪款茶時，他信誓旦旦地說，「只有大吉嶺的茶會依循季節變換香韻及湯色。」
“Darjeeling tea is the best,” says Suhail Kapur, the son of the founder Sanjay Kapur without hesitation when asked about his favorite tea. “Only Darjeeling tea has totally different aroma and colors with seasons.”
Suhail 為我準備了大吉嶺春茶及大吉嶺夏茶，這兩款茶是經過百輪測飲中脫穎而出的必嚐單品。「大吉嶺春茶從三月開始，這可以說是最快樂的一款茶，帶有蔬果及花朵的香氣。大吉嶺夏茶則有更多香料的餘韻，茶湯的色澤也更濃厚。」
Suhail prepares a spring and summer Darjeeling, the must try in Aap Ki Pasand picked carefully from hundreds rounds of tasting. “Spring Darjeeling starts from March. This is the happiest tea with aroma of vegetable and flower, and summer is with more spices aroma and stronger colour.”
「茶展現的是一種生活品味。」Suhail 帶著些許驕傲地說，「我們家的茶來自原產地，我的家族全部都和茶連結在一起。」Suhail 的爺爺在大吉嶺也擁有茶園，他的父親也在當地相識了出生於大吉嶺的母親，隨後創立了 Aap Ki Pasand。「我喜歡茶，因為茶擁有各式風韻，有的像酒、水果、樹木或花朵，這些細微之處都在每次的沖泡與品茗中等待被發現。」
“Tea is a life style.” Suhail says. “Our family has tea in its origins. My mom is from Darjeeling and my grandfather has a tea plantation there. My parents met in Darjeeling and my father established Aap Ki Pasand. I like tea, because tea has flavors like wine, fruits, vegetables, wood and flowers, which need to be discovered.”
老店裡總會有著總不膩煩的老客人。住在德里近郊法里達巴德市的 Anil Malhotra，開了一個小時的車就為了買一包100克的綠茶，那是他的最愛，「能啜飲上一口整趟車程全值得了！」他拿著玻璃小杯輕輕地笑了出來，茶湯的金黃色也就這樣映上了他的臉。
Anil Malhotra, who lives in Faridabad on the outskirts of Delhi, drove for an hour for just a 100 gram pack of his favourite green tea. But just one sip makes the trip worth it, he says.
Suhail 繼承家業後，為 Aap Ki Pasand 創立了一個更為年輕活潑的副牌 San-Cha。「我是為了傳承維多利亞時代的精神以及法式風情而創立這個品牌。」除了本店外，Aap Ki Pasan 在德里還有一家門市以及在古爾岡一處專做外銷的分店。
San-Cha, a new brand created by Suhail who says “I made this to carry on the spirit of the Victorian times and maybe some French style.” Besides its own blends, Aap Ki Pasand has two outlets in Delhi – one shop and an export facility in Gurgaon.
陽光斜斜地從門前的竹簾隙縫中穿進了 Aap Ki Pasand，氤氲暖黄的燈光、六張雅緻的藤編椅和持續播放的80年代歌曲，再細品一杯印度好茶，都足以讓你在 Aap Ki Pasand 流連的原因，讓人忘記它就在舊德里最紛亂嘈雜的一條街上。
Slanting sunlight creaking in through the blinds, a warm yellow lighting space, six wicker chairs and comfortable 1980’s music, Aap Ki Pasand truly makes for the kind of place where you will surely come more than once.
離開創始店 Aap Ki Pasand後，我來到第二代接班的 Suhail 創立的副牌 SAN-CHA 位於南德里的店面。這裡多了更多的當代英倫感，整體明亮且活潑許多，營造出完全不同的個性。
相較於 Aap Ki Pasand 選用帶有精緻刺繡的絨布傳統包裝，SAN-CHA 則採用典雅的鐵罐與印有繽紛花卉的精緻禮盒，作為伴手禮非常合適大方。
用色大膽的鐵罐包裝深受年輕族群喜愛，不只有印度經典的紅茶，調味茶的品項也非常豐富，讓人忍不住想要全部擁有。
當然，唯一不變的，是無論哪一款茶，都能夠在充滿英式風情的店內試喝，細細地品茶、選茶這件事兒在 Aap Ki Pasand 和 SAN-CHA 可都沒有改變！
