The stall showcasing Indian tea, marketed by the Siliguri-based Lochan Tea Limited, at the Hong Kong Food Expo. A Telegraph picture

Siliguri, Aug. 18: The exotic Darjeeling and Assam brews distributed as souvenirs among dignitaries from across the globe at the dinner organised by the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad have earned appreciation in the Chinese capital.

The products’ display at the ongoing Food Expo in Hong Kong have evoked queries from different countries as well.

Five-thousand designed packets, containing 250 gram of the flavoured Darjeeling and Assam tea, were distributed as souvenirs at the dinner held on August 8 after the gala opening ceremony. There were other souvenirs like the traditional Chinese Pu’er tea also at the dinner.

“Our company has had the privilege of supplying the packets of Indian tea,” said Rajiv Lochan, director of the Siliguri-based Lochan Tea Limited, who was an invitee at the dinner. Lochan, who returned here today, said: “It was gratifying to see that Indian brands of tea were appreciated by the dignitaries. We hope that the souvenirs will help the international promotion of Indian tea.”

The globally-famed Makaibari tea from Darjeeling, 333kg of which was earlier dispatched to Beijing for consumption during the Olympics, would also add to this promotion, stakeholders said.

Lochan, who witnessed the spectacular opening ceremony and attended the Hong Kong Food Expo, found new clients interested in buying Indian tea.Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the expo housed more than 300 companies of the world, Lochan said.

“We had our stall there where the limited edition tea packets supplied to the Olympics were displayed,” he said. “There were several enquiries and representatives of companies like Yuan Tai Tea Industry met us,” he added.

Finding that the limited edition tea packets have attracted new clients in the overseas, the company now plans to approach the Olympics organising committee for permission to sell the product.

“After the Olympics are over, we will seek the permission of the organising committee to merchandise the limited edition tea,” said Ankit Lochan, another director of Lochan Tea. “We would make minor changes in the labels and packets and also plan to bring down the rate.”

The company had charged $100 per packet from the Olympics committee.