The Tanchoi sarees are the traditional sarees of Surat. The weavers of Gujarat are known for weaving this unique variation of silk sarees in India.

As per the history of Tanchoi sarees, the Tanchoi brocades are originated from China. This type of saree was introduced in India by the ongoing trade between Parsi, China and England and India in nineteenth century. It is believed that in the last half of the nineteenth century, three Parsi brothers called Chhoi learned the technique of weaving these brocades in China and introduced it to Indian weavers in Surat (Gujarat). Hence the name tanchoi, which literally means `three Chhois` was given to this particular sarees. A descendant of one of these brothers continued producing Tanchoi sarees in Bombay into the early 1950s. After the introduction of Tanchoi sarees, the Varanasi weavers started making less expensive versions. Since then the amalgamation of Chinese technique with Indian style of weaving was created to form the Indianised version of Tanchoi sarees.

Tanchoi saree is weaved in a figured silk and is technically related to complex weaves because it has one or two warp and two to five weft colours often in the same shed. A densely patterned, heavy fabric is created without any floats on the reverse. Sometimes, the `unused` threads are woven into the `foundation` at the back. As per the tradition of creating these sarees, the weavers create the face of the fabric with a satin weave ground (warp threads) with small patterns made by the weft threads repeated over the entire surface. Although Tanchoi textiles are traditionally amru brocades that originated in China, Banaras took over the market in the 1940s and 1950s, and began to incorporate zari.

Tanchoi sarees are now found in vibrant colours and the weaving technique employs several silk yarns. The sarees are finally created after going through several refinement processes. Tanchoi sarees are also admired as the wedding sarees in different regions in India. This particular Tanchoi sarees that are used as wedding sarees, are generally heavy silks that are also worn in other festivals and occasions. Tanchoi sarees of Gujarat mostly have a satin finish.

The Tanchoi sarees of India are the most sought after items for the Indian women. These sarees are available in vibrant colours and the artisans add an extra sheen to the sarees to give them a metallic look and suit the ceremonial purpose.